GECs
Zee cries foul over game show ‘HouZee’
MUMBAI: Zee TVs mobile interactive game show HouZee debuted on 7 Agust (Sunday) in a controversial manner with the channel alleging that vested interest tried “sabotaging” the programme by hitting the all-important communication lines.
“Just ahead of the show around mid-day today, we got a call from Tata Indicom (a telecom service prover that has leased ISDN lines for the Zee show) informing us that the cable connecting the Mumbai studio to the telecom company’s facility in Lower Parel area had been physically chopped off,” Zee Telefilms vice-president Ashish Kaul said.
A police complaint has been filed in Mumbai by the telecom company that owns the communication cable.
Thankfully, Zee had a backup ready at its facility on the outskirts of Delhi and the show continued being on air with viewer participation.
The HouZee format has viewers participating in the game show via SMS through mobile phones sitting in their homes. The show is hosted by Jaaved Jafferi.
Pointing out that it was a “clear case of sabotage” by competition (that was not specified), Kaul said that from 8 am to 2 pm on Sunday people were unable to send SMS through any of the telecom partners’ services to Zee’s universal access code of 7575.
“Whenever people tried to send an SMS, all the cellular services showed a technical error continuously for about six hours,” Kaul added.
The telecom partners for HouZee are Spice Telecom, AirTel, Reliance and Hutch. The show is also simultaneously telecast on Play TV, another Zee group venture that went on air early this year.
Zee, however, has not named anybody specifically in its complaint, but is still assessing the damage that the hacked cable has caused to the game show today.
Interestingly, Star Plus had alleged that its signals from Asisat 3 had got blacked out for some time last month on a day when Zee TV’s much-hyped thriller Time Bomb had debuted.
Telecast every Sunday at noon on Zee TV and Play TV, HouZee is a show where viewers too can play live a numbers game along with the host by sending SMS.
Viewers participate and play for the various prize levels like Jaldi 5, Jaldi7, Any line, Any two lines and the Full House where big money could be won.
The show is a skill based game wherein the viewer has to answer a general knowledge question before and after winning a prize level. Jaaferi engages the audiences and announces the numbers. Winners are also invited to appear in future shows.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
