Neha Dhupia had long time ago said that after Shah Rukh Khan only sex sells. It seems that the adage is appearing to be true, but in a rather different manner as Shah Rukh Khan is not selling but sex is selling. Here sex is not being referred to in its direct interpretational context but as an element of sensationalism, chutzpah, novelty, having the ability to surprise and entice, titillate, salivate etc.
Shah Rukh Khan is not selling in the manner in which it was expected he would sell with the KYA AAP PANCHVI PAAS HAIN. It is not able to generate the same excitement that his earlier show KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI-III. But does it mean that Shah Rukh Khan should take the blame for the show. Which is the other programme that has children in the prime time in any channel, which is able to withstand the onslaught of the IPL today? If a comparison has to be made then this aspect also has to be borne in mind. PANCHVI PAAS is a programme were children play a major role, and to have a programme in the prime time catering more to child audience, but in which adult is also participating to be ridiculed, even in a humorous manner could turn out to be its pit fall. After all, this concept has still not been able to carve a niche for itself, where children, even in playing a game could be allowed to laugh at lack of knowledge of the parents.
As a concept it might have been a hit in the place of its origin i.e. USA where the relationship between a parent and a child is in contrast to what it is there in India. In USA the parents are more pals than parents, which is still not the case in India. May be, those who have designed it, should have taken this concept in mind.
IPL on the other hand has adrenaline rush, loads of oomph, dozes of sexuality in form of the cheer girls, film stars celebrating the same, and even along with the parents watching the matches. So sex in its true sense is selling, but Shah Rukh Khan is not selling. To sell, Shah Rukh Khan a new strategy needs to be devised that would reinvent PANCHVI PAAS and Shah Rukh Khan would sell again along with sex, not in its physical sense, but in its metaphorical sense as well.