Inside India's 'Rise and Fall': Social Experiment About Power, Status

When Banijay Asia set out to adapt the U.K. reality format “ Rise and Fall ” for Indian audiences, the company made a deliberate choice to abandon the crowded field of dance competitions and celebrity feuds for something more fundamental: a raw examination of social hierarchy and ambition.

The company’s Indian adaptation of “Rise and Fall,” the hit U.K. format originally created by Studio Lambert, premiered Sept. 6 on Amazon MX Player as a contemporary unscripted experiment that throws 16 celebrity contestants into a high-stakes social hierarchy. In its first week, the show has emerged as the most-watched streaming series in India, according to Ormax Media, suggesting the gamble may be paying off.

“Most Indian reality formats lean on interpersonal drama, dance, stunts or comic reli