Is The Traitors seducing new India through deception and manipulation?

India Today

21 hours ago

In a world where reality TV thrives on chaos and conflict, a new show has quietly taken over Indian OTT space. It's intense, psychological, and proudly built on deception.'The Traitors' on Prime Video is winning hearts by breaking all the rules.For Indian viewers who have grown up watching 'Bigg Boss', 'The Traitors' feels like the next natural step. In 'Bigg Boss', the contestants have to win the hearts of their fellow contestants and the viewers to stay in the game for longer. However, 'The Traitors' is all about strategy, secrets, and survival. And surprisingly, Indian audiences love it.advertisementThe format is simple but twisted in its own way. A group of contestants is divided into two - the traitors and the innocents. The traitors will go on 'murdering' the innocents, until the latter manage to identify them in the circle of shaq and vote them out.
Each day brings paranoia, as everyone tries to figure out who's lying and who's loyal. It's less about performance and more about playing the game with your head, bluffing, and mental warfare.This shift in narrative toward clever, mind-based gameplay is significant. Indian reality TV has mostly focused on the 'good guys', the heartwarming rags-to-riches stories and heightened emotional appeal. Even in shows like 'Roadies', you root for the contestants who show their physical capabilities by performing various tasks and play the game abiding by all the rules. But now, the spotlight is on something different.'The Traitors' glorifies manipulation. People lie and still walk away as heroes. You need the skill to lie to win the game.Part of this shift comes from exposure to global content. 'The Traitors', which is already a hit overseas, brings that global tone into an Indian context. It's fast-paced, smart, and darkly addictive.This season, the names that took over the conversation weren't your typical actors. They were faces you and I see on our Instagram and YouTube feeds.YouTuber Purav Jha and Instagram sensation Apoorva Mukhija aka Rebel Kid dominated the conversations. They aren't just playing the game; they're redefining what a reality TV star looks like.Purav Jha wears the mask of a traitor and goes on 'murdering' people on the show. At one point, we also see him turn against his own friends for the sake for the game. He plays the villain but gets love like a hero. His sharp tongue and smarter mind have made him a standout.Apoorva Mukhija is bold, confident, and unapologetic. She calls a spade a spade and proclaims to 'use more than one brain cell at all times'. Her bid to catch the traitors won the applause of not just her fellow contestants but also Karan Johar. Despite 'India's Got Latent' controversy, she managed to avoid being cancelled. Instead, she is celebrated for doing what she is doing on the show.advertisementThey have become new-age role models. Not for being kind or truthful, but for being clever and ruthless. In many ways, they reflect what young people admire today—success through smart moves, not necessarily honesty. They plan, execute, and survive. And in a world obsessed with winning, that attitude strikes a chord. Them reaching the finale is a testament to the fact that they understand the assignment.This rise of morally grey characters being celebrated isn't accidental. Audiences now seem less interested in simple good-versus-evil narratives. They want complexity. They want to see someone lie well. They want to guess who's faking it. And more importantly, they want to cheer for the ones who manipulate the game and still win.What's even more interesting is how 'The Traitors' plays with our ideas of morality. In regular life, lying and betrayal are wrong. But in this show, they're not only allowed but rewarded. The ones who deceive the best survive. That flips traditional values on their head.In some ways, 'The Traitors' reflects real life. Many young Indians today are navigating cutthroat worlds in the job market, online influence, or competitive academics. In those spaces, being strategic isn't seen as negative but necessary. So, when they see someone outwit the system on screen, it doesn't feel like fiction.advertisementFor 'Bigg Boss' loyalists, this show feels like a more mature version of reality TV. It is less shouting and more thinking.The success of 'The Traitors', which has already been renewed for a second season, also shows where Indian reality TV is headed. It is no longer about flashy sets and dramatic music, shows now need strong concepts and clever editing. The game of deception is a new form of entertainment, all thanks to 'The Traitors'.Rebel Kid and Purav Jha might not be traditional role models, but they represent the new generation with a new mindset. This mindset values cleverness over kindness, game play over public perception, and victory, even if it's built on betrayal.Whether that's good or bad is up for debate. But what is certain is that India is watching.No matter who wins the finale of 'The Traitors' tonight (July 3), it is the victory of lying and deception in a society that is expected to be fair and just.- EndsMust Watch