Indian cricket legend Virender Sehwag is swapping the bat and pads for a suit and microphone. The sporting superstar, known as the Sultan of Multan, has been unveiled as host for Season 2 of Rise and Fall, Prime Video India’s reality series, replacing Ashnee Grover. This marks the first time he’ll front a streaming TV show.
Sehwag’s role was revealed in a trailer. The 1-minute 44-second trailer sees him playing versions of Albert Einstein, a doctor, a teacher and a karate yellow belt in a series of vignettes before a skyscraper building flashes on screen and the retired batsman switches to a sharp suit. “In Rise and Fall, the game of up and down is going to be very twisted,” he says to camera.
Sehwag has long been eyed as an on-screen presence thanks to his sharp wit and straight-talking style. He retired from cricket in 2015 after a glittering career in which he became one of India’s most destructive opening batsmen and the country’s vice-captain for large portions of his international career.
The Trailer’s First Look
The trailer opens with Sehwag in character, playing multiple roles before settling into the host role. Each vignette is brief, showing him in different guises before he steps into the suit and the skyscraper setting. The trailer’s imagery suggests a show about class, status and the constant movement between the two.
The line about the game being twisted points to a format that rewards unpredictability. Sehwag’s own words in the trailer set the tone for what fans can expect from the show.
A Format With a British History
Rise and Fall is a remake of the Studio Lambert format for UK network Channel 4. That version was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. The Indian show, from Banijay Asia, has been the breakout for the format.
The show is set across the contrasting worlds of a penthouse and the basement in the same highrise building. It brings together 15 celebrities, divided into two groups: the Rulers and the Workers. The Rulers enjoy the privileges of the penthouse, while the Workers navigate the realities of the basement.
Over the course of challenges, members of the Workers are able to replace Rulers in the penthouse, changing their fortunes and the tide of the game. The format rewards strategy and risk-taking, with contestants constantly shifting between power and vulnerability.
Other Indian Cricketers Have Taken TV Paths
Numerous Indian cricketers have taken the TV pathway as their careers wound down. Former Test team captain Rohit Sharma recently announced a show, Family Full House, for Sony Entertainment Television. Ajay Jadeja and Shikhar Dhawan also front their own shows.
Sourav Ganguly is currently the presenter of Bigg Boss Bangla, the Bengali-language version of Big Brother, which kicked off its most recent season on August 30.
The Show’s Journey From MX Player to Prime Video
Rise and Fall Season 2 was announced in March after the first run became a huge hit for Amazon’s MX Player, which has since been subsumed into Prime Video. The show is now streaming on Prime Video and the MX Player Android app, which remains available under a new identity — MX Player by Prime Video.
The format’s journey from Channel 4 to India has been a success story. Banijay Asia adapted the format for the Indian market, and the show’s popularity in its debut season has given it momentum for a second outing.
What Sehwag Said About Hosting
Sehwag compared the gameplay to a professional match. “Cricket has taught me one thing – no match is won before the final ball, and Rise and Fall Season 2 takes that unpredictability to another level,” he said.
He also spoke about the show’s structure. “As a host, what excites me about this game is that there are no easy wins and no fixed positions. The biggest challenge isn’t just getting to the top but knowing how to stay there. You have to know when to attack, when to defend, and, most importantly, when to read the game before it reads you.”
The Official Statement From Prime Video
Amogh Dusad, Director and Head of AVOD Content at Prime Video India, welcomed Sehwag to the show. “The love and excitement audiences showed for Rise and Fall in its first season gave us the perfect reason to take this unique power game forward,” he said.
“Season 2 brings a fresh set of personalities into a format where power is always in motion, and every decision carries a consequence. With Virender Sehwag stepping in as host, we’re bringing a whole new energy to the show; his wit, spontaneity, and fearless personality make him an exciting fit for the game. We’re excited for audiences to experience the drama, strategy and entertainment in Rise and Fall Season 2, and watch it on Prime Video for free.”
Deepak Dhar, Founder and Group CEO of Banijay Asia, praised the show’s debut performance. “The overwhelming response that Rise and Fall received in its debut season reaffirmed the strength of its unique premise, where power, strategy and human behaviour come together to create an unpredictable game,” he said.
What We Know So Far
The show will stream free on Prime Video and the MX Player Android app. No launch date or contestant casting has been revealed yet.
Here is what we know about the upcoming season:
- Sehwag will host the show, replacing Ashnee Grover.
- The show is a remake of the Studio Lambert format for UK network Channel 4.
- The first season aired on MX Player before being subsumed into Prime Video.
- The show streams free on Prime Video and the MX Player Android app.
- The game takes place across a penthouse and a basement in the same highrise building.
- 15 celebrities are divided into Rulers and Workers.
- Workers can replace Rulers in the penthouse through challenges.
Sehwag’s wit and straight-talking style have made him a beloved figure in Indian cricket. The show’s producers believe those qualities will translate to television.
The format’s structure rewards contestants who can read the game and make strategic decisions under pressure. The Rulers hold power, but the Workers can seize it through challenges. The game’s unpredictability is central to its appeal.
The trailer’s imagery of a skyscraper building reinforces the show’s central theme: power, status and the struggle between those who have it and those who want it. Sehwag’s role as host puts him at the centre of that tension.
The show’s free streaming model on Prime Video and the MX Player Android app means audiences can watch it without paying. The lack of a launch date or casting details leaves fans waiting for more information.
Sehwag’s wit, spontaneity and fearless personality make him an exciting fit for the game. His comparison of the show to cricket — where no match is won before the final ball — suggests he understands the unpredictability at the heart of the format.
The show’s success in its first season has created demand for a second outing.
Source: deadline.com