Rajeev Lakshman on hosting channel [V]'s new show thatu00a0 gets ten people to pick one among them unanimously to win Rs 1 Crore. Obviously, it ain't easy pickings!

It was a familiar face that scowled/smiled back at me from hoardings, e-mails and online banners. But it doesn't belong to the acerbic road trip show creator we're all familiar with.

And unless you've been living under a rock, it's highly unlikely that you haven't heard of Raghu Ram's twin, Rajiv Lakshman.

Two shows (alongside his bro) later, he's come into his own with a show that he hosts and 'twists'. Called The Player, it premieres on Channel [V] tonight.

I rewind a couple of years back to the time when I met Raghu in his office and he spoke fondly about a twin who people could only tell apart because Raghu had a bald pate and Rajiv did not (at the time).



Says Rajiv, "It's the story of my life. We've done everything together.

Raghu and I also worked together to help set up a production company (Colosceum) that's two years old now. We've done many shows like Jai Shri Krishna, Meera, Roadies and now, The Player."

Talking passionately about the show, he goes: "The concept fascinates me. It's the closest to what I really enjoy. It's a concept that delves into the human psyche.

It's about 10 people who all need money as much as you do. They're taken to an underground bunker where they have to stay until they unanimously choose a winner. So what you have to do, is choose to lose. And that's just the beginning..."

So who exactly is a player? He explains, "A real player gets what he wants. A player manipulates the odds and succeeds even the odds are impossibly stacked against him/her."

So what's his job on the show? "I change the game when they least expect it. Somebody has to be on top of the game. Read their minds. Anticipate their next move. It comes naturally to me. I'm the devil's incarnate to them."

Is there an inspiration? Admits Rajiv, "It is loosely based on an international format but is far removed from it."

He concludes, "There are different sides to different people. The Player is the closest to what I am as a person. It's me in my element."