Shark Tank India is a novel concept on Indian television although it has been a regular thing in the Western world. And as expected, the show on Sony Television received an overwhelming response from the budding entrepreneurs, young and old from all parts of the country.
While Shark Tank India did receive a lot of appreciation, it was also roasted and had to face a few controversies.
Shark Tank India and Controversies
The reviews for this show started pouring in a few weeks after it started airing on television. Most of the viewers are okay with the format wherein the budding entrepreneurs present their pitches while the Sharks- Ashneer Grover, Namita Thaper, Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, Aman Gupta, and Peyush Bansal decide whether to invest or not.
However, many times when the pitches are not good or the Sharks do not find the product/concept viable or worth investing, they make some practical comments. Most of the time, these comments are realistic and encouraging. Even then a few comments that were not made with any intention to hurt the viewers were blown into controversy on social media.
LensKart’s co-founder Peyush Bansal’s advice to one entrepreneur, “Ek advice hai, CA se durr raho” triggered social media trolling from CA and CA aspirants who trended that everyone should ban LensKart. Later on, Peyush came up with an apology saying that his choice of words may have been wrong but he never intended it.
Another member from the Shark Tank judge’s panel who has been in the controversy is Ashneer Grover. The founder of BharatPe found himself in trouble when a video clip showing him and his family members abusing a Kotal employee surfaced online. His rude behavior on the show has also received a lot of flake.
Indian Comics Roasting Sharks
Apart from giving budding entrepreneurs a platform for further growth, Shark Tank India also has given the Indian social media comics fodder for coming out with roasts albeit in a creative way.
Famous comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath leads this group and has shared several acts on Anupam Mittal. Uroof Ashfaq imitating Namita Thapar or Mallika Dua enacting Namita Thapar are few roasts that have become quite popular
The show will be replaced on 7th February by a new drama Mose Chhal Kiye Jaaye on Sony Television.