Host: Karan Johar
Cast: Mallika Sherawat, Munawar Faruqui, Shweta Tiwari, Dalip Tahil, Rhea Chakraborty, Abhishek Malhan, Krystle D’Souza, Parul Gulati, Ranveer Brar, Aditya Kulshreshth (Kullu), and others
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Rating: 3/5
The game of ‘shaq aur saazish’ is back at the majestic battleground, Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer. The Traitors Season 2 brings 21 new contestants into the game, but retains the same opulence, grandeur and larger-than-life presentation that made the first season stand out.
The first three episodes give enough reasons to believe that viewers will be hooked to the drama this season. With a mix of Bollywood veterans, television icons, content creators, reality show champions and professionals from different fields, the contestant lineup certainly looks promising.
A starry mix of contestants
The show had already created a buzz with its contestant reveal and the mix this year is difficult to ignore. Dalip Tahil, Mallika Sherawat and Shweta Tiwari bring the familiar faces that were somewhat missing from the first season, while Munawar Faruqui, Kullu and Ranveer Brar along with the other reality television personalities, add a distinctly telly-reality-show flavour.
Prish, Rida and Abhishek Malhan represent the digital world, but whether they can carve their way through the chaos and make it to the finale remains to be seen.
Karan Johar remains the soul of the show
Karan Johar continues to be one of the biggest strengths of The Traitors. He brings his own aura, wit and of course, an enviable wardrobe to the grand setting. He is natural, always in character and knows exactly how to shape the thrill around the contestants. Karan brings out the stories and equations between the contestants, reminding us once again why he is often called the ‘Gossip King of Bollywood.’
Who stole the attention?
There is little debate about who grabs the spotlight the moment she enters the castle, Mallika Sherawat. Interestingly, it isn't just Mallika herself who commands attention. The other contestants seem to keep the conversation around her alive. She becomes a talking point almost instantly.
Munawar Faruqui, meanwhile, enters the game with the reputation of being a reality-show champion. He already feels like one of the tougher players in the pack, even before the game has fully unfolded.
Then there is Mentalist Karan Singh, whose ability to read minds immediately becomes a talking point among the contestants. For some, his skill could prove to be a major advantage. Krystle D’Souza, Parul Gulati, Rhea Chakraborty, Abhishek Malhan and Aditya Kulshreshth (Kullu) also manage to leave an impression in the first few episodes as players who could potentially make the game interesting.
The game starts before the game
As Karan Johar himself says in the trailer, this season's game doesn't begin on day one or episode one, it begins the moment the contestants step into it.
Three contestants are separated from the group of 21 before they even reach the castle. Whether they return with special powers or whether their decision to take a different path leads to their elimination becomes one of the early hooks of the season.
The Circle of Shaq continues to be as intriguing as it was last year. The contestants are thrown into a rigorous task right from day one and their loyalties and instincts are tested almost immediately.
Suspense feels too manufactured
Despite the grandeur and scale, the game doesn't feel quite as thrilling but rather forceful. At several points, the drama feels stretched, overly dramatic and a little too deliberate. The suspense doesn't always arise naturally from the game; instead, it sometimes feels like the show is trying too hard to create suspense.
Another issue is the imbalance among the contestants. A few personalities already dominate the narrative, while the rest seem to be fading into the background. Everyone seems to be talking about Mallika or Munawar, while Karan Singh's mentalist abilities have also become a major point of discussion. As a result, several contestants feel more like shadows than active players at this stage.
FPJ Verdict
The Traitors Season 2 has all the ingredients of a binge-worthy reality show. A glamorous setting, a strong contestant lineup, Karan Johar at the centre and a game built around suspicion and betrayal. But while the scale remains impressive, the contestants don't yet feel evenly matched. Three episodes in, the show is intriguing, but not as unpredictable as it wants to be.
