‘Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa,’ ‘The Alliance India’ ‘The Traitors India S2’: A Ringside View Of The Casting Process

Indian reality television is thriving like never before with the  second half of 2026 packed with Indianised adaptations of international reality shows replacing the usual singing and dancing ones. While “The Alliance India” and “Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa” are currently streaming, “The Traitors India” Season Two is expected soon.

With advertisers spending big on such shows, studios and platforms are putting in immense thought and effort into the casting for such shows. Showrunners are aiming for a diverse mix of contestants to hook every kind of audience, with film and TV actors, digital content creators, sportspersons and comedians, all in the fray Variety India speaks to a few casting directors for such shows to find out what goes into finalising the cast for these shows.

A Meeting Of Minds 

The casting process starts as early as nine months prior to filming. However, in some cases, it can happen within three months as well. Karan Mally, who has cast contestants for “The Traitors India” Season 2, “The Alliance India” and “Rise And Fall,” reveals it is a collective decision made by major stakeholders. “Between the streaming platforms, the studios, creative teams and us (casting firm), names are suggested.. The final mix of 15-25 successful people are from diverse fields in these new reality shows,” he explains.

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He also highlights how celebs with controversial backgrounds do not have an automatic upper hand in the selection process. “Unlike some reality shows that rope in controversial characters, a project like “The Alliance India” needs successful people from their field, individuals who have a distinct and interesting voice,” he states. 

Describing new-age reality shows as clutter-breakers, Mally reveals that casting for the first season of “The Traitors India” was really tough. He says, “It took time to make celebs understand that it is a mind game and not a show revolving around fights, kitchen politics and wars near the toilets. Yes, it is a captive reality series, but it needs a cool mind.”

Budgets allotted to reality TV shows far exceed that of dailies. But does the pressure trickle down to the casting team when a big name does not deliver on the show? “Even if one person does not fare well there are 15-20 other people seizing the platform. Some might disappoint, but there’s always one who springs a huge surprise. Every contestant is an equal on a reality show. The audience makes you win depending on how you resonate with them,” Mally adds. 

Business-Wise

Entrepreneurial reality shows are also gaining momentum in India. The second season of “Pitch To Get Rich” is coming soon. The makers inform us that shortlisting participants for such programmes is an even more extensive process than for an unscripted reality show. Sanjay Nigam, Founder, Fashion Entrepreneur Fund shares, “The complete audition and selection process typically takes between four to six months from the launch of applications to final shortlisting before we move into production.” Unlike other reality shows where there is a prize money and fee for participation, these programmes mean investments of crores in projects. Nigam further says, “We take this process extremely seriously because we are committing ₹100 crore towards empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. More importantly, we don't just invest capital—we invest our time, expertise, mentorship, industry access, and network.” 

Splurging On Stars 

While adaptations of foreign reality shows are in vogue, channels/platforms are also developing homegrown unscripted reality content. Nikul Desai, Founder, Story Weaver Collective made his debut as an independent producer with “Pati Patni Aur Panga - Jodiyon Ka Reality Check.” He discusses how the channel (Colors TV) was keen on an original homegrown format. 

Desai elaborates, “They did not want to pay licensing fees to an international format owner who would still retain the IP (intellectual property). For ‘Pati Patni Aur Panga,’ we decided to take celeb couples who viewers had previously seen on reality TV shows like “Nach Baliye,” “Jhalak Dikhhlaa Jaa” and others. The idea was to know them better as couples through games, quizzes and fun activities. We also wanted them to relive their romantic moments.”

The majority of Indian television viewers are middle-aged men and women. The concept was to bring a fresh concept exploring the inter-personal relationship of these couples. He further says, “Pati Patni Aur Panga” had a lot of banter, but it was done in a fun way. The idea was not to humiliate anyone. We got the brief, conceptualized the show and finished the casting in 90 days flat. I believe there’s a lot of scope to experiment in the reality show space. ‘Laughter Chefs’ was my creation where we merged cooking with comedy. The show has become one of the best-performing shows for the channel.” 

Desai believes that Indian studios should aim at developing reality shows in keeping with the cultural fabric of the nation. “We need not copy the West at all times. Some concepts can be rooted in India. Today, viewers are big on interpersonal dramas where they need to fall in love with the characters either resonating with them or aspiring to be like them,” he says. 

Desai also sheds light on how channels ensure that bigger names on television get the fee they demand for reality TV. He says, “As producers, we can build smaller sets, use fewer cameras and bring in small sets of audiences but a good cast is mandatory. Those faces will bring in the TRPs. Casting holds the key for a successful reality show. TV stars charge a bomb, but this is one department where channels do not compromise.”