The level of maneuver and strategy has reached its peak as the countdown to the finale of the popular reality show 'Rise and Fall Season 2', which is ruling the hearts of the audience on the OTT platform, has started. The show, which is continuously trending on Amazon Prime Video and MX Player, gave the audience a high-voltage drama that no one had even imagined in episode 39. Bharatiya Janata Party's national spokesperson and one of the smartest players of the show, Shehzad Poonawala, has secured the first ticket to the finale on the basis of his excellent game strategy and intellectual ability. Along with becoming the first finalist, Shehzad was also declared the 'Ultimate Ruler' of the last week, thereby placing the balance of power in the entire Penthouse completely in his hands. His new status and unlimited powers have created a stir among the workers living in the basement and the rulers basking in the luxury of the penthouse.
As the show is moving towards its final destination, the masks among the contestants are beginning to fall and the bonds of old relationships are beginning to weaken. Since the beginning of episode 39, there was a strange silence and tension inside the penthouse because everyone feared that the power in the hands of Shehzad would prove to be a disaster for someone or the other. Even the contestants who always looked calm have now started showing open aggression to save their place. Friendships and strategic alliances are now being tested at every step, where a single abuse of power can send even the stronger player tumbling or tumbling straight to the floor.
The biggest shock of episode 39 came when YouTuber Manish Kashyap, who became the voice of the public through Bigg Boss and social media, and famous social media influencer Sonam Malik had to face unexpected defeat. Under the new rules of the game, a special and sensitive task was assigned to the rulers of the Penthouse, in which they had to decide to 'fall' i.e. depose any two rulers from among themselves on the basis of mutual consent and voting. In the process, long strategies were made inside closed rooms, many contenders backstabbed each other and ultimately the majority decision went against Manish Kashyap and Sonam Malik.
With this unexpected decision, both the strong contestants were ousted from the status of rulers with immediate effect and pushed into the category of 'workers'. Just a few minutes ago, Manish and Sonam, who were enjoying the luxurious sofas, five-star facilities and delicious cuisine of the penthouse, had to pack their bags and go straight down to the dark and cramped world of the basement. Disappointment and anger could be clearly seen on Manish Kashyap's face as soon as he stepped into the basement, while Sonam Malik also looked hurt at this betrayal by her fellow Rulers. Amidst the harsh basement life and strict rules, both of them will now have to sweat like laborers to stay in the race for the finale.
The most intense and dramatic turn of the episode was seen when the makers of the show gave a special 'veto power' like power to the first finalist and ultimate ruler Shehzad Poonawala. Under this special right, Shahzad was given the privilege of directly saving one of the rulers standing on the verge of falling and securing it in the penthouse. Everyone was expecting that keeping in mind his old political and personal equations, Shehzad would give life to either the famous TV actor Karan Patel or the Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar, but Shehzad surprised everyone and placed his blessing on the head of former Bigg Boss winner Gautam Gulati and declared him safe.
This unexpected decision of Shehzad broke the patience of Swara Bhaskar. Swara felt that Shehzad had betrayed her by violating the strategic partnership at a critical juncture of the game. Soon after this, a heated war of words started between Swara Bhaskar and Shehzad Poonawala in front of the camera. Swara questioned Shehzad's intentions and called him an opportunist, while Shehzad strongly defended his decision and said that at this stage of the game, he is taking decisions not by emotions but by mind and objectivity. This heated debate between the two brought the atmosphere of the show to a powder keg, where the rest of the contestants remained mere mute spectators watching their altercation.
The main reason for the increasing popularity of 'Rise and Fall 2' is its unique format that depicts the class structure of the society. Produced by international production house Banijay Asia, this reality show has given the Indian audience a completely different taste from traditional shows. The structure of the show is based on two opposing worlds – on one side is the 'Penthouse' where the living rulers get all kinds of luxuries, favorite food, comfortable beds and power to take decisions, while on the other side is the 'Basement' where the living workers have to live amidst limited resources, lack of basic facilities and rigorous physical labour.
The real USP of this show is that no situation is permanent here. Through daily mental and physical tasks, secret strategies and mutual betrayal, workers get the opportunity to rise to the top by becoming rulers, while the biggest rulers have to bite the dust in the basement if they make mistakes. There are only a few days left for the finale of this show, which will be streamed on MX Player and Prime Video every day at 12 noon, in such a situation, after Shehzad Poonawala becoming the ultimate ruler, it will be very exciting to see whether Manish Kashyap, who has reached the basement, will be able to counterattack or Swara Bhaskar will create a new maze to take revenge for Shehzad's move.