A participant faces host Pravesh Rana and Ajay Devgn in an Emotional Atyachaar episode

A man, waiting for a bus, gets caught in the rain. Seeing him getting drenched, a woman standing next to him offers to share her umbrella. But the man springs away. “No thanks, madam. Who knows, you might be an Emotional Atyachaar agent!”

That’s one of the jokes doing the rounds in the college circuit. Hearing this, Pravesh Rana laughs out loud. “Yes, the way people look at relationships in India has changed since the show came on air. We have put the fear of cheating — and its fallout — in people’s minds,” says the show’s host.

On Emotional Atyachaar (UTV Bindass, Fridays 7pm), undercover agents use temptation as a bait to test the loyalty of suspects — after they’ve been reported by their partners to the channel. The third season of the show has now been launched. And cheaters in Calcutta, beware. Faced with a deluge of appeals from the city last year, the channel has swooped down on suspects here for the first time.

“Calcutta is one of the six cities where we have gone,” says UTV Bindass business head Keith Alphonso.

He rates the city third after Delhi and Mumbai in terms of promiscuity among the youth. “This is a very urban situation. Youngsters are more likely to stray when they stay on their own, away from the family. Staying in hostels or as paying guests, they have no one to turn to for support.”

With more than a month before the airing date this time, the team had ample time to screen the cases. Vignettes of the screening process are being aired. “We have psychologists counselling the complainants for hypersensitivity if their partner is innocent — but also to help them face the bitter truth if they are guilty. We have also tied up with an NGO to start a relationship helpline for troubled partners.”

Having handled dozens of emotionally taut situations last season, Rana says he still hasn’t become “stone-hearted”. “I feel sad, but I believe it is better that they get hurt now than suffer a heartbreak later.”

For the first couple of episodes, he gets help from guest co-host Ajay Devgn. The star interacts with the leads and shares his take on the situation.

“Ajay came in as a guest the last season and we gelled well. He is intelligent and smart, and has his own perspective on relationships under the scanner. The two of us are a great combination,” says Rana.

EMOTIONAL ATYACHAAR FAQs

Cheaters

Emotional Atyachaar

Is the show an Indian version of Cheaters?

No. “It’s an original format. We’re thinking of licensing it to other countries,” says Keith Alphonso, UTV Bindass. In Cheaters (BIG CBS Spark, Monday to Thursday, 9.30pm), the surveillance team follows the suspected cheater and collects video and audio evidence. But there are no agents to act as a temptation, which is the case in EA.

Who are the undercover agents?

They are trained actors who are part of the channel’s cast.

How secure are they when things get physically intimate?

A team trails the couple and is within 100m all the time.

Are the targets exposed on television without their consent?

No. Both parties have to sign a consent letter before the episode goes on air. Some targets want their names changed, faces blurred or scenes deleted. Such conditions are honoured. When they refuse, the episode is not aired. “We have to factor in such eventualities. About 25 per cent of the cases canned have not been aired as we did not get the consent,” says Alphonso.

How does the channel guard against mishaps during the final confrontation?

A doctor, a psychologist and trained bodyguards are with the crew in case there is a violent attack or someone tries to act rashly. The crew is also adept at handling such situations.

Does the show cover same-sex relationships?

Yes. “Last season, we had a gay couple and a lesbian couple. They are a part of society and feel equally hurt when cheated. In fact, they face more social pressure and have less support,” says Rana.