A TV reality game show, titled Pahunch, is all set to hit Nepali airwaves starting this August. The reality show, the first police-public TV reality game show, pivots around manifold issues of security and has been planned for 13 episodes initially. The show has been directed by Tsering Ritar Sherpa, of the Singha Durbar fame, and will be hosted by actor Reecha Sharma.

The game show will feature a number of contestants who will be mentored by Nepal Police officials specialising on issues such as homicide, robbery, and human trafficking. With this the producers, Search for Common Ground, hope that the show will go on to establish a sense of trust, confidence and awareness among the general public towards the country’s security apparatus.

To give the show a realistic touch, the producers will be creating clues, settings and a plausible background story for all the tasks—based on the real-life scenarios the security personnel to go through. The show will be designed in close coordination with the Nepal Police, according to organisers.

“Pahunch, the reality show, is different from other shows that tend to focus squarely on celebrity value,” said Yubakar Raj Rajkarnikar, a member of the production team, in a statement. “Reality shows have great potential for peacekeeping as they spark dialogues around issues that are barely discussed in the public sphere…It will help foster a sense of empathy for the security personnel and will also go on to reiterate the importance of collaboration between the Nepal Police and the citizenry in order to uphold peace and security.”

The show features a total of eight contestants hailing from diverse social and political backgrounds, such as Sophie Shrestha, who is a make-up artist and an LGBT activist; Maya Syangten, a national basketball player; Gyan Bahadur Lama, a former Maoist combatant. Also appearing on the show as guest celebrities will be director and actors such as Nischal Basnet, Khagendra Lamichhane and Gauri Malla.

“The concept is very fresh, and the tasks are so realistic that they will go on to intellectually challenge the participants and the viewers, paving way to empathise, and associate themselves, with the Nepal Police,” said actor/director Khagendra Lamichhane.

The winner of the show will be awarded with a cash purse of Rs 200,000.