Pitch To Get Rich Review: Strategy Takes A Backseat In Fashion's Shark Tank

Every so often, Indian reality television tries to reinvent itself. From singing competitions and dance-offs to cooking shows, the formats have largely stayed predictable. But ‘Pitch to Get Rich’, streaming on JioHotstar, aims to change that. Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment in collaboration with Fashion Entrepreneur Fund (FEF), the show wants to be the love child of Shark Tank India and Next in Fashion — a show where creativity meets commerce, and style becomes a startup.

It’s a delicious idea on paper: 14 emerging fashion entrepreneurs battling for a share of a ₹40 crore investment pool, pitching their brands to a star-studded panel that includes Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Malaika Arora, Manish Malhotra, Dhruv Kapoor, among others. The investor side is represented by business leaders with serious money on the line. The mission statement is grand — “where fashion meets funding.” It’s India’s first attempt to treat fashion not as a frivolous indulgence but as a legitimate business enterprise.

And for that alone, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ deserves points for ambition. But, as anyone in fashion will tell you, ambition without execution is just an ill-fitted dress.

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High Concept, Higher Gloss

From its very first frame, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ is drenched in glitz. The lighting gleams, the sets sparkle, and the contestants — young designers, stylists, and brand founders — walk in looking like they’ve stepped out of a Lakmé Fashion Week afterparty. The camera lingers on sequins, heels, and slow-motion shots of manicured ambition. It’s undeniably pretty to look at — the kind of glossy production Indian streaming platforms rarely invest in for non-fiction.

But the more the lights shine, the more you notice what’s missing beneath the shimmer: substance. The pitches — the heart of the show — often feel rehearsed, as though the entrepreneurs are reading from a PR brief rather than selling a dream. The judges nod politely, crack a few scripted-sounding quips, and occasionally toss in some “tough love” that doesn’t quite sting.

Unlike ‘Shark Tank India’, where you can almost smell the tension when a founder fumbles a number, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ rarely lets the stakes feel real. Everyone looks good, everyone’s polite, and no one seems particularly heartbroken to lose.

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The Fashionable Facade Behind 'Pitch To Get Rich'

In theory, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ should be a show about grit — about what it takes to turn an idea into a brand, and a brand into a business. But in execution, it’s more about posturing than process. The camera spends more time on Malaika’s gowns and Karan’s reactions than on the contestants’ business models.

Even the conflicts — the emotional hooks that make reality TV bingeable — feel airbrushed. There’s little sense of struggle, little sweat. For a show that promises to “change lives,” it often feels more like an extended promotional reel for celebrity mentorship.

That’s not to say there aren’t moments of sincerity. A few contestants, like the founder of Vardi, who designs for everyday heroes, bring genuine passion and social consciousness to the stage. Their stories briefly cut through the polish, hinting at what ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ could be if it leaned harder into authenticity.

 

 

 

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Why 'Pitch To Get Rich' Still Matters

Despite its flaws, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ is doing something quietly radical. It’s giving Indian fashion entrepreneurs — especially small-town designers and self-funded founders — a national platform. That’s a first. Until now, the industry has largely been gatekept by legacy names and Bollywood stylists. Here, at least in concept, the show democratises the runway.

It also signals a shift in how fashion is being talked about in Indian pop culture. For once, the conversation isn’t limited to trends and aesthetics; it’s about scalability, branding, and financial strategy. That’s a big deal. The show may not have the narrative tightness of Western counterparts like ‘Project Runway’ or ‘Dragons’ Den’, but it opens a new space in the Indian reality TV ecosystem — one where art and commerce collide.

If the show can move past its obsession with glamour and inject more rawness — the kind of sweat-and-tears energy that defines real entrepreneurship — it might actually evolve into something remarkable.

At its best, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ is a glossy showcase of India’s fashion dreamers — ambitious and creative. At its worst, it’s a brand placement opportunity masquerading as a business competition. The potential is there, but so is the posturing.

Right now, it’s more strategy over style, more haute couture than hard hustle. But if future episodes raise the stakes — if the judges start acting less like influencers and more like investors — it could grow into a show that truly bridges the gap between art and enterprise. Until then, ‘Pitch to Get Rich’ remains a visual treat with a missing heartbeat.

Rating: 3/5

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