Shark Tank India has become one of the most discussed reality shows of the country ever since it kicked off in December 2021. Some of the pitches from the show even went viral on social media for the innovative ideas and skills showcased by the entrepreneurs. In the second episode of the show, a Punjabi family was seen promoting their brand called Head and Heart which has now been exposed as an active scam that started in Japan.
For the unversed, the Singh family demonstrated a special ‘scientific magic’ technique through which kids can recognize, watch, and even read despite a tightly placed blindfold on their eyes. The founder of this company, Gurnandan Singh and his wife and co-founder Rajwinder Kaur made an attempt to raise 50 lakhs in exchange of 5% equity in their company. As a part of the presentation, they tied a cotton-filled blindfold around the eyes of their two daughters and made them guess a bunch of objects placed in a bowl. Even though the Sharks found the technique fascinating, none of them invested in it for the sole reason that it will not be profitable in the future.
In the most recent development, a YouTube channel named Science is Dope has exposed this company and the technique used by them to mislead their customers. The YouTuber highlighted through a live example that blindfolded people can actually see through a small gap which is between their nose and the cotton pad.
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The technique that featured in Shark Tank India, called ‘brain optimization’ or ‘midbrain activation’ is a complete hoax and a man named Dr Narendra Nayak is actively working to stop this scam from spreading any further. The Youtuber, in a conversation with Nayak himself, mentions that the scam started in Japan and has already been carried forward by a professor in Russia but it did not work quite well until it went viral in India. The country now has more than 20 companies that claim to ‘teach’ this technique and the reason for its success here is mainly academic completion.
Even though none of the Shark Tank India investors put money into this pitch, the show did provide a platform for the entrepreneurs to publicize their product. In November last year, the same method was used by a guest on Kaun Banega Crorepati and the host Amitabh Bachchan was amongst the many people that were stunned with this Japanese ‘skill’.
The KBC episode was pulled down when Dr Narendra Nayak wrote a letter to the network explaining how misleading the whole concept is. He tried contacting the Shark Tank India team as well but there was no response from their end. In the current scenario, the show is being called out for poor background research and an unresponsive attitude towards the complaint. Watch the complete video here.
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