Take 1, a bunch of not-so popular celebrities locked up in a house away from the outside world with cameras zooming into their lives in the house and their high and low relations with the inmates. Take 2, 10-odd hopefuls rehearsing to give a performance that can fetch them the votes to become the new found talent of the nation. Take 3, a group of rookies on their vroom bikes travelling the length and breathe of India to back-stab one another to get the alluring prize money. Isn’t that adventurous, entertaining, yummy masala and hell… real? Well… there’s just one word to explain the ground reality of the reality TV, i.e., MONEY.
The reality behind reality TV is not hidden from the audiences, but still you are not hesitant to vote for them. So, why reality shows for TV? A TV channel has serials, programmes and chat shows to get the audiences’ attention, then why use Reality TV shows. The answer is simple: the fake reality created is convincing enough to get the audience hooked up to the show on a daily or weekly basis.
The TRP game was played along by the soaps before the reality shows came into picture. TRPs decide and define the popularity of a TV channel. The viewer ship for a TV programme will bring in more sponsors and advertisements for it and hence more revenue. From everything and anything is implemented by the serial makers to bag in the best of TRPs for the commercial benefits. The Czarina of TV soaps, Ekta Kapoor runs an empire in the form of Balaji Telefilms with her ‘K’ serials which have caught the fancy of every Indian walking on the streets or living in a plush bungalow. But, the times have changed as Reality TV shows are the latest tools in the hands of the TV gurus to play up emotions of the audiences.
The dull, sob-n-sigh duds of the idiot box have given way to the made-up drama with feeble doses of talent and calibre in the reality shows. For the want of some zing and spice, the Indian audiences are readily accepting the concept of reality TV which is slowly gripping the nation. Reality TV is a popular genre in the international media as in the overseas, people relish nudity and thrill served by the firing reality TV shows like Big Brother and American Idol. But in India, the shift is partly due to the mundane soaps telecasted on the Telly and partly due to the media hype and marketing strategies of the reality show makers.
So, how real are the reality TV shows? The behind the scenes reality is completely different from what is dished out to you day after day, week after week. There are times when you would have questioned the genuineness of the voting patterns and selection in many of the talent hunts on TV. These shows are frequently accused of fixations and planned conflicts among the contenders. The fights on the sets, the recorded heated arguments between the judges and contestants and even among the judges. Most of you will remember the episode of Indian Idol 2 where the judges Sonu Nigam and Anu Malik walked out from the sets after one of contestants; Amit Daate was voted out by the audiences. How many of you thought that was real? And then the fight between the judges Abhijeet and Bappi Lahiri on the sets of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs was designed to boost up the TRPs. One would accept that nothing has been confirmed about the drama on the sets, but one tends to believe after a period of time that it’s all for the business of making more money via the emotional saga and higher TRP ratings for a reality show.
There are factors that have resulted in the acceptance of these shows by the Indian audiences. But the truth is far from glossy and real. There is hype, marketing, TRPs, and money that is the sole purpose behind flooding the Indian TV scene with reality shows. Today, on almost every TV channel, there is a reality show bidding to be the best against the many odds like poor talent, low profile of judges and the comprise on bringing out the real talent for the mass audience. Shows like Indian Idol, Fame X, Bigg Boss, Super Singer, MTV Roadies, Zee Cine Stars Ki Khoj etc. etc. have been airing year after year serving the tired minds of the working Indian and with a disguise taking a good chunk out of his pocket. And what talent do they nurture? Well, one doesn’t even remember who won the last year’s Zee Cine Stars Ki Khoj and where are Abhijeet Sawant and Sandeep Acharya who shot to fame with Indian Idol victory? Lost in the crowd? Precisely that is what happens after the channels are done extracting their money-spinning talent.
Such shows have a huge following in the foreign countries and slowly, the reality shows have become the part and parcel of our lives and the hottest topic for every Indian in a school, college, office, and cafeteria and even on bus stops. The trend started by the Channel [V] Popstars generates non-stop debates and arguments over their favourite contestant or celebrity. Seldom do they realise that the money-making game is making its way into their lives to influence and compel one to vote, i.e., SMS.
For Kaun Banega Crorepati, one of the finest examples of reality TV game show that glued the entire nation to the couch, revenue came through more than one way. The amazingly popular game show made crores of Rupees itself through the subscribed diallers of Airtel, MTNL, and BSNL who could make an entry to the show by answering a question each week and chosen by a lucky draw. Even high call charges could not deter the audience from trying their luck. But, how many were selected for appearing at the show or how many of the selected got a chance to sit across Big B on the hot seat? A handful in comparison to the lakhs who made calls. So, with money flowing in with abundance, the huge sum would be equally shared between the Channel and the telecom partners. So, your dreams and fancies fill up the pockets of the dream merchants of the Show biz.
The reality show tries to be as close to reality as possible and in their effort they tend to fake the truth. The on-screen drama in the Bigg Boss’ house can fool anyone who wants some spice in their dull lives, but if you look closer you will realise that you are wasting your time and your money on celebrities who are not worth it and at the end of the day, they are the ones gaining popularity and money for looting us. For the time that you can devote to your own household chores, pampering your ladies or even unwinding with commendable serials and shows, you spent it on the hour-long reality shows that only provide fodder for gossip columns and chai-time gupshup.
So, the next time you sit to watch an episode of Bigg Boss, question whether are the celebrities worth of your time and attention, how real is the household drama and whether you should vote for them at all. So, are you voting for them next time? If the answer is no then my effort has been rewarded and if your answer is yes, then can help it… reality TV is hard to ignore and alluring to the hilt! Tough luck if you still fall a prey by SMSing.