Crying shame
got this from thestatesman.net
A teenager from West Bengal suffered serious neurological disorder following her elimination from a reality show. How low can producers of such shows stoop, asks Sonali Jha Chatterjee
Reality bites. And no one knows better than the parents of 16-year-old Shinjini Sengupta, a standard XI student in Kolkata, who lost her ability to speak and move after she was shown the door in the elimination round of a show on a Bengali television channel. Only time can tell whether the alleged uncharitable comments or inherent medical problems amounted to medical complications. But as she battles for life (according to the latest reports, Shinjini Sengupta is recovering) in Bangalore’s NIMHANS Hospital, the producers of reality shows are put to question and so are Indian parents who force their children to perform for fame and money. The blank stare of the girl being wheeled into an ambulance refuses to fade away. The media spotlight on Sengupta speaks volumes about the popularity of such shows and the ethical dilemma.
The word “reality” could be quite a misnomer considering the fact that most of the shows are simulated, stage managed and are not set in natural settings. Almost every television channel has one such show. It is a “natural” step forward to make shows interesting enough for viewers to keep aside the remote control for a while. This is where the unreal part of reality shows sets in. The judges of these shows have a different take on each participant, resulting in spats between judges, which in turn spice up programmes. Participants are asked to build up drama by casting aspersions or false allegations against other competitors. Personal lives are touched upon to get viewers involved. Reality, therefore, is staged, with people moving into simulated situations and the camera catching their reactions.
“Reality shows see the dreams of millions of Indians come true. The money-spinners can be in the form of quiz shows, panel shows, celebrity guest shows that give viewers power to decide the next move and also be a part of these ‘great’ shows,” explains reality show producer Sanjiv Sharma of Optymystix Productions.
In competition-based programmes such as Big Boss, Fear Factor and Roadies, producers design the format and control the day-to-day activities and the environment. In this completely fabricated world producers use carefully designed challenges and settings to encourage drama. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor, describes his shows as “unscripted drama”.
With the arrival of the Indian Idol, the path of television changed forever. A remake of the famous Brit hit, Pop Idol, which has set records in all countries, registered very high ratings in India as well. “It is a drama that unfolds before you,” says Gavin Wood, director of production, India Freemantle Media. He adds, “The idea should be original and entertaining.”
Nilanjan Banerjee, director of the Bangla show Bandwagon, says, “Reality shows are as real as they can get. For music-based reality shows, participation and competition is real. To heighten drama and to make it more attractive, judges and anchors are fed certain ideas.
“For the director, there is one proven track. An example would be the constant bickering between music composer Anu Malik and singer Alisha Chinai in the music reality show Indian Idol 2007. In Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, music director, singer and actor, Himmesh Reshammaiya was the source for drama and in Voice of India, music director, Lalit and singer Abhijit Bhattacharya were always tearing each other apart. One thing is for sure, that the anchor has a script to follow.”
“Indian Idol was a complete reality show and a talent show! It was the result of a cleverly constructed screenplay, which empowered the audience to select their personal favourites. It clicked,” says Sanjiv Sharma.
Reality television witnessed an explosion of global popularity with two shows on American television ~ Survivor and American Idol ~ and in turn inspired other titles.
Sharon Dutta, film director and producer, currently involved in the Bangla reality show, Naach Dhoom Macha Le, says, “Reality shows are pretty real even though at a certain level certain things are pre-determined. The idea in a game show is to make episodes tougher as shows move forward. The arguments we witness on shows are scripted to create drama. After all, viewers are interested in drama. Soaps have definitely taken a backseat. In Bengal, today, it’s reality shows such as Rojgere Ginni that rules airwaves.”
Certain formats seem to do well in India. Family-oriented shows seem to go down well with audiences, like the two seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the music-based Indian Idol and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and the dance reality shows Nach Baliye and Jhalak Dhikhla Ja.
“It is all about people’s participation, journey towards fame and a lot of passion and emotion,” says Tarun Mehra, vice president (marketing) Zee Network. Highlighting the reality shows on Zee Network, Mehra says that formats as simple as Antakshari have proved that India has the potential to develop and sustain such formats.
When Freemantle India launched Indian Idol, the company had only one thing in mind ~ localised content. “The best thing about reality shows is that they are real and interactive; viewers decide who would be the Indian Idol,” says Wood.
The unprecedented success of programmes like Kaun Banega Crorepati and Indian Idol has generated huge revenues too.
Shailja Kejriwal, executive vice president of content, NDTV Imagine, says, “Reality shows turn out to be nine to 10 times costlier than daily soaps. But it is worth incurring heavy costs on these shows since the returns they earn are almost in the same proportion, turning out to be more profitable ventures than daily soaps.”
Since most of the reality shows feature celebrities and the panel of judges comprises well-known personalities, production costs rise. But Anupama Mandloi, associate creative director, Star Plus, says, “Reality shows only run for a couple of months and allow a channel to recover costs within a short duration.”
With TV channels raking in the moolah, how long would it take for these innumerable remakes of American reality shows striving to grab eyeballs on Indian television, to fizzle out?
Swayam Ganguly, production head of the Bengali Channel 8, feels that reality shows will soon die out. “This is a concept adopted from the West and since the average viewer here is not highly educated, he can be given such staple for some time. Such shows are not ‘completely’ real. TRPs always run the show and there is a need to have the audience coming back for more. Therefore, though the show seems real, it could be fabricated,” he says.
Even though reality-driven formats have become a huge draw and are the mainstay of mass programming, Saurabh Kanwar, vice president, content and communication, Channel V feels “the audience will mature and formats will need to reflect the changing demand for entertainment.”
Experts, in fact, feel that with the falling number of SMSes and audience interest, reality shows no more rules the idiot box. “Viewers have now become more discerning as the number of reality shows increase. Except for a few programmes, viewers’ interest has declined”, says Ashish Paul, VP, Communication, Essel Group. However, these facts cannot rule out the obvious ~ a successful replacement is yet to be found.
Reality television has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, even if for a short while. The success of shows like Sa Re Ga Ma and Indian Idol has brought talented singers to the forefront. Hence, we have Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala who are big names in the music industry today. The show Cinestar Ki Khoj introduced young talents to the Hindi film world. Roadies, the show for bikers, has thrown up models and actors. Other shows, such as Big Brother, have given birth to a few celebrities.
Nilanjan says, “Talent is being recognised and people from the middle class are moving from zero-to-hero status. I feel there is no end to this kind of a format since there is no end to talent search.” Reality shows today are a rage, what with the viewer identifying with characters on their TV screens, giving new talent a platform to showcase their skills. For now it might well be an accepted fact that reality shows are here to stay, at least till a better option can be found.
A teenager from West Bengal suffered serious neurological disorder following her elimination from a reality show. How low can producers of such shows stoop, asks Sonali Jha Chatterjee
Reality bites. And no one knows better than the parents of 16-year-old Shinjini Sengupta, a standard XI student in Kolkata, who lost her ability to speak and move after she was shown the door in the elimination round of a show on a Bengali television channel. Only time can tell whether the alleged uncharitable comments or inherent medical problems amounted to medical complications. But as she battles for life (according to the latest reports, Shinjini Sengupta is recovering) in Bangalore’s NIMHANS Hospital, the producers of reality shows are put to question and so are Indian parents who force their children to perform for fame and money. The blank stare of the girl being wheeled into an ambulance refuses to fade away. The media spotlight on Sengupta speaks volumes about the popularity of such shows and the ethical dilemma.
The word “reality” could be quite a misnomer considering the fact that most of the shows are simulated, stage managed and are not set in natural settings. Almost every television channel has one such show. It is a “natural” step forward to make shows interesting enough for viewers to keep aside the remote control for a while. This is where the unreal part of reality shows sets in. The judges of these shows have a different take on each participant, resulting in spats between judges, which in turn spice up programmes. Participants are asked to build up drama by casting aspersions or false allegations against other competitors. Personal lives are touched upon to get viewers involved. Reality, therefore, is staged, with people moving into simulated situations and the camera catching their reactions.
“Reality shows see the dreams of millions of Indians come true. The money-spinners can be in the form of quiz shows, panel shows, celebrity guest shows that give viewers power to decide the next move and also be a part of these ‘great’ shows,” explains reality show producer Sanjiv Sharma of Optymystix Productions.
In competition-based programmes such as Big Boss, Fear Factor and Roadies, producers design the format and control the day-to-day activities and the environment. In this completely fabricated world producers use carefully designed challenges and settings to encourage drama. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor, describes his shows as “unscripted drama”.
With the arrival of the Indian Idol, the path of television changed forever. A remake of the famous Brit hit, Pop Idol, which has set records in all countries, registered very high ratings in India as well. “It is a drama that unfolds before you,” says Gavin Wood, director of production, India Freemantle Media. He adds, “The idea should be original and entertaining.”
Nilanjan Banerjee, director of the Bangla show Bandwagon, says, “Reality shows are as real as they can get. For music-based reality shows, participation and competition is real. To heighten drama and to make it more attractive, judges and anchors are fed certain ideas.
“For the director, there is one proven track. An example would be the constant bickering between music composer Anu Malik and singer Alisha Chinai in the music reality show Indian Idol 2007. In Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, music director, singer and actor, Himmesh Reshammaiya was the source for drama and in Voice of India, music director, Lalit and singer Abhijit Bhattacharya were always tearing each other apart. One thing is for sure, that the anchor has a script to follow.”
“Indian Idol was a complete reality show and a talent show! It was the result of a cleverly constructed screenplay, which empowered the audience to select their personal favourites. It clicked,” says Sanjiv Sharma.
Reality television witnessed an explosion of global popularity with two shows on American television ~ Survivor and American Idol ~ and in turn inspired other titles.
Sharon Dutta, film director and producer, currently involved in the Bangla reality show, Naach Dhoom Macha Le, says, “Reality shows are pretty real even though at a certain level certain things are pre-determined. The idea in a game show is to make episodes tougher as shows move forward. The arguments we witness on shows are scripted to create drama. After all, viewers are interested in drama. Soaps have definitely taken a backseat. In Bengal, today, it’s reality shows such as Rojgere Ginni that rules airwaves.”
Certain formats seem to do well in India. Family-oriented shows seem to go down well with audiences, like the two seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the music-based Indian Idol and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and the dance reality shows Nach Baliye and Jhalak Dhikhla Ja.
“It is all about people’s participation, journey towards fame and a lot of passion and emotion,” says Tarun Mehra, vice president (marketing) Zee Network. Highlighting the reality shows on Zee Network, Mehra says that formats as simple as Antakshari have proved that India has the potential to develop and sustain such formats.
When Freemantle India launched Indian Idol, the company had only one thing in mind ~ localised content. “The best thing about reality shows is that they are real and interactive; viewers decide who would be the Indian Idol,” says Wood.
The unprecedented success of programmes like Kaun Banega Crorepati and Indian Idol has generated huge revenues too.
Shailja Kejriwal, executive vice president of content, NDTV Imagine, says, “Reality shows turn out to be nine to 10 times costlier than daily soaps. But it is worth incurring heavy costs on these shows since the returns they earn are almost in the same proportion, turning out to be more profitable ventures than daily soaps.”
Since most of the reality shows feature celebrities and the panel of judges comprises well-known personalities, production costs rise. But Anupama Mandloi, associate creative director, Star Plus, says, “Reality shows only run for a couple of months and allow a channel to recover costs within a short duration.”
With TV channels raking in the moolah, how long would it take for these innumerable remakes of American reality shows striving to grab eyeballs on Indian television, to fizzle out?
Swayam Ganguly, production head of the Bengali Channel 8, feels that reality shows will soon die out. “This is a concept adopted from the West and since the average viewer here is not highly educated, he can be given such staple for some time. Such shows are not ‘completely’ real. TRPs always run the show and there is a need to have the audience coming back for more. Therefore, though the show seems real, it could be fabricated,” he says.
Even though reality-driven formats have become a huge draw and are the mainstay of mass programming, Saurabh Kanwar, vice president, content and communication, Channel V feels “the audience will mature and formats will need to reflect the changing demand for entertainment.”
Experts, in fact, feel that with the falling number of SMSes and audience interest, reality shows no more rules the idiot box. “Viewers have now become more discerning as the number of reality shows increase. Except for a few programmes, viewers’ interest has declined”, says Ashish Paul, VP, Communication, Essel Group. However, these facts cannot rule out the obvious ~ a successful replacement is yet to be found.
Reality television has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, even if for a short while. The success of shows like Sa Re Ga Ma and Indian Idol has brought talented singers to the forefront. Hence, we have Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala who are big names in the music industry today. The show Cinestar Ki Khoj introduced young talents to the Hindi film world. Roadies, the show for bikers, has thrown up models and actors. Other shows, such as Big Brother, have given birth to a few celebrities.
Nilanjan says, “Talent is being recognised and people from the middle class are moving from zero-to-hero status. I feel there is no end to this kind of a format since there is no end to talent search.” Reality shows today are a rage, what with the viewer identifying with characters on their TV screens, giving new talent a platform to showcase their skills. For now it might well be an accepted fact that reality shows are here to stay, at least till a better option can be found.
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