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Monday, June 22, 2009

Get Real!


The world watches with bated breaths, eyes transfixed on their TV screens, cell phones switched off, family outings cancelled, focused upon two people whose lives are about to change. Sounds familiar? Yes, this is what happens at least once every few months in almost all families, when the ‘Grand Finale’ of their favorite reality show is aired. The reality show craze has gripped the entire nation and how! There was a time when family melodramas were at their peaks of success and popularity. Everybody used to adore the pretty, sincere, religious, innocent ‘Tulsi’ and wanted a daughter-in-law just like her. Following her footsteps, there was no stopping other “Tulsis’ to take their places in the various other K serials. And who did not love to hate the scary vamps, flashing their gaudy jewellery and humongous bindis ostentatiously? But there has been a drastic shift from these, crawling serials with their never-ending scripts and ever-young (and almost immortal) characters to Reality shows which deal with real people, real emotions and real lives.
The audience love to see the people from middle-class and destitute families rise to such heights of fame. Plus, it gives people a great opportunity to display their talents to the world and fulfill their dreams. From ‘Indian Idol’ to ‘The Moment Of Truth’, they appeal to all! It’s inspiring to watch people change their destinies overnight!
However, as we all know, there is always another side to a coin. How ‘real’ these reality shows are has always been a question. Often it appears as if they try to put in unnecessary drama and over hype any statement made by the contestants for the other contestants. The participants and the parents always seem to have a high EQ (emotional quotient). There have been allegations on many shows that they are scripted. It is pre-decided which contestant is going to win in the end. Gradually, these shows are losing their demand too. They are becoming too clichéd and bland. It’s always the same judges, the same comments (one of the favorite of the judges- “you’re performance was mind-blowing!”), the same vote-outs and the same tears (minus the glycerin however). I think shows like ‘Roadies’ and ‘Splitsvilla’ grab the maximum amount of TRPs because of their youth, glamour and cat fights. Who would not love to watch the skin show of a bevy of beauties?
People all over the country are crazy about Roadies. Every one wants to be one. To get into the audition directly, youngsters are participating in the Roadies Battleground where it requires you to do absolutely insane tasks, (including walking on the streets screaming like Tarzan and wearing the opposite sex’s undergarments over your clothes!!) make videos and upload them. Roadies today, is one of the most popular show among the Youngistanis! It has spread across the nation like wildfire! Splitsvilla, is too catching up. Although I find the concept of ‘finding true love’ in a show like this highly unlikely and fake. Well, it’s still better than watching women with faces that look like pancakes smeared with lipstick and mascara, tears streaming down their faces, weeping in front of their Gods. The moment I find my mom switching on to Star Plus, I hurry out of the room. Whew, I cant stand them. Well, they are still loved by women. Ekta Kapoor needn’t worry much. She still has fans!

P.S.- Reality check: Love them or hate them, you cant ignore them!

3 comments:

  1. Well written!!
    But the thing is that there are other soaps which are now being aired on TV which are non-K and have gained a lot of popularity. Uttaran and Balika Vadhu on Colors to name a few. These soaps are not the ad-nauseum saas-bahu dramas ... they are on totally different and relevant social issues. Catch a episode or two and see the difference. Its possible that over a period of time they lose their appeal and become over emotional melodramas. Its upto the writers/directors to keep these kicking!

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  2. Hehehe...you're saying that because you haven't watched them yourself..These so-called non saas-bahu serials are as lame and senseless as the K serials..especially Uttaran..

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  3. haan maybe ... saw Balika Vadhu a few times at Mohit Bhaiya's place. Infact reality shows have also becum bogus! Bottomline: there z nutin to watch on TV ... LOL

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