Reality TV has become a phenomena amongst Indian viewers. There are different kinds of reality shows propping and the trend continues. The best thing in all this is the way it has been processed and packaged, just fit for the consumer, the viewer.So what is it that manages to catch so many eye balls, and creates an illusion of candid reality. The race for higher T.R.P's has converged the content of most of the reality shows on a single point. The concepts may be different, but idea of attracting audience, the same. The directors and creative heads of these shows are now taking bolder steps to ensure the T.R.P. success of their show. Under the magnifying glass, you can easily see the prefabricated cloth, the so called concept of these shows.
The candid confession
As one may call it, the confessions of an angry tiger, the candid confession is the part of reality show that enthralls us all. In an music reality show, a candidate might say, "I'll show Anu, the power of my singing" or "I don't like him" or even "I hate him". Glued to our sofas, leaving our work behind, we might be just thinking of the opinion of a particular candidate and debate about it for hours. What for ??
He was just told to say this by the director.
The director knew very well the reactions of public after a particular comment.
The emotional drama
The girl sobbed as her eyes could not bear the pain of a contestant being voted out of the show. On top of that, the contestant crying, the judges crying and the director managing to play with the emotions of every viewer. Again a debate begins.
He does not deserve to go out.
The audience is mad in voting him out.
The love
She has feelings for him or he like her. Hmm...
The "Hmm..." is what is every viewers reaction. Does she love him too ?
Don't think so, maybe no, she does.
The cooked up so called candid love, is the creative genius of a visionary director, all in the name of Reality TV.
Take for instance a show, The Big Boss. It had the love blossom between Anupama Verma and another guy (don't remeber his name). This time, it is the Sweet bad and troubled boy, Rahul Mahajan. As it is Big Boss-2, to give it an edge over the previous two, he is shown to have been flirting with the bad girl turn good Monica Bedi and the item girl,Payal Rohtagi. As both of them got out, the TRP's must have gone down. So what do the directors do. Call one of them back and Monica is back.
One of my friend who regulary follows Big Boss-2 says candidly "Public ko chutiya bana rahe hain" [Making a fool of public]
I am a regular viewer of music reality TV. Since the last two or three seasons, musical reality shows like saregamapa, Indian Idol have been adding that love angle to their musical shows. The public in return wants more and the director out of no choice has to process the reality. Shows like Big Brother have rather turned too candid and turned reality TV into voyeurism, showing love making on TV.
The News Media
Another form of processed reality is the media. They are meant to show reality as it is, but to again boost T.R.P's they have resorted to exaggeration, celebrity gossip,violence and non-sensical news. There are two T.V channels that piss me off the most. India TV and Headlines today. India TV has broken all records and would give tough competition for the most non-sensical news in the history of television. A stone that speaks, A cat of death, A tree that cries...
What the fuck man!
Headlines today is not behind. It is equally ahead, but on a different course. It has resorted to celebrity gossip, showing of internet videos and showing WWE footage. A WWE fan would watch WWE. Who won the tag team title is not news. It is bull shit.
In the times of packaged and processed, the production houses have found out a way to earn big bucks by selling crap and Indian audience, still new to "reality" is addicted. Although it wouldn't be long as the trend will change and then there will be a lookout of real news.It is like unlocking the key. Another key would be needed to unlock the key of packaged reality.