Anything that strikes the emotional chord is an instant hit in our country. The reason for this is that we Indians are high on the emotional quotient and every Indian (even the most practical one) has an emotional soul hidden somewhere. The success of reality shows in India can be attributed to a great extent to this weakness of ours. Apart from this, the relief that these shows provide from the saas-bahu soaps, which currently dominate television, is another reason for their immense popularity.

 

The craze for reality television hit India when channel V came up with Viva, a band of five young singers. When channel V announced the auditions, young dreamers gathered in huge numbers to give their luck a try. They cried when they failed, celebrated when they triumphed. The audience, on its part, lapped up this overdose of emotions thrown at them by the channel. The show was a big success and an inspiration for both the shrewd business minds and also for the young dreamers waiting for their share of fame.

 

Since then there has been no looking back as reality television proliferated with each passing day. With the registration for each show surpassing the last one and the audience votes pouring in billions, all doubts over the acceptability of these shows by the Indian audience were cleared. The real life Bunty and Bablis came forward for the auditions of Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul, India’s Best, Roadies, etc. Almost every channel today has an Abhijeet Sawant and a Qazi to boast about.

 

The various television channels exploited the potential of reality shows and saw a huge surge in popularity. ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati,’ India’s take on ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,’ catapulted Star TV to the number one position, which it currently enjoys. Similarly, Sony’s popularity saw a huge rise after it launched Indian Idol, an adaptation of a hit British reality show. It was reality television that wrote the destiny of television channel Star One. The two reality shows, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Nach Baliye, are to a great extent responsible for the popularity that Star One has got.

 

Reality shows not only changed the destinies of many television channels but also of many ordinary people. People like Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal and Anushka are some of the successful finds of reality television. It was only for these shows that a teashop owner, Sunil Pal, became a laughter champion and Prashant, a sepoy from Darjeeling, became the third Indian Idol.

 

Celebrity reality shows are another aspect of reality television that has become extremely popular with the audience. Apart from the overwhelming Television Rating Points (TRPs) that these shows command, they also have to their credit revamping images of some celebrities and bringing back to limelight some of the lost stars. Item queen Rakhi Sawnt witnessd a change in image after appearing on the reality show, Big Boss. Lost names like Rahul Roy, Anupama Verma and Baba Sehgal rose to limelight again because of shows like these.

 

Reality television is a win-win situation for everyone, be it contestants, channels or the viewers. The high TRPs that these shows command explains the advantage they have for television channels. For the viewers, they are refreshing change from the somnolent Saas-Bahu dramas. The biggest gainers, however, are the contestants who are provided with the right platform to showcase their talent. There is a lot of untapped talent in our country and these shows by extending their reach to small cities provide an opportunity to bring out this hidden talent. A chef from Chamba managed to reach the final round in Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. In Star One’s Lakme fashion house, 16 aspiring fashion designers strived to create a design to win an assignment with Donatella at the house of Versace - a lifetime opportunity for any beginner. These shows give an instant recognition to the contestants. A chance to showcase their talent on such a big platform and in front of such esteemed judges is something for which any struggler can die. Reality television can provide them with this lifetime opportunity. The rest, of course, depends on their talent.

 

Apart from this, the emotional angle of these shows is to a great extent responsible for their success. The fact that the contestants in these shows are ordinary people with whom audiences immediately relate to is the biggest trump card of these shows. The vicarious joy which people get in seeing somebody from amongst them living an almost impossible dream glues people to these shows.

 

Reality television, makeovers, melodrama and tears have become regular features on every channel, giving a tough competition to Ekta Kapoor and her followers. But this in no way means an end to family dramas. There will always be a certain section of viewers who would prefer to watch family sagas.

 

Reality shows are extremely popular these days. However, there is no way to guarantee success. Just because these shows are popular with people it doesn’t mean that anything and everything that will be served to the audience in the name of reality shows will be relished. Sony TV’s Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai, for which they roped in cinestar Madhuri Dixit, failed to strike a chord with the viewers. Similarly Kamjor Kadi Kaun, the remake of the weakest link, which was aired on Star failed and Jeeto Chappar Phad Ke on Zee failed to create magic.

 

Reality shows have come under a lot of criticism. Questions have been raised over the authenticity of the voting system on the basis of which the contestants are voted out. Prominent names like Lata Mangeshkar have raised fingers over the very method of selection that is used on such shows. Throwing contestants out on the basis of the votes cast by people sitting at home with hardly any knowledge about the technicalities involved in a contest like singing or dancing has been questioned.