Reality shows are amongst the most prominent of several attempts to reel in a younger audience. India is one of the world's largest entertainment markets, with 55 per cent of the population under the age of 25. But does all that glitter is actually gold?
CLASHES TO be the idol of the country of more than a hundred crore people, constant war to be the voice of an unchanged populace, battle to claim oneself as ustaadon ka ustaad in various art forms or an unrelenting struggle to lead the nation are the offerings of the present-day media. Hunt for individuals endowed with the ability to act, sing, dance, invent and map schemes for prospective business ventures and even piloting our country is internalised in the structure of the entertainment and media industry. A streak of glamour, an element of tussle, both inter-judge and inter-contestant, full of zip association of public, sensational promotions, splash of regionalism and a profusion of inflated emotions with suitable corroboration of print and electronic media, together crystallise into a talent show where factual sighting of ability is about trifling. Talent shows proffer several rags-to-riches accounts in conjunction with unrivalled eminence, but it tends to exhaust with the closing of the season.
Front-runners and the numerous hyped participants in these shows manage to clinch ostensibly great big breaks to stardom; nevertheless the prospects are bleak. Architects of such competitions assert they provide the masses a platform to display their remarkable skills on, which would have gone unnoticed otherwise. This is the rationale behind organising such challenges far and wide - to unearth talented youth from all over. Squads comprised of judges, anchors and the team of folks in full force behind the camera hold prestigious positions in these shows; however, it is emphasised time and again that masses are supreme as they are bestowed with the capacity to eliminate the contender by means of voting.
Whopping prize money, swift glittery, unforeseen and unparalleled fame, credence of industry concerned, exaltation by the masses, an end to miseries and an incredibly-established career ahead. Is it as flowery as it is projected? Is it as effortless as assured? Does triumph at any of the talent hunts ensure smooth sailing ahead and unwavering, lifelong accomplishment? Furthermore, do these desirable entities exist at all? Most of all, are reality shows egalitarian in the true sense of the word? There is a lot more to it than what meets the eye.
Talent shows are mere money-minting endeavours incognito and provide a forum for starry-eyed and dreaming youngsters. Lately, talent hunts have assumed a multi-purpose façade; they come handy in distracting the masses from issues of greater importance. Success of participants hailing from a territory affected by one or the other crisis in the presence of brighter participants on the dais is reflective of the government’s lackadaisical approach towards weighty concerns.
It’s high time the youth realised that there is no alternative to hard work. Talent shows can be a plain platform to exhibit their skills but not the ultimate destination. There are miles to go and the expedition ahead is not as facile as projected on any reality show. And plenty of those who play the role of Bhagyavidhata for aspirants on the reality shows must be wise at the time of worshiping the contestants - it may be a source of idolisation for them, but is most often ephemeral and can leave the participants disillusioned later on.
