Though reality TV has been part of television ever since its inception, (we all remember watching the immensely real game shows such as 'Jaldi jaldi', quiz shows such as the Bournvita quiz contest, debates, cookery shows such as 'Khana khazana' or talent shows such as 'Sa re ga ma' , 'Antakshari' or 'Boogie woogie'), the tag of 'reality' which is nothing more than a marketing gimmick, was attached to such shows, much later.
I came across true 'reality' TV, so to speak, replete with the drama quotient, in the American adventure series, 'Survivor'. It was one show which was capable of making the overtly pretentious and fake realm of the so-called 'reality TV' within the confines of the four walls of 'Big Boss', seem rather pedestrian. 'Survivor' was a show that projected the lives of a group of happy-go-lucky, adventure-loving Americans who were left on a remote island in Borneo, and had to survive a tumultuous journey garnished with a healthy dose of competition, rivalry, tasks and vote-outs.
Another 'reality' show one enjoyed during the initial days, was 'Roadies'. A far cry from the mindless, loud and sometimes vulgar drama that has been on display in the latest editions of this show, the initial seasons were interesting and focussed more on the adventure quotient rather than trying to mimic the 'in-your-face politics' of K-serials.
'Reality' TV has since then evolved, or should I say, transformed into a more 'unreal' version of itself. Amidst a plethora of shows, one remembers the adrenaline-pumping 'Fear factor', the exciting, 'The Amazing Race', the entertaining 'Who wants to be a millionaire', 'Big brother', 'The Weakest Llink' or our desi versions such as 'KBC', 'Kamzor kadi kaun', 'Khatron ke khiladi', 'Indian idol', 'Big Boss', 'Get Gorgeous', 'Master chef India', 'Axe your ex', 'Bakra', 'Splitsvilla'...and the list goes on....
Special mention must be made of rather coarse shows such as 'Emotional Atyachar' which seem hell-bent on splitting up couples (are they real couples at all?) by showcasing rather raunchy (and seemingly phony) details of betrayal, spooky shows such as 'Girl's night out' or 'The chair' which will put even the Ramsey brothers to shame, by their perfect portrayal of haunted locations and possessed contestants, dating shows such as 'Lovenet' or 'Dare to date' which bring out the worst in the dating couples, and finally shows such as 'Rakhi ka Swayamvar', 'Pati, patni aur woh' or 'Rahul Dulhaniya le jayega', which cross all levels of tolerance and drive one to the brink of insanity.
Though one is 'used to' seeing high drama being enacted on these rather 'scripted' reality shows, such as fights between contestants or judges, and the typical 'rona dhona' which has become 'oh-so-clichéd', the final icing on the cake was perhaps waiting to reveal itself. This event was the latest, to have shamed the realm of reality TV - the 'fake' marriage which was being performed by thorough professionals (Remember, most of the participants are seasoned TV stars) in 'Big Boss'. The so-called marriage between two TV starlets, which was celebrated so very elaborately and with great pomp and show turned out to be a clever ploy to make the series a hit. Apparently the couple had been secretly married since a long time and agreed to act according to this plot only after the channel agreed to pay them a lump sum.
This is the 'reality' of the brazen world of 'Reality TV' which has perhaps become the most hated word in the history of Indian television. However, love it or hate it, we cannot ignore the reality of the existence of 'Reality TV' and the attention surrounding it. One hopes though, that such scripted reality fades away soon, to make way for entertaining and real shows,which will be appreciated by one and all,without the participants having to act out their roles in them.
