The real conundrum

Media News

Mumbai, May 2, 2011

From beeps to the blame game and from fanning controversies to five minutes of fame, reality TV has come a long winding path. Do the young still lap it up ardently following every twist and turn or is it another trend in the passing. What's the reality of the reality TV. A closer look at the quagmire.

The young today are both loud, reckless, promiscuous on one hand and street smart, practical and focussed on the other. Says Rajiv Lakshman, host of MTV Roadies and twin brother of Raghu Ram, "No generation can fit into any clear-cut personality trait and this generation is particularly schizophrenic. But I'd describe today's youth as somebody impatient to succeed in life." Being true to the mindset that the Indian conditioning brings along, most of the youngsters are walking the path decided for them by their parents, but are increasingly exploring or looking out for other opportunities. "This impatience expresses itself in loud, reckless behavior," Lakshman adds.

The youth might be changing but the change is barely perceptible. Biases that existed years ago are still present. "Weird notions about societal beliefs, tradition, superstitions are still floating around. But there is another world emerging that is a lot more tolerant and radical. The change is slow but it is there," says Raghu Ram, the brain behind MTV's cult reality series MTV Roadies. The youth today is aware that life is not just about fun, gadgets, girlfriends and Boyfriends, there is more to living. "I've always been of the opinion that the young are a force, they should become a force," Ram adds. The recent protest by the civil society had tremendous backing of the young brigade. Anna Hazare triggered a spark but the cause got a widespread support and endorsement thanks to the cyberspace.

"The youth had something to say there as well. It was an episode of a person leading and stirring public emotion," he says. The change is more visible in metropolitans may be the young there have easy access to the Facebook, Twitter and the electronic media. "I saw a lot of ambition in smaller towns too. In places like Patna, the youth want to arrive in life, are enthusiastic and more focussed," Ram says.

Reality TV and the young

Reality TV is changing with the ever changing youth in India. TV producers are now keeping in mind the thirst of the small town youngster, who has a lot to prove in life. Is the obsession with the Five Minutes to onscreen fame wise and justified? Or is it nothing more than a shortcut to success? Says Raghu Ram, "The problem is not with the youth, it's with the social trauma or scrutiny attached to whatever the young does. It's not that the young brigade is unruly and in disciplined, the way we are shaping our youth today is flawed. The 'image' for the society is the problem." Everybody today needs to decide what will help me and what will not? "I dislike Indian reality television content because it lacks imagination and confidence in itself," said a media practitioner. Every Indian reality TV show is a copy of something successful. "This shows medocrity, the tendency to play safe and lack of confidence and self belief," says Ram. The only focus of the reality-based properties today is to garner revenue and become popular. It should rather be to create cult. It's a gamble. Most of the times it doesn't work out. Some reality-show makers think that they can drive mileage by using expletives, cuss words and abuses on the national television. Reality TV has become a pack of cheap thrills today. While it has propagated voyeuristic pleasures of Indian viewers, it has helped few people discover their onscreen destinies. Palak of Roadies Season 6 behaved in a certain way on screen and landed a role in Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao on Sony. Dolly Bindra, the loud and controversial inmate in the Bigg Boss last season has got several new offers. Looking at such examples reality television and make a name. According to Rajiv Lakshman, "TV programming genres don't work, ideas work. Reality shows in television will remain a strong genre, although the success rate of shows will not be as high as in the past." "For reality television, I feel there is no single India or youth, there are many identities and mindsets to cater to," he says. Reality shows, if done with honesty, will reveal some aspects of youth. But it will not be applicable to the young generation as a whole.

Roadies and its Craze

The theme of Roadies this time is 'Shortcut to Hell.' It's based on a trend among youth to follow shortcuts, faster routes. The youth today think struggling is for losers. They want to by-pass all struggle. They want everything and want it now. It's truly the Fast Food generation. Sticklers for controversy may be, but they seem to accept it alright.

Poonam Pandey, the female who vowed to bare all if the Indian cricket team wins the World Cup might have faded away from public memory, but due to her quirky vow she has now managed an entry in the fourth season of the Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors. Everybody strives to be a talking point on reality television. Before Roadies came along, there was no platform for the young to speak up. Issues like pre-marital sex, homosexuality, love marriage, live-in relationships were all within the closet, never discussed oneon- one. Through platforms like Roadies perceptions are put forward. Auditions for the show are in-your face and quite revealing. Over the years Roadies has become more than a TV show. It was very different in 2003, when we started. The perceptions are changing every year. Television environment is changing. At MTV we differentiate ourselves, we do what we do.

According to Raghu Ram, "At an obvious platform Roadies presents a pessimistic world view where such situations are created that breed negative behaviour. At the not so obvious level, it shows the viewers that real face of every participant." When you can have the opportunity to not go the wrong way, how many make the right choice. Unpredictability of the show is also what clicks with the viewers. The Roadies spirit include courage, guts and attitude. It represents all that is Cool. If all the aspirations and ambitions of the youth can be condensed in one word its COOL. The young want to be perceived cool in the way they talk, the cell phones they carry, the people they hang out with, the role models they have, social issues they take up. Anna Hazare is cool, having a India Against Corruption badge on your Facebook profile is cool.

For further information, please contact:

MTV

Arun Kumar

Email: arun.kumar@viacom18.com