In their race to the top, Indian television channels are giving sensitivity, convention and tradition an adieu.

Neelam Verma

Look at the numbers -113 million viewers of only the Hindi general entertainment channels in India. A universe where 90 percent of homes have one TV set at least, in a population of 1.15 billion which is 17% of the earth’s population and in a country where 63.5% of the population is between the ages of 15 to 64 years. And in just $15-20 a month you can watch as many as 480 channels right from Indian, to British or American. You name it, you get it.

No wonder competition is huge and more and more general entertainment channels (GEC) are vying for that number one spot on the TRP. Television Audience Measurement ratings are released every Wednesday when the channel heads sit down to dissect the week before and look at their competitors making bigger bucks. It is the war for the hearts and souls of the viewers and of course for revenues generated. After all, the television industry in that country is worth more than $5 billion dollars.

More and more channels are vying for the big pie and in the last almost two years alone; four new general entertainment channels were launched. In this heated battle where soaps are evergreen, the rush is the theme which can vary from conservatism to religious or reality. But what is clear is that India’s television is today at its experimental best and nothing is being left to chance.

This summer, however, it was the season of reality shows, which today constitute 20% of all programming. Reality TV was first introduced in India by Kaun Banega Crorepati on the lines of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, way back in 2000. The show ran successfully for almost two years with Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan as its anchor. An actor in his sixties, who had almost retired and was in heavy debt at the time, grabbed the only opportunity that came his way and overnight became a star once again. The Y generation which had never heard of the actor, suddenly became his fans. That was the time when successful actors of Bollywood shunned television to keep their glamour alive. The show not only got him out of debt, but once again he was the star in every Indian’s heart.

But that was clean family entertainment and every weeknight, the whole family would watch the show together over dinner or after. This summer, reality shows that got people hooked is the much hyped  Rakhi Sawant’s ’swayamvar’ on NDTV Imagine, where item girl Rakhi looks for her husband on television. For those of you who are not aware of what ‘swayamvar’ is-it is an extravagant ceremony which used to be held during medieval times. The princess would be allowed to choose her life partner from a number of princes belonging to royal lineage. No such ceremonies are held anywhere in India today.

Yet, Rakhi, a not so successful actor in Bollywood, decided to go the traditional way to choose her husband in front of millions of viewers. 16 contestants were paraded in front of her and during the time the show was on air, the channel registered its highest TRP. The show wasn’t without controversy as a number of contestants later admitted that they were already married. People called it a sham as no one believed that Rakhi would finally wed any of the contestants, yet watched every episode. She finally chose Toronto based Elesh Parujanwala as her ideal groom and once again is in demand in Bollywood.

As India’s television industry swings from conservatism to moderation, the typical family dramas where daughters-in-law conspire against mothers-in-law are getting a good bye. While one channel goes back to the century old practice of child marriage, yet another entertainment channel Star Plus, recently launched the most controversial reality show ever ‘sach ka saamna’. This is the Indian version of Moment of Truth where contestants are asked 21 questions about their personal and professional lives.

A psychological game show testing the nerve and integrity of contestants, the questions asked are not only personal in nature but unmindful of Indian sensibilities. The authenticity of the answer is determined by a polygraph test (evidence of which is anyway not acceptable in Indian courts) and with every true answer the contestant rises up a money tree. The higher the rise, the more personal and edgier the question.

The show was contentious from day one. There are reports of families breaking apart and in one case a husband committed suicide when the wife admitted to having had physical relations with another man during a mock game they played at home. Friendships are coming to an end and couples admitting of extra-marital relations in front of millions of viewers have initiated debates in Parliament where politicians of all colours are calling for taking the show off the air and penalizing the channel. Petitions too have been filed in courts against the telecast. Balance between sensitivity and freedom, between accepted conventions and social mindset is tilted.

Sociologists are concerned about the impact the show will have on the younger generation especially if the parent goes on television and admits of promiscuity. As it is, the Indian joint family, which was the tradition in India, has taken a beating when scheming daughters-in-law/mothers-in-law shows were beamed into people’s homes. Undoubtedly reality television breaks the monotony of the run-of-mill shows, yet it cannot be denied that India is still not ready to accept promiscuity and extra-marital affairs in public. Family affairs are better dealt within the four walls of the home with elders as the arbitrators. There was a time when we heard our elders say that Indian culture is too deep rooted and can weather any storm. Wonder if we can say that now!