Reality Boon

In the recent years,the popularity of reality shows has grown manifold. Along with that its power to make television stars has also risen. A case in point is Ashmit Patel,Tiwari’s housemate on Bigg Boss. The almost written-off actor who ushered in his birthday in style on Thursday night in Mumbai admits to the power of reality television. “Taking part in Bigg Boss was the best decision I made. My fan-following has increased. Before this show happened,a lot of people told me I wasn’t getting my due. But this stint in the Bigg Boss house has changed things,” says Patel. He even claims to be sifting through film and TV show offers currently. Not just Patel and Tiwari,recent years have proved that reality TV can make a star out of everyone,be it Mr India Pravesh Rana or television’s bad boy Rahul Mahajan,who was facing drug abuse and wife-beating allegations,or motormouth Rakhi Sawant.

One of the latest beneficiaries of reality TV is Amit Tandon,who is ready to host the popular reality show Dadagiri 4 on UTV Bindass. This participant of Indian Idol Season I was often reprimanded for his lack of singing skills. But the blue-eyed boy was awarded place in daily soaps such as Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai and Dill Mill Gaye. “I did not take part in Indian Idol to win. I thought of it as an opportunity to get a break and get noticed,” he says.

Indian Idol,one of the first reality shows to gain huge popularity in India,has given India several stars,even though their star power didn’t always last long. After Abhijeet Sawant and Prajakta Sukre,we now have Meiyang Chang. Even though Chang didn’t win the contest,he went on to become the most popular face of Indian Idol 3 and hosted its next season. He even acted in Badmaash Company. “I haven’t come across anyone who would say that reality shows haven’t benefitted them. The trick is to not over-expose yourself. I am what I am today because of Indian Idol but I make it a point to not do more than one reality show in a year,”says Chang,who is currently taking part in Jhalak Dikhla Jaa. Last year,he hosted The Chair and later this year he is likely to be back on Indian Idol as its host. Though his film career has not really taken off,reality TV will ensure that he has a busy calendar.

That’s the case with most reality TV favourites. Once they have gained recognition,most of them keep taking up new shows. Rakhi Sawant has virtually created a career out of it. So has Rahul Mahajan,who was in Bigg Boss,Swayamwar and Chhote Miyan. Now his wife Dimpy Ganguly is ready to follow suit. She is likely to take part in Zor ka Jhatka on Imagine. This will be her third reality TV outing after Swayamwar and Emotional Atyachar.

After portraying the bushy-eyebrowed Jassi in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi,Mona Singh found a place for herself in dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa that she went on to win and has ever since played the role of the boisterous host for reality shows and is currently the host of JDJ 4. “After Jassi…I made a conscious decision of only doing reality shows because I knew that no show after Jassi could give me that kind of fame. JDJ gave me the real makeover. I have done around 11 reality shows by now,” says Singh. She is awaiting the release of her next film Utt Pataang with Vinay Pathak now.

The popularity of these shows lies in their ability to make stars out of nobodies. When Pravesh Rana entered the Bigg Boss house as an ordinary man,few knew he was the reigning Mr India. Attractive,soft-spoken and flirtatious Rana won many hearts,inside and outside the house and became the first runners-up on the show. He later bagged the assignment of hosting Chak Dhoom Dhoom on Colors as well as Emotional Atyachar Season II on UTV Bindass. Sakshi Pradhan too endorses how reality shows can be the road to fame. “I was just an ordinary 20-year-old studying in Pune before Splitsvilla happened. Now I have found a foothold in this industry which is usually not so nice to a newcomer,” she says.