Reality Check

For the better part of this year,die-hard teletubbies and a huge population of 20-somethings have caught a select few 20-something others bare their hearts out,connive and scheme,propose and reject on television. As much as the parents (read the elder lot) have been whining and expressing displeasure over ‘what’s happening to our youth’,it’s a proven fact that MTV’s reality show Splitsvilla has topped the TRP charts even in its second season. For a show that themes itself with a ‘Where love is war’ tagline,tempers as well as passion has run high. As is with any show with MTV that has its creative head Raghu Ram,contestants from Chandigarh have always outnumbered the rest. This time there were as many as nine city guys and girls in the lineup. But among those who made an impression included the petite Joanna Magee and her brawny friends,Paramvir Singh Baidwan and Rahul Dwivedi. While the show has found its winner,this trio came back home for a reunion bash put together by the Old Yadavindrian’s Association (OYA) set for July 17. We caught up with the three over a quick tete-a-tete at OYA’s Malvinder Singh’s residence in Sector 9.

The first question that not just friends but almost anyone who bumps into the three shoots is whether the show was scripted? “Everyone wants to know whether the fights,the love,the drama was for real and my answer to that is yes,it was real,” Joanna says up first as Param and Rahul nod in agreement. Interestingly,all three of them have a similar reason for signing up for the reality show. “Reality TV puts you in the spotlight and there-on the journey in Mumbai becomes a tad easier,” says Rahul who like his other two contemporaries is looking at a career in the entertainment industry as well as some modelling stints. “Once you have a MTV stamp on your CV,it becomes easier to cut the queue,” Param smiles to say. And no,the intrusive cameras were hardly an issue. “We all signed up well aware of what to expect,” Joanna,the runner-up on the show settles the argument.

On all the criticism that there’s a lot of bickering and bad language on the show,these three youngsters – Joanna is the eldest at 25 while Rahul and Param are both 21-year-olds – point out it’s only natural to swear. “That’s reality. That’s how the youth are and this reality just gets shown on TV,” we hear Joanna point out firmly.

Loving every minute of their mini celebrity status,the three are now working out career options. What about the love connection made onscreen? Was that too a pretense,we quiz them? “Actually when you are with someone for a month at a stretch in one place,you tend to get attracted. Once out in the real world,you discover much more,” says Param who has moved on in his relationships,just like the others. And you thought it was a reality show!