Reality Check

Abhishekh Gupta,a tech-savvy college student,sounds hopeful. “I am not into Indian reality shows at all. But when I heard the news of a Bengali channel getting Forlan for a show,I decided on checking it out. I just hope they don’t reduce him to an uncomfortable,funny presence in a saccharine,over-the-top episode typical to most Indian reality shows,” says Gupta. Gupta’s feelings are echoed by several who feel that Bengali reality TV suffered primarily because it was cash-strapped. And with new investments,things might just look up. “Better formats and glossier production values might attract new audiences,” says Debarati Chakraborty,a media professional. And more money,means bigger celebs. “Let’s face it. Reality TV survives on gimmicks. And gimmicks don’t work unless big names are involved. So,once nationally and internationally recognised celebs are roped in for the shows,the audience connect might increase. Tollywood has just a handful of real ‘stars’. You can’t always bank on them to sell so many shows,” says Gargi Banerjee,a publishing professional.

However,not everyone sees the happy hours lasting. “I might be tempted once to check out an episode because of a Forlan or Branco. But I will only go back to watching the show if I find it’s content interesting. Which I am never hopeful of Indian reality TV ever attaining,” says Srijan Roychowdhury,an employee with an international bank.

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