Fact over Fiction

Crime and horror shows based on real incidents strike a chord with the television audiences.

WHEN Mumbai-based costume designer Nikhat Neerusha moved into a new house during the advanced stages of her pregnancy,she was expecting an easy few months before the baby came into her life. Instead,she found herself having to cope with certain unnatural,perhaps paranormal,experiences. These experiences made for the first episode of Zees show Fear Files: Dar Ki Sachhi Tasveerein. For a country where even B-grade horror films witness success,the show with each episode based on real-life incidents of urban individuals was a welcome change from routine soaps. As a result,Fear Files opened to a 3.6 rating on Target Rating Point (TRP) charts. Zee has had a legacy of successful horror shows with Zee Horror Show and Maano Ya Na Mano. When we added credibility to this concept from the fact that these episodes are based on real incidents,we knew we had a winner, says Sukesh Motwani,head programming,Zee.

Fear Files is the latest to join the band of successful shows based on real-life incidents. Crime Patrol on Sony,which had its first run from 2003 to 2006 and was revived in 2010,re-enacts some of Indias most heinous crimes. Channel Vs Gumraah focusses on crimes carried out by or on youth and manages to score a TRP of over 1. The most popular show on the channel after Saubhagyavati Bhava,is Savadhan India on Life OK and dramatises incidents where victims or their loved ones have fought back. Star Plus Lakhon Mein Ek!,which premiered on August 5 and is yet to find a loyal audience,presents stories of citizens who have made a difference to the society.

The success of such shows especially the crime-based ones can mostly be explained by the curiosity generated by real-life incidents that have happened to people like them. The audience,adds Ajit Thakur,general manager,Life OK,needs a break from fiction shows that offer escapism. There is always a curiosity regarding unusual incidents that regular people experience. If a child from an upper-middle class family commits suicide under exam stress,it is plausible to establish a connect with family audience, he explains.

The format,too,offers a breather. Mostly scheduled to air over weekends,the shows episodic content offers a fast-paced drama,a contrast to the daily soaps. However,channel officials assert that it doesnt imply that their key audience is male. Since the stories challenge peoples belief regarding what is considered normal,it finds audience among both genders and across age groups, says Subramanian S Iyer,writer and creator,Crime Patrol.

Each of these shows has also created its own USP. Crime Patrol,says Iyer,addresses the human aspect of each crime. If someone kills for a mere Rs 1,000 that he needed to buy medicines for a loved one,it outlines more than just the crime. It explores the gaps in the social fabric, he says. Savadhan India and Lakhon Mein Ek! hope to inspire the audience. Our show also attempts to educate them about various tools used to stand up against crime,such as Public Interest Litigation and Right to Information Act, points out Thakur. Gumraah,says Prem Kamath,Executive VP and GM,Channel V,highlights the dark side of Indian youth.

While the ratings are inspiring,the making of these shows offers some challenges too. The cases have to be dramatised in a way that they do not interfere with law,especially if they are sub judice. Also,the production houses usually have a large team in place for the extensive research that goes into each case. The findings go through a heavy censoring before the episodes are shot, says Kamath.

The makers understand that,to an extent,success of these shows relies on the audiences voyeuristic tendency. But they urge the viewers to look beyond that. There are commentaries,psychiatrists and a message in most of these shows. We hope those are resonating with the viewers too, Iyer says.

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