When bad is good

Todays reality shows are picking contestants whose only talent seems to be creating nuisance value.

Todays reality shows are picking contestants whose only talent seems to be creating nuisance value

Reality television is getting scarier by the day. Initially we had the innocuous song,dance and laughter shows that concentrated on bringing the participants talent to the fore. Like everyone I used to sit glued to the TV to be entertained and marvel at the talent on display. Thanks to Indian Idol,back stories of contestants became a talking-point and I was moved by some of them. When Abhijeet Sawant hailing from a middle-class family won the title,I was ecstatic. When Nach Baliye started I quickly formed my favourites and even voted for them. The first Kaun Banega Crorepati had me frantically dialling the number and trying my luck to be on the show. I am afraid,I cannot say the same anymore. Things have changed and how!

Thanks to shows like Bigg Boss,Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao,Splitsvilla,Roadies,Dadagiri and the like,merit is no longer the sole criteria to be on the small screen. Talent is still paramount but now it has different connotations. Its not about how good you are but how bad you are. The more nuisance value you create,the greater are your chances of being on a reality show.

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Just check the latest reported line-up for Bigg Boss 4. Dimpy Mahajan,who participated in Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega,became his dulhan and within five months called a press conference and accused him of beating her,is being approached for the show,almost leading me to believe that the whole thing was orchestrated just so that they get noticed and TV beckons! Reality TV has created a Frankenstein,no less.

Continuing with the Bigg Boss line-up,believe it or not,a notorious thief,Devender Singh alias Bunty who was the inspiration for the Abhay Deol starrer Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is in the process of being roped in as one of the inmates.

Going back a year,who can forget Rahul Mahajan or for that matter Monica Bedi,both alleged criminals who even served time in jail,being locked up in the Bigg Boss house? Rahul and Monica were more than happy to reveal their real selves to the world. And it worked! Rahul flirted with Payal Rohatgi and Monica and was dubbed Kishen Kanhaiya. Monica with her pretty face and sob-story of being caught in a web of deceit had the viewers teary-eyed. While Rahul went on to judge a reality show and later got himself a bride through a TV show – hes truly a TV star – Portugal-returned Monica landed herself Desi Girl,another reality show. Last heard,she was still trying to make inroads into Bollywood,from where she had started before getting entangled with the underworld,read,Abu Salem.

Not just celebs,even the commoner has caught onto the tricks of the trade. Tune into any reality show and you will have the contestant revealing embarrassing details about his/her family,financial status and attempts of making their dream come true by winning the talent hunt! Frankly,it all seems unreal or rather surreal to me.