Mahayudh in the name of music - article

Music reality shows are no longer simple affairs where finding a singing sensation is the prime motive. Instead, what we see now are battle grounds where judges argue, stage walkouts and accuse co-judges of bias and unfair verdicts. While the drama goes on, episode after episode, they leave questions that remain unanswered.

Are these arguments, fights and ruthless behaviour of judges a part of the strategy to get eyeballs? With three leading channels fighting it out for attention with talent hunt shows of the same genre, is all the hype and hoopla merely engineered to boost TRPs?
Those who have the answer to this, choose to evade the question cleverly. "Times have changed and there is stiff competition not just between the participants to hit the victory post but also between channels to march past the rivals on the TRP chart," is all that Gajendra Singh, producer and director of Star Voice of India says. Singh, who first created the format of the talent hunt with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Zee about 12 years ago, says the format has undergone a sea change. "Earlier there was hardly any difference of opinion or conflict between judges because the judges and contestants used to change every week or two and the journey was very short."

If it is because of the longer duration of a show, how come the first season of Indian Idol did not get to witness the kind of bickering that viewers get to see today? Difference of opinion and arguments were first seen on Sony's Fame Gurukul when Ila Arun and Javed Akhtar were often at loggerheads. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 saw an open war between the judges. Ismail Darbar and Aadesh Srivatav. In the second season of Indian Idol there were differences of opinion between Sonu Nigam, Farha Khan and Anu Malik. In Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs too there were undercurrents of tension between Alka Yagnik and Abhijeet. But today it's an open war between judges and often the poor contestants are at a receiving end.

However, some feel it's all the doing of the new concept of reality television. "Everyone has a different criteria based on which they judge, so differences are bound to arise when you have four individuals judging one show." The very nature of reality TV is that it brings out the differences and throws open a debate," says Ajay Vidyasagar, Star India's content and marketing senior vice-president. Scouting for good talent, according to Alka Yagnik, is a very painful job. "Essentially we look for voice quality, potential and variety. We do get upset when deserving candidates are voted out," says Alka admitting that some times even judges get emotionally charged up. "Emotions do run high but by and large we try to be rational and resolve our differences. But we never fight for one-upmanship," she adds.


Deccan