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Idol for the Idles: Is there a life beyond reality shows?
Sumita Chatterjee
"Everything is easy if you are famous," said 16-year-old Vidya Ranganathan.
After sending some six SMSs, she got selected for the Indian Idol 3 auditions in Delhi. But alas, Vidya could not make it to the second round. However, this didn't stop her from dreaming big.
She believes that she is destined to become a famous singer. Vidya worships A R Rehman and hopes to work with him someday, she won't even mind dropping out of school for that cause.
Well, Vidya is just one example, there are thousands or even more youngsters like her who only aim to become famous in life. Nine to five jobs do not attract the youngsters any more.
They believe that a decent job can provide them with all the luxuries of life but not fame. Generation Next wants to get recognised. They want to be in the limelight.
Starry heights
There was a time when to be a celebrity, you needed to consult your family soothsayer and wear the right rings to emit the right vibes. It is not so difficult any more. Thanks to Reality TV! One day you're a nobody and one stint with reality TV grants you a celebrity-like status. Strange isn't it?
The excitement, the drama and the recognition is enough to attract the youngsters, who themselves have grown up idolising stars like Shahrukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar.
Teenagers are so beguiled by false dreams of instant fame on reality TV that almost one in 10 would abandon their education if they had the chance to appear on television.
The rise of reality TV is creating more and more casualties. Take this: For Indian Idol 3 auditions more than 50,000 youngsters turned up for auditions in Delhi.
It all started in 1995 with Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV – which saw the launch of singers like Shreya Ghosal and Kunal Ganjawala. Since then, the action has just gotten bigger and bigger.
This paved way for many such shows like Popstars on Channel V, Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul on Sony TV, MTV Roadies, Zee Cinestars Ki Khoj, Star Voice of India on Star Plus and many more.
The umpteen reality TV shows on air offers instant fame. With it the arc lights on, a designer wardrobe, promise of big money and a dream career comes complimentary.
In big cities, these wannabes are more or less ignored, but in small places they are worshipped like filmstars. Recently Vineet Singh, the runner-up of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa was mobbed by his fans in Lucknow. And if rumors are to be believed even his parents are invited to inaugurate showrooms of and on.
After sending some six SMSs, she got selected for the Indian Idol 3 auditions in Delhi. But alas, Vidya could not make it to the second round. However, this didn't stop her from dreaming big.
She believes that she is destined to become a famous singer. Vidya worships A R Rehman and hopes to work with him someday, she won't even mind dropping out of school for that cause.
Well, Vidya is just one example, there are thousands or even more youngsters like her who only aim to become famous in life. Nine to five jobs do not attract the youngsters any more.
They believe that a decent job can provide them with all the luxuries of life but not fame. Generation Next wants to get recognised. They want to be in the limelight.
Starry heights
There was a time when to be a celebrity, you needed to consult your family soothsayer and wear the right rings to emit the right vibes. It is not so difficult any more. Thanks to Reality TV! One day you're a nobody and one stint with reality TV grants you a celebrity-like status. Strange isn't it?
The excitement, the drama and the recognition is enough to attract the youngsters, who themselves have grown up idolising stars like Shahrukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar.
Teenagers are so beguiled by false dreams of instant fame on reality TV that almost one in 10 would abandon their education if they had the chance to appear on television.
The rise of reality TV is creating more and more casualties. Take this: For Indian Idol 3 auditions more than 50,000 youngsters turned up for auditions in Delhi.
It all started in 1995 with Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV – which saw the launch of singers like Shreya Ghosal and Kunal Ganjawala. Since then, the action has just gotten bigger and bigger.
This paved way for many such shows like Popstars on Channel V, Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul on Sony TV, MTV Roadies, Zee Cinestars Ki Khoj, Star Voice of India on Star Plus and many more.
The umpteen reality TV shows on air offers instant fame. With it the arc lights on, a designer wardrobe, promise of big money and a dream career comes complimentary.
In big cities, these wannabes are more or less ignored, but in small places they are worshipped like filmstars. Recently Vineet Singh, the runner-up of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa was mobbed by his fans in Lucknow. And if rumors are to be believed even his parents are invited to inaugurate showrooms of and on.
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