Hi. I am new to this forum and have been following discussions on big boss and its contestants on the forum for past many years. Several times have I been tempted to join in, but refrained. As being a mere spectator at times is more interesting. I was anyways compelled to change my mind as I could not resist making this singular post, so please bear with me.
Read on if you wish to...or do not bother!
Have been an addictive viewer of big boss over the last twelve seasons, not a fan though. Have had my favourites and non favourites as how it goes with us all here. On several instances favourites have turned to non favourites and vice versa. Tbh the drama, fights, fake romances, (probably some real too), crazy antics, OTT acting, etc have many times angered, annoyed, frustrated, yet entertained and kept me involved. The credit for that most definitely should go to the creative team. In their aim to stay at the top of the TRP game chart they have not left any stone unturned. Be it bringing in a Swami Om (with no pretences attached)who went to any extent to stay inside the house or even a Priyanka Jagga who was unceremoniously thrown out for doing exactly that for which she had been taken in: being loud and crass.
Coming to the reason behind my post. I have watched over several years how within this forum and various other social media platforms there is a frenzy that's starts with each season of BB and continues till the culmination of the season. I admit a lot of it is also part of the PR machinery working on behalf of the contestants and the production house and channel. But a lot of it is real too. So coming to all you people who in reality are so involved and passionate about the show. Who not only remove the time to watch the show but also have heated discussions in support or against contestants. You not only spend your valuable time but also your money on it. Of course it is each individual's prerogative to do so out of choice, but when you are being so openly conned then you should be aware of that too.
Big Boss started of as a reality show which was exclusively a celeb show. That was meant to be the mainstay of the show hence distinguishing it from other reality shows as Roadies and Splitsvilla. Now over the years for several reasons some of it being the channels own doing, you have lesser number of celebs wanting to participate in the show. Also I would say the huge cost of hiring a super star host has not paid off for them. The fact that huge amount of the budgeted cost is taken up by just one element, which has no guaranteed returns has probably not been a successful move. So with lesser interested celeb participants and probably lesser moolah in their own kitty they were forced to introduce the commoner concept within the format. The concept itself with limited participants say 2 to 3 could have been interesting within the wider show format. But when it happens the other way round (ie all commoners but for 2 or 3 celebs) it spells nothing short of disaster. Firstly as a viewer I am least interested in seeing a bunch of unknowns 24*7 for 100 odd days annually doing OTT drama, shouting and screaming like lunatics, cooking up fake romances etc. Neither would I wish to spend my money on them. That is definitely not my idea of entertainment nor I am sure it is for many of you. The channel of course understands this fully well. The catch here therefore is to put in just those few celebs which will compel viewers like us to watch the shit that will be ditched out for the entire season. And that's exactly what's going on right now. I watch a Surabhi Rana simply because I want to watch KVB. So the channel is literally compelling me to watch her trash so that I can get two minutes of KVB or Deepika's time.
Every night you tune in hoping to catch with your favourite celeb contestant but mind you, that is most definitely not going to happen. If the show is about non celeb contestants, then that's who you will get to see. Now this is also a doubled edged sword for the creative team. They know that as there are few celebs TRP will be affected, hence you have a crass Surabhi Rana thrown in. For some convulated reason somehow they think that this is the kind of entertainment viewers crave for. The low TRPs this season proves how little they know or understand of what we want. I also believe (the obvious manner in which they have been promoting Deepak's singing) they want to use the program as a means of promoting fresh talent for the industry. Maybe they believe they can make that the USP of the show, but presently they seem to be failing miserably. So let us now fully accept that the makers have changed the concept behind the show for some reasons that seem obvious and some we can only speculate about. Having accepted that let us analyse certain dynamics that will come to play due to this.
Firstly only non celebs means low TRPs which means lesser revenue. So why will the channel be interested in continuing with this non profitable venture? We all know that Big Boss is literally that as far as realty TV goes. It is a brand which right now is being seriously compromised upon. The makers somehow believe this to be a temporary phase. Let's say teething problems of a new venture. But the risk they have taken seems too huge. To wade through the teething issues they have seemingly a well thought out plan which will benefit all but for the viewer. For viewer it is nothing more than noise pollution.
The plan: just a few celebs to cash on to get in the required viewership and the rest sorry about the word: wannabes.
How the plan is executed: wannabes will get maximum time and space. They will be promoted in whichever clumsy way possible to establish a vote bank for them. All kinds of cheap strategies and tactics will be used for the same purpose in order to fool the audience and make them like these set of non celeb wannabes. They will be manipulation's to carry them as far as possible in the game, otherwise if they do come into the nominations not only will they not survive but the channels also does get to make money via votes. One of them may or may not become the winner depending on how far they have managed to fool the audience. So wannabes benefit as they get a platform like BB to create a base for themselves in the industry plus they make some money too. They are not as such bothered about reputation as they do not have much at stake presently. Also the channel has taken the responsibility of being their official dry cleaner as long as they are there in the show.
Celeb are there for other reasons. Firstly they are few but are paid well. They have come with complete knowledge of what is going to unfold and have no problems with that. If they are not ousted out through manipulation they will definitely reach top five because they have strong vote banks. In Neha Pendse's case she was cleverly manipulated by the creative team into a only celebs nominations in which she lost out to Sreesanth and KVB. So celebs gain too as they make good money for just a few weeks of commitment, they will also go further in the game than most wannabes, they also need not do cheap OTT drama as that is anyways being provided by wannabes. So they keep their image intact. Sreesanth is definitely an exception because for sure that's how he is. I also thinks he is INSIDE the game even though he gives the impression that he is not. Probably it has to do with vote bank politics too. For the plan to succeed monetarily they need votes which only these few celebs can bring in. And so almost every week a couple of them will be in nominations. A script of Hero and anti Hero also needs to play out to increase existing vote banks of celebs and create vote banks for non celebs. So a heavily manipulated script takes the plan forward. Of course the script keeps changing depending on situation. So if you have only wannabes in nominations and you don't want any of them to go: no eviction will be declared.
Coming to conclusion winner can be anybody depending on how successful they have been in executing the plan. In the case of Manveer they managed to market him and manipulate him to become winner. This time they are failing despite of trying all the strategies out there. So high chances of a celeb winner. Also they have probably either underestimated the IQ of their audience or in their arrogance don't give a shit. I believe it to be the latter. Time for curtains soon unless they do something else in coming year. Hope they are able to read writing in the wall.
ps: Salman Khan mere puppet in the hands of the script. Just interested in the Money, also chief culprit behind the actual downfall of the show.
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Veer Hanuman
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