Stars don't matter, shows do

Gone are the days when Bollywood biggies treated television with disdain and contempt. Today they are all over television screen, hosting quiz shows, anchoring music-based reality programmes and judging dance competitions. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Urmila Matondkar, Raveena Tandon and Hrithik Roshan, are the new super stars of television, more appropriately reality television.

Not only are they paid astronomical sums but are also being pampered and accommodated in every way. Even have-been stars like Jeetendra and Zeenat Aman are taking calls on television.

Salman Khan who debuted on television last week as host on 10 Ka Dum feels television has become really big. "There are so many channels and all channels are getting millions of viewers because programmes are good and lot of money is being spent. So TV is as big as the big screen," says Salman. Adds Sony's business head Albert Almeida, "Day by day the gap between TV and cinema is narrowing."

While film stars are all over television, falling TRPs of their shows is a cause for concern. Apart from the three seasons of KBC that were hosted by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, no show has delivered decent ratings in recent times. SRK's Paanchvi Paas, the Devegans Rock N Roll Family and War Pariwaar have all got poor response and pathetic ratings. And this trend has left the producers and often, the stars themselves, baffled.

"When Shah Rukh, Salman or Akshay endorses a product, they bring in the initial eyeballs to sample the shows. After that content has to hold viewer's attention," says Kalyan. Albert agrees. "Viewers don't sample shows for stars alone. Of course stars have their own attraction but the content has to be compelling enough for viewers to come back again for weeks."

This means stars can't be held responsible for poor ratings if the content is not good enough; never mind the kind of money they are being paid. As Albert says, "Stars bring great value to shows and it's worth paying them whatever they are paid. It makes great business sense." He further says that having big stars as hosts or judges is not a function of money alone. "They are big brands and they don't do TV only for money because money would not save their brand value if a show flops," he explains.

According to Shailja Kejriwal, NDTV Imagine's senior creative head, reality shows are risky propositions. "But the economics is structured and pre-sale is done in such a way that everyone is protected, including the advertisers," she informs. Adds Albert, "No one will do shows with big stars if channels don't make money."

As for falling ratings, a senior programmer says film stars are no more a matter of curiosity. "They are all there on television, talking and promoting their films on a weekly basis. By now people are also used to watching them as anchors as well. Just as people watch soaps, they also watch reality shows with or without big celebrities. What will make real difference is a great show with big celebrity," he says.