Big expectations
ALChougule Posted: Jun 12, 2009 at 1646 hrs IST
Voicing his concern over singing talent hunts becoming average competitions a year ago, popular playback singer and TV host Shaan said back-to-back seasons were bad for the genre. "A season every two years would be a better idea to scan and promote good talent," he observed. Talking about talent hunts featuring children, Shaan, who has anchored both Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge and Star Voice of India didn't mince words. "I am not in favour of shows that feature children on a competitive platform. Kids need time to learn and grow. Early exposure to competition and pressure disturbs their natural process of growth. I think it's wrong to use children for the purpose of entertainment," he added with regret.
Not many would disagree with Shaan who prefers to stay away from shows that feature children. But Zee probably thinks otherwise. Over the years Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has been Zee's hugely popular property, judged entirely by eminent panels of classical singers, musicians and music directors before it was thrown open to public voting in 2005 a la Indian Idol. The success of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge encouraged Zee to extend the property to kids as L'il Champs which again met with equal success in 2007. However, with every GEC vying for a share of the pie, singing talent hunts, both originals and clones, hit rock-bottom last year. However, despite the last season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge being a disappointment, Zee is quite upbeat about L'il Champs 2009 which will feature 55 kids chosen out of 50,000 entries from nine cities.
Out of the 55 kids in the age group of eight to 13 in the initial rounds of the show, 12 shortlisted contestants will compete for the title over a period of 18 weeks. To be guided, groomed and judged by singers Alka Yagnik and Abhijeet Bhattacharya, L'il Champs promises to showcase some of the best singing talent. If talent is not an issue rating is certainly a cause of concern. However, Zee's COO and business head Nitin Vaidya seems least concerned with TRPs. "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has proved its popularity in every season and continues to grow further. We have proved our forte in reality TV. Dance India Dance is the latest example. We are not looking at TRPs, which in any case will follow when you have good talent. It happened with Dance India Dance and will be the case with this show as well," he says confidently.
Nitin admits that fatigue was the reason behind last season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge not doing so well. "But we are launching L'il Champs six months after Sa Re Ga Ma," he adds. Not only the show promises good talent but Nitin says there are lot of surprises as well. "You have to wait for th e surprises. This time the format is new. It's boys versus girls." Though the show starts as a competition between genders, each trying to outwit the other, towards the final leg of competition it will focus purely on talent. "I think from the quarter-final stage it will be a straight contest based on talent and not be boys versus girls fight," says Zee's programming head Ajay Bhalwankar.
According to Ajay, the GEC business is no more about ratings and GRPs. He explains, "It is not so much about mathematical figures but good content. Of course, statistical and mathematical calculations are important but content is not determined by calculations alone. On the contrary, quality enhances channel share and determines ratings." Indeed good content brings in eyeballs that translate into ratings. But it is also true that entertainment business is largely dependent on ratings and often the numbers determine content. If GRPs and TRPs were not so important no channel would even bother to look at them every Wednesday when the same mathematical/statistical calculations are a cause for celebration for some and panic for others.
Shiv Shakti
