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Saturday, 21 April 2012 20:21
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Be it about singing, dancing or any other genre, reality shows
have always raised doubts about how genuine they, and the emotions they
serenade, are. A new show on Life Ok delves into the reality behind
reality shows, though in the fiction garb. NEHA VERMA travelled to Mumbai for the launch of this different show. A report
Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Ranvijay Singh, Ayushmaan Khurana,
Abhijeet Sawant, Shakti Mohan, Dharmesh and Kamal Khan ' these are some
names which have left a mark on public memory. Tagged as the Indian
Idol, India's best dancing superstar, Roadie or the voice of the nation '
they have climbed the ladder of success and popularity, courtesy
reality shows.
It's been 17 years since the first reality show came on Indian
television, starting off with the ace singing show Sa Re Ga Ma. Since
then, there have been a number of reality shows like Indian Idol, Dance India Dance, MTV Roadies, India's Got Talent
and many more, giving young talent a ready platform. But since then
there has also been a brewing debate ' how real are these reality shows?
Do reality shows exploit the hunger of a person to be recognised? Do
they explore talent, based on aggression or strength, based on the
ability to create drama? Are producers looking for real talent or just
the participants who can raise their TRPs? Do participants need to hone
negative qualities and thrive on a fairy tale like reality, gripped by
peer pressure in the blind pursuit of fame and money? Is talent enough
to win these competitions? Do family equations change after a child
brings in the prize money? Are contestants from humble backgrounds
preferred owing to their lack of opportunities? Are contestants mere
puppets in the mad race for TRPs?
To answer these questions, Life OK which claims to have reached out
to 80 crore viewers in just three months of inception, is coming up with
its new fiction show Aasman Se Aagey. The show will unveil both
sides of talent reality shows ' glamour that's only onscreen and
manipulations which dominate the backstage. "The show is based on the
theme of talent reality shows. It is for today's youth who have become
super ambitious to get fame. These people stand in long queues for days
to get that one chance. We are trying to show them both the sides of
these shows. We are not making a statement that they should participate
or not participate, only trying to tell them that they should be aware
of the various aspects of being a part of this glamourous business,"
says Ajit Thakur, General Manager, Life OK.
Aasmaan Se Aagey revolves around Meenaxi, a talented dancer
who works as a sweeper in a mall. She has big dreams and wants to become
a star. Like many others, she also tries her luck through an audition
for a dance reality show. What happens to her is what the show is all
about. "I am playing Meenaxi who wants to become a big dancer and owing
to the kind of family she comes from, it's only through a talent hunt
that she can find a way to live her dreams," Ojaswi Oberoi tells you.
Meenaxi's journey spans from being a struggler to a troubled person
consumed by fame and glamour.
There are many who would relate to Meenaxi. "I find my story very
similar to Meenaxi's. It's always difficult to reach the top. There will
be a point when you will have to choose between an easy shortcut and a
difficult long route. Some speed breakers would come, but one should
tread with dignity. People will always try to manipulate, but it's your
choice to accept or not," says Rakhi Sawant, the Bollywood actor who has
been part of several reality shows on TV.
Sawant is disappointed to have never won a reality show. "I have
never won a reality show and would just reach the runners-up position. I
feel bad because things are manipulated at times," she admits.
Talking about the humble background acting as an advantage, the first Indian Idol
winner Abhijeet Sawant insists he won not because of his background but
because of his talent. "I come from a humble background and I could
have never made it so big without this platform. It was my need to win
more than my want," Abhijeet tells you.
The show Aasmaan... has three actors playing reality show
judges ' Apoorva Agnihotri aka Producer DC, Manini Mishra as Manini De
and Rajiv Khera as Sanam, the controversial man in a woman's garb. These
actors have themselves been at the receiving end of manipulations in
reality shows. "My wife Shilpa and I have been the contestants on Nach Baliye Season 2.
We were eliminated the day we gave our best performance. Everyone was
shocked. There are manipulations on shows," Agnihotri reveals. Manini
who was a co-contestant felt disturbed when she was eliminated. "I kept
thinking what went wrong and how," she says. With such true to life
stories, the show will go on air from April 23.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/others/small-screen/59443-reality-in-fiction.html
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