My peak TV watching season usually coincides with EPL and depends on how many Chelsea games are on air. Apart from that, catching up on movie trailers on weekends and an occasional movie once in a blue moon is best I can come up with if I have to justify paying my Cable TV bill. But of late I have hooked on to something new – Indian Idol.
In Singapore, we only get three Hindi channels – Star Plus, Zee and Sony. And 24 hour obsession of first two with some “how could someone see them” serials mean that whenever I tune in a Hindi channel, it is always Sony. So, it all started with those guys carpet bombing their channel with Indian Idol. Rather Indian Idol and Boogie Woogie, coz I remember there was a time when I would have bet all my savings on the fact that when I will switch on the TV and whatever be the time, one of these two shows would be on. And trust me I would have won that bet 10 out of 10 times. Anyways, so I still maintain that I started watching Indian Idol because stars conspired to make me watch it, though I would admit that listening to Hindi songs and Javed Akhtar played some part also.
But the reason why I stay tuned and didn’t surf away was different and it was the reality TV factor. Now I know lot of people believe that reality TV is all sham and mere playing to the camera and I would agree to that to a large extent. But what’s not sham is the joy and disappointment on the face of winners and losers when what is at stake is not money but dreams. And when dreams are at stake, emotions are real and contagious. I remember how often I found myself smiling looking at a beaming face of someone who was told he is selected and how I sympathized with someone who was trying hard to keep a straight face upon rejection.
Frankly, while for us it’s mere entertainment, for channel – just TRP and more ads and for celebrity judges it may just be some extra bucks on the side. But for all those guys and girls who aspire to be singers, this and rather such programmes mean much more than that. I guess it may not be any different for them as it is for so many appearing in JEE or CAT. It’s a test for them to give wings to their ambitions, prove themselves to their own selves, to their families, to their friends and may be to the whole world. And you can see how much success in Indian Idol means for them, while their tears when one of their competitors get thrown out may be meant for camera but when they themselves get selected or rejected, emotions that come out then – they are not for anyone, they are just so real. And these genuine emotions are what I watch Indian Idol for. I agree the producers of this show sometime really try to add ridiculous stuff and unnecessary drama, and I really wonder why they do that. Because there is no bigger drama than a constant effort to pull oneself through, no bigger drama than working through the pressure to live another day, no bigger drama than watching one’s dreams getting shattered. And I just wonder why producers insist on changing this drama into melodrama – there is no need, I wish they knew.
Overall, it’s interesting to note how an anxious face in a moment can turn into a rainbow of joy, what different shades people take up in face of rejection and how people gather their shattered dreams as they walk away from what was supposed to be their flight to fame. And if someone is not in mood for all this – trust me these guys and girls sing pretty well too :-)
In Singapore, we only get three Hindi channels – Star Plus, Zee and Sony. And 24 hour obsession of first two with some “how could someone see them” serials mean that whenever I tune in a Hindi channel, it is always Sony. So, it all started with those guys carpet bombing their channel with Indian Idol. Rather Indian Idol and Boogie Woogie, coz I remember there was a time when I would have bet all my savings on the fact that when I will switch on the TV and whatever be the time, one of these two shows would be on. And trust me I would have won that bet 10 out of 10 times. Anyways, so I still maintain that I started watching Indian Idol because stars conspired to make me watch it, though I would admit that listening to Hindi songs and Javed Akhtar played some part also.
But the reason why I stay tuned and didn’t surf away was different and it was the reality TV factor. Now I know lot of people believe that reality TV is all sham and mere playing to the camera and I would agree to that to a large extent. But what’s not sham is the joy and disappointment on the face of winners and losers when what is at stake is not money but dreams. And when dreams are at stake, emotions are real and contagious. I remember how often I found myself smiling looking at a beaming face of someone who was told he is selected and how I sympathized with someone who was trying hard to keep a straight face upon rejection.
Frankly, while for us it’s mere entertainment, for channel – just TRP and more ads and for celebrity judges it may just be some extra bucks on the side. But for all those guys and girls who aspire to be singers, this and rather such programmes mean much more than that. I guess it may not be any different for them as it is for so many appearing in JEE or CAT. It’s a test for them to give wings to their ambitions, prove themselves to their own selves, to their families, to their friends and may be to the whole world. And you can see how much success in Indian Idol means for them, while their tears when one of their competitors get thrown out may be meant for camera but when they themselves get selected or rejected, emotions that come out then – they are not for anyone, they are just so real. And these genuine emotions are what I watch Indian Idol for. I agree the producers of this show sometime really try to add ridiculous stuff and unnecessary drama, and I really wonder why they do that. Because there is no bigger drama than a constant effort to pull oneself through, no bigger drama than working through the pressure to live another day, no bigger drama than watching one’s dreams getting shattered. And I just wonder why producers insist on changing this drama into melodrama – there is no need, I wish they knew.
Overall, it’s interesting to note how an anxious face in a moment can turn into a rainbow of joy, what different shades people take up in face of rejection and how people gather their shattered dreams as they walk away from what was supposed to be their flight to fame. And if someone is not in mood for all this – trust me these guys and girls sing pretty well too :-)
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