Since the turn of the millennium, reality shows have been ruling the roost on Indian television. Where the late nineties saw the emergence of ‘Mom in Law’ and ‘Daughter in LAW’ soaps for the desperate housewives working from home; the new millennium added the younger generation to its list of audiences by getting their attention to a host of reality shows on television. The west of course was our source of inspiration and Indian producers hit gold when they realized that these shows, redesigned for the Indian audience, would change the hand that held the T.V remote control. So instead of the homemakers now, it was now the youth who sat glued to their TV sets watching their favorite shows without batting an eyelid.

Kaun Banega Crorepati was one of the first Indian reality shows that had audiences waiting to get a glimpse of their all time favorite movie star Amitabh Bachchan, on the small screen, at the stroke of nine .This of course was an adaptation of British show Who wants to be a Millionaire. A neatly put reality show which attracted audiences from all age groups. However what followed over the years unmasked the facade of reality shows. With shows like Roadies (MTV), Big Boss – adaptation of UK’s Big Brother ( Sony / Colours), Is Jungle se Mujhe Bachao- adaptation of I am a celebrity get me out of here (Sony ), Splitsvilla (Mtv) ,Emotional atyachaar (UTV Bindass) , Perfect Bride (Star) ,BigSwitch etc…. gaining more popularity ,reality shows now had a new meaning-Bold and Sensuous. Youngsters were hooked on to TV twenty four seven and there was even bigger list of the participants who wanted to make their entry at any and all cost into these shows. After all, these shows were a shortcut to Fame and prosperity; for a small duration though, as every season had a new winner.

Teenagers and Children soon joined the rat race supported by overambitious parents who wanted their kids to be child prodigies. Shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs (Zee TV), Star Singer Junior (Star Network), Chhote Miyan (Colours) ‎,Chak De Bachche (9X) etc proved a good platform for children to host their talents But as with every other show it did come in with extra baggage of pressure which every kid had to carry to beat the competition and survive till the end. Telecom companies hit the jackpot with scores of Indians voting for their favorite kid, while crying children and at times abusive parents who ridiculed the judges ensured that TRPs stayed at the top. Then there were shows like Pati ,Patni aur woh –Indian Adaptation of Baby Borrowers where kids were made scapegoats in the hands of Celebrity parents. Today Teens prefer reality shows like Teen Diva (MTV India) and to think that there were days when reality quiz shows like The Bournvita quiz contest was more appreciated. Or to even assume that teens and kids once preferred Television shows like Mr.BEAN, Small Wonder, Full House etc., all aired in the nineties. Today, competition rules and everybody wants to stand out in the huge crowd that grows by the minute

There are also reality shows that tickle your ribs till you are sore.To name a few we have Laughter Challenge (STAR), Comedy circus (SONY) where every participant tries to be A Russell Peters or a Robbin Williams (desi style of course) . But these are shows that come in with loads of entertainment factor though not all jokes get appreciated by the adults at home. Some reality shows like Rakhi ka Swayamvar (NDTV Imagine ) find their space in the gossip column every week while some cash in on the sporting spirit of Bold and Beautiful Female Celebrities –Khatron ke Khiladi (COLOURS) – an adaptation of Fear Factor .Shows like Indian Idol (Sony) – adaptation of American Idol , Nach Baliye (STAR TV) ,DPL (SONY) cater to all Age groups what with Small and big screen celebrities making frequent appearances and trying to be at their casual best. Throw in bit of arrogance on the contestants part, some abusive rebuking on the Judges’ part and a little bit of emotional drama on stage and every TV channel and Producer can keep churning out hit after hit. After all, we Indians are emotionally charged people and who doesn’t love to be amidst celebrities! So what if the entire world mocks you or Page three columns call you a drama queen, It’s here that people notice you!

This is the 21st century and reality shows are here to stay!