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Sizzlers or few-season wonders?
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It seems everything comes with an expiry date - even the non-fiction shows on Indian television adapted from international formats.
It all started with the reality game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) - the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. KBC rewrote the way Indians viewed television, but only for a temporary period. After a couple of seasons it lost its shine.
Even other shows like Indian Idol, Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Fame Gurukul etc. started with a bang but ended in a whimper.
Ashish Golwalkar, the non-fiction head of Zee TV, says, “The problem with most formats is that you cannot tweak them beyond a certain limit. So the international franchise, which doesn’t have much flexibility, loses its fizz.”
He substantiates his point by citing the case of the musical contest Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. The show started in the 90s. The initial concept was scrapped in 2005 and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 was introduced.
“We had to reinvent Sa Re Ga Ma Pa with Challenge which changed everything including the fortunes of Zee TV. Even otherwise I feel song and dance shows have more chances of doing well compared to shows related to general knowledge,” adds Ashish.
Actor and television anchor Mandira Bedi believes original concepts stand a better chance of survival than the imported formats. “The first season of Indian Idol was a huge hit. But the later editions hardly did anything. Today, audiences want something new on a constant basis,” she says.
Deepak Dhar, the MD of Endemol India, feels revamping the various formats is the only way for a show to survive.
He says, “The audience wants a new format. But whenever a new format works it is milked dry by all the channels. We should try and keep the formats away for sometime. For example, the international version of Khatron Ke Khiladifeatured regular people. But we revamped it for the Indian version and featured celebrities. Every channel should try and renovate the formats.”
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