With television grabbing a lot more eyeballs today, celeb guests are lining up for their 15 minutes, much to the delight of the serial makers of course!
It all started with Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). Today, almost every other TV programme - be it a game show, a talk show or a reality show -invariably boasts of a celebrity element. Right from Karan Johar to Sunil Alagh, many a celeb has had a love affair with the idiot box. But, do these known faces boost the TRPs?
Ashwini Yardi, who heads programming for Zee TV, says that it all boils down to authenticity. “Celebrities are brought in to judge shows mainly because they come from a related background. Like ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’. Being a singing contest, it has music directors as judges. If it was only about TRPs, we would have had Bollywood actors on our shows!” she elaborates.
Singer Ila Arun, who hosted ‘Fame Gurukul’, however, feels that a known face on TV works wonders for both the channel and the person in question. “A celebrity’s presence arouses the audiences’ curiosity, thus leading to higher viewership. The celeb, in turn, gains popularity through increased visibility.”
Host of ‘By Invitation’ Lilette Dubey adds, “A celebrity show does attract attention, at least initially. But ultimately it’s the product in its totality that decides the fate of the show.”
Ajay Chacko, who heads marketing for CNBC TV 18, says that it is more about relevance than TRPs. He explains, “The ‘Job Show’ is essentially about finding a suitable person for a given job or position. Given the nature of this show, it made sense to have Sunil Alagh as the anchor as he comes from a corporate background.”
Sony Television spokesperson Shola Ramchandran points out that the celeb quotient helps break the monotony. “It works well for the audiences and hence, the channel as well.” Singer Shaan, who hosted the ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge’, has the last say, “TV is no longer considered a taboo. Even the top-of-the-line celebs appear on TV shows to promote their movies. So it’s all about give and take.”
p_vidya@dnaindia.net
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