‘I would not want my children to participate in reality shows’

Shaan
I don’t know whether this [Shinjini Sengupta’s and Anjar Khan’s cases] is a one-off thing, but it has definitely opened a Pandora’s box.

It’s sad looking at the state of affairs. We Indians have been taught to respect our elders. But in reality shows, it has gone really far. When the judges say something that is not polite or hits below the belt, it’s unfair that the person at the receiving end can only listen, according to the format. I think the two unfortunate incidents are a wakeup call for everybody. We should know where to draw the line.

When the reality shows started, they weren’t so unhealthy. But between so many channels it is a war to grab eyeballs and TRPs. To achieve that goal, everyone just pushes the boundaries. I know for a fact that somewhere down the line music has taken a back seat in all these shows.

In the West, things are different. They know how to take it in their stride, so there is no comparison. For example, a lot of people in Mumbai question why parents in small towns push their kids for these unhealthy competitions. Personally, I would not want my kids to be part of these shows. I would want something else for them. But in the small towns, parents have these small-screen aspirations for their kids. And they want as big a platform as possible. For them, reality shows are the prequel to stardom.
I would advise them to be a little patient. Talents like singing and dancing do not fade away within weeks, they stay. So, if one has talent, it would show in time.
As told to Ranjib Mazumder