Reality Show- The drama unfolds.
"Bharat ka pehla Indian Idol kaun?? "
The tagline would shout out loud. After many weeks of scripted live drama, friendly judges stooping down to the channel pressures for TRP ratings and making a fool of themselves on national television by engaging each other in rather demeaning and disrespectful manner, giving undeserving standing ovations at the drop of a hat, talking about X factor the minute a candidate sports a ethnic top and international brand torn jeans, a boy sporting long hair, a girl sporting short hair, tangled in piercing rings in the most enchanting of places, wrist bands, bangles jingling, everything orchestrated and rehearsed except for the singing sending the nation into a frenzy every Friday night which would in turn vote religiously to bring their favourite contestant back.
(Phew!! that was a damn long sentence, excuse my grammar there.)
Forget the singing talent, that contestant has the cutest dimple and smile, he/ she is the next Indian Idol.
Reality television arrives to stay.
The "Mecca" moves from Marylebone to Mumbai. For a nation that religiously worships the one game that has raised a common man's dream to the zenith, it was only poetic justice that the Mecca moved our way. All this due to a man who saw the potential in television rights. If America can have NFL, Europe has EPL, Britain has its own footie clubs, India should capitalise on it's interest in cricket and so Mr M steals IPL from ICL.
Of course, playing only cricket would hardly be entertaining enough. Throw in celebrity owners, a few slaps to Sreesanth, some belly and lap dancers sans poles, a few bollywood dances, live DJs, create controversies (KKR's recent racial divide) and the TRPs but naturally rise.
It was pretty convenient that India won the first twenty-20 world cup, a win that leaves a lot for speculation. I would never know. I say convenient because one of the reasons IPL is so successful is the Twenty-20 win.
A time will surely come when Indian idols would lose people's interest. Even Shahrukh Khan's "Main hoon na" won't be able to salvage IPL.
I say this, as I believe too much of anything becomes far too predictable and boring. But, by the time the recipe becomes too stale for the audience these reality shows, cricket etc would already have made their money. They surely have nothing to lose.
As for me, my favourite reality show comes every five years, at times it has even occurred within a span of 2-3 years. Unpredictably unpredictable. A few more hours and some would bite the dust and some would rise from the ashes. Just like monopoly the buying and selling will be reaching its' peak in the coming week. " Machhi Bazaar" is surely heating up.
Our leaders are extremely acrobatic, even more flexible are their ideologies, secular becomes communal and communal changes to secular with just a blink of an eye. Quotes become misquotes, interpretations become misinterpretations, meetings where foes become friends. If parties were selling tickets before the elections, now is the time for the small fish to ask for more meat at the centre. All doors, windows are being kept open. I wouldn't be surprised if they even begin digging walls to get in.
We might have media that does not always act responsibly but at least it kept playing the shoe saga non-stop and rogues were denied tickets. We may have to listen to the constant harping of Barkhas and Chandras but at least we have people like Shekhar Gupta, Vinod Mehta in print journalism who call a spade a spade on their face.
We might have a urban voter who constantly cribs but shows a total indifference to exercise his right to vote but at least we still have the rural voter who believes that his vote is his one chance to exercise power.
However, I would like to believe there are still some honest leaders who have the interest of the people in their mind. At least, we still have a working democracy, leaders who do not need to succumb to the army. We have our own people making decisions for the country and even if the superpowers at the other end of the world try to exercise their muscle, at least we can stand firm and show them the door.
We, Indians work extremely hard to make our lives better. Each one of us wants to go that extra mile where his parents could not, each one of us is filled with hope for a better today, even better tomorrow and even brighter future and we consciously strive to make our lives worthy.
I think democracy is the reason why that can happen. Sure, there are issues, hopefully with time they will improve.
I would rather be a perennial optimist than possess a permanent scowl.
Wishful thinking!! Cynics would say.
Perhaps not, says the optimist in me.
