Creative director of UTV Bindaas, Shifa Maitra, says research has revealed audiences enjoy watching 'others get scr**ed'. And that's probably why sex 'n' love reality TV reflects the youth's idea of short term romantic gains
Creative director of UTV Bindaas, Shifa Maitra, says research has revealed audiences enjoy watching 'others get scr''ed'. And that's probably why sex 'n' love reality TV reflects the youth's idea of short term romantic gains
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| Shifa Maitra, Creative Director
of UTV Bindaas' Love Lockup. Pic/ Anuja Gupta |
They make solitary confinement look like a picnic. A sparring couple is confined to a room without cell phones, assigned a specific set of tasks that could either have them patch-up or tear each other apart -- all on national television.
Love Lockup, UTV Bindaas' show aims to give warring couples a second chance, and is the latest to join a long list of reality television programmes about relationships that have Cupid reconsidering his career choice.
With couples willingly allowing cameras to film intimate moments, and TRPs going head over heels in this format, channel executives are cashing in on break-ups and make-outs.u00a0
"People are happy to see someone else getting sc''wed. At least, that is what research has revealed," says Shifa Maitra, senior creative director, UTV Bindass.
"Relationships affect everyone, so there is a universal connect. People will keep falling in and out of love. That will not change," says Maitra, who was also involved in the creative concept of Emotional Atyachar, a hit reality show that resembles a sting operation on a couple's fidelity. "Emotional Atyachar is in its third season, and we are now taking the show to smaller towns, where the response has been great." Season one was filmed in Mumbai and Delhi, while the second season travelled to Pune and Jaipur.
Think your love's going wrong? What do you do? Escape? Ignore the
problem? Break up? Divorce? There's another option: Get a room. On
Bindass Love LockupThe show's outrageous success stole the ratings crown from youth television industry biggies MTV and Channel V, while setting a personality for the channel.u00a0
"We don't feel the pressure to be brash; the positioning of the channel is bold. People say we are changing the very perception of love. I don't think we are that influential. In fact, the show simply makes you conscious of what being in love today is really like," says Nikhil Gandhi, Business Head, UTV Bindass. "We follow self-censorship with regard to how graphic we want the show to get. At the end of the day, we'd rather not offend sentiments."
PDA is not an issue anymore; neither is the societal pressure to keep romances under cover. "Participants are eager to sign up and we try to get a good mix of personalities -- the demure girl, brash guy, die hard romantic, and the one-night stand person," says Deborah Polycarp, Project Head, Splitsvilla.
Now in its fourth season, this MTV programme that is simply a hunt for love, got controversial after season 2 when some of the contestants alleged that crew members had engaged in sexual acts with some of the players.
Maitra says the entire nation wants to be on TV. "And there is nothing private or sacred anymore. It works to our advantage. People are talking about Emotional Atyachar, even if they don't like it, because you can't really ignore us."
Could reality shows have changed the way young people view relationships? Sheetal Sudhir, Creative Director, Channel V says, "Young people are more practical today. They aren't looking for something long term. It's all in good fun, and very entertaining."
The channel's romantic reality television offering, Truth Love Cash is in its second season, and has couples choose between their partner and a very attractive cash prize. "It's the ultimate moral question," says Sudhir, "It appeals to all our insecurities as viewers and is shocking because it reveals how manipulative the game can get."
Maitra has seen so many hearts break on her show, that she has has a practising psychiatrist on board to coach participants. "People are scared to cheat now... they are always looking for hidden cameras. Yes, occasionally it's (Emotional Atyachar) overwhelming and makes me wonder if anyone is faithful at all. But then Love Lockup is all about second chances."
Emotional Atyachar is now a gameAirtel digital TV teams up with Indiagames to launch Emotional Atyachar, a game based on the TV show that tests fidelity among couples. DTH customers can now play the philandering romantic by choosing a character and building maximum connections with other eligible singles. The aim of the game is to fill up a dating meter within a given time, without getting caught or exposed by the Fidelity Inspector, Pravesh Rana, the host of the show.
What's a shrink doing on reality TV?"Most problems between couples stem from the fact that they don't communicate. Especially in India, the idea of seeking professional help is taboo. Which is why most relationships are never given a real chance," says psychiatrist Dr Syeda Ruksheda, 36. The counsellor with an experience of 11 years was approached by UTV Bindass. Dr Ruksheda ends up providing credibility to Love Lockup. The practitioner says she's on the show because it encourages couples to talk about issues bothering them, something young people don't have the patience for anymore. "This reveals common problems that couples all over India face."
