There is something vaguely obscene about young children gyrating non-existent hips and heaving undeveloped bosoms on national television in the presence of proud, beaming parents. Add to this the profound statements that these prepubescent children tend to make, and one is inevitably struck by the surrealism of 'reality' television in India today. If that sounds like an oxymoron, then that is indeed what these productions have become. Where have all our children gone? Many seem to have joined the grand Indian circus, which creates miniature men and women out of children, boys and girls.
This past May, one of the first victims of Indian reality shows entered the public consciousness, when 16-year-old Shinjini Sengupta of Calcutta suffered severe shock resulting in paralysis after she was rebuked by judges during a Bengali reality dance show (see pic). Despite the subsequent hubbub, however, it can be safely concluded that she will not be the last. The immense psychological pressures and emotional rollercoaster rides that are part and parcel of the reality-show formula have the power to turn even hard-nosed adults into nervous wrecks.
Success stories of talent discovered – such as reigning artistes Shreya Ghosal, Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan – have tempted parents to attempt to live famous lives through their children. In so doing, however, these parents do not seem to realise the intense physical and mental trauma that they are inviting upon their children. Ambitious parents would of course argue that, in this highly competitive world, a little push never hurts. And, as Shinjini's parents contended in an attempt to brush off allegations of working their daughter too hard, they were only "acting according to her wishes". But of course, it is exceedingly difficult to demarcate where exactly volition ends and coercion begins.
For every talent discovered, there are hundreds of others who are forced to face public humiliation and rebuke, something that can scar a child for years afterward or worse. But in the absence of guidelines for children's participation in reality shows, children fall victim to the whims of Television Rating Points (TRPs): a titillating, emotion-packed show, nearly always caused by the emotional upheavals that the participants undergo in public, inevitably sends TRP levels soaring.