I am usually against T.V. reality shows. Now that can’t be a very strict statement, without inviting a flurry of questions from one and all. So for my post here, I’ll say that many of them in India and more specifically these dance talent shows.

I just finished watching one episode each of Chak Dhoom Dhoom and Dance India Dance, both airing simultaneously. It is quite rare for me to be watching TV and not be watching National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet and/or Fox History on it. Well good that I did watch these two for a change, for something was waiting to be unlearned.

Ever since these shows started , some years back, I have held the same opinion about them. NO GOOD, mostly.

They attract a few passionate and many lost.
Hello, not everyone can be a professional singer ! Not everyone can be a professional dancer ! Not everyone can be a celebrity ( liked I really cared that , that’s what people want to be also ) !

My friend the expression “everyone” in India usually translates into a huge number , given the fact that we are many many many here. This means many go back home disappointed ,crying, disillusioned and sometimes ready to die (suicidal I mean) !

The effect that these shows have on kids and parents is phenomenal. Many a dream is born and most shattered.Once shattered, then what ? Good question as I ask myself too .

The answer is not all that great. Like I said before, it can be suicidal also. The hype and the focus are so great that the consequences of losing are devastating. Our kids don’t know how to lose and our parents are only making things worse.

It’s interesting how the judges at such shows give “quick fix” answers to losing candidates ! Oh, boy “quick fixes” don’t work.

I also wonder what’s wrong with the parents ? If it’s not for your child then it’s not for your child. Don’t try to make it his or hers. ! But they never seem to get that. Tonnes of pressure on kids to perform and do exceedingly well and nothing else. To encourage a child to be all that he/she can be as against this one or two things, is what the parents should be doing. It’s just some reality show. It’s not the end of your child’s life or his/her career. Sort of reminds me of the kick-butt movie ” 3 Idiots “, where one the idiots narrates that within minutes of his birth his father had already declared what his son would take up as a career ! Moronic or what ?

Enough bashing. Here’s the turn along the road.

Boy, I did see some very very talented kids from really really poor backgrounds getting the opportunity ! That excited me and I watched on. I saw these very passionate dancers from severely poverty stricken backgrounds getting the chance to make things happen. And that was good. They did well and were recognized and things seemed to be fitting for me. I saw extreme passion in them and tonnes of hopes clinging onto this one chance. My heart melted to see India’s talent that has no chance.

I understand that parallel to this, some singing reality shows too provided a chance to hidden talent from the financially poor backgrounds. I liked that and all of this made me re-think .Things had to be unlearned.

There were some monkey advertisements that played during the shows, which I would like to talk about in another post ( specially that jumping jack Akshay Kumar going ” Button Khula Hai ” ).

My wife and I are planning for kids next year. I pray we can do things right and better as parents. Those would be our 2 cents.

P.S. Originally posted by me on my personal blog here

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