Why Rakhi Sawant will never boot out the saas-bahuReality shows like Rakhi ka Swayamvar are far from a threat to modern-day saas-bahu formats

Reality shows like Rakhi ka Swayamvar are far from a threat to modern-day saas-bahu formats

Reality shows like Rakhi ka Swayamvar are far from a threat to modern-day saas-bahu formats. We explain why!

Did we really believe that the K serials and their ilk were under threat because people want to play peeping Tom and watch Rakhi Sawant snag a husband and raise a child? Or catch a ‘topless’ Salman Khan quizzing people on what percentage of Indians launder their own clothes?

We have Rakhi Sawant's wedding album

Will reality TV ever kill off the omnipresent serials?

No, says Radikaa Sarat Kumar.

“As long as we use soap to have a bath, soap operas will remain on TV.” It may not be the most elegant way to put it, but the Chairperson of Radaan Media Works, sure got her point across at the session on ‘Current Trends in TV Content’ at the FICCI Entertainment and Media Conclave being held in Chennai.

Fiction, a.k.a the soaps, is not even on the endangered list.

Nonfiction television or reality TV is extremely expensive to produce, explains CEO of Synergy Adlabs, Siddhartha Basu. And they hardly ever break even, let alone make any profit for the production houses – the exception being, of course, Kaun Banega Crorepati, a show that changed Indian nonfiction television forever.

However, ‘reality TV’ is integral to programming today because they create the buzz, make it to Twitter’s trending topics, and have news channels salivating at the bit.

It is so integral that Sanjay Reddy, Senior VP of Sun TV Network, believes that reality television is becoming more scripted nowadays, so as to make melodrama take the guise of truth and keep the audience engaged. A claim that Basu is quick to shoot down – at least, as far as his company is concerned.

But he does admit that, come Tuesdays (in northern India) and Thursdays (in southern India) -- the day when the TRP numbers come in – it’s time for “trench fighting”. For the less scrupulous, it means judges walking out, contestants hyperventilating and collapsing in tears or families taking under-the-belt pot shots at each other.

However, the way ahead is not all gloom, says Radikaa. Though some reality shows may have learnt a bad lesson from soaps -- using drama to pique interest (recall the sudden deaths or ‘resurrections’ in your favourite serials?) -- soaps are learning from nonfiction programming, too. She believes soaps will soon be grittier, more ‘real’, thanks to reality TV.

Rakhi's next: Pati, Patni aur Woh

And so ends the session? No. Just when we thought everything that needed to be said had been said, there came a curve ball.

G K Mohan, a television producer from Andhra Pradesh and the last speaker of the day, claimed to have devised a surefire formula for television success in southern India -- using a typical south Indian meal as a metaphor. Confused? So were we.

How is cinema like rice, soap operas like sambar, knowledge shows like vegetarian curries and other reality shows like non vegetarian curries, we are not too sure.

Amidst loud laughter and titters, Mohan expounded on his theories: "Kaun Banega Crorepati was a great show. But it was a thinking man's show. My audience is not intelligent." So, says Mohan, he went to make the 'antithesis' of the show, Gold Rush. He claimed Radhikaa had taken that idea to create Thanga Vettai, her reality show based on winning pots of gold -- a charge Radhikaa was quick to deny!

The ‘food man’, so dubbed by moderator Anil Wanvari, Founder and CEO of Indiantelevision.com, did not add much to the session, but he did let us leave with a smile.

I'll never stoop to Rakhi's level: Elesh

She (Rakhi Sawant) just said I am too good for her and I should find someone better — Elesh Parujanwala.

He’s put up with her silently so far. But Canada-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala, who got engaged to item girl Rakhi Sawant on the reality show Rakhi ka Swayamwar in August, has finally had enough of Sawant’s antics. The breaking point for the couple came when Sawant called him a “firangi” and an “uncultured man”, on national television, last week.

“She should not judge me on my upbringing. Our relationship has become a huge drama. Ever since we’ve been together, she has tried her best to get rid of me,” says Elesh. “She saw this relationship as a big boost for her career. I became a scapegoat. I invested everything I had in this relationship and I was shattered when it ended,” he says.

The final blow came when the two found it impossible get along while performing tasks on the TV show, Pati Patni Aur Woh. That’s when Sawant called off the engagement. “It was her call. She just said I am too good for her and I should find someone better, and that she wants to focus on her career. I agreed...I’m never going beg or to convince someone to be with me.”

Elesh says he doesn’t want to say anything negative about Sawant. “I don’t believe in raising my profile by bringing down somebody else. I will never stoop to her level and say anything bad about that woman, but I feel what goes around comes around. It’s not going to do her any good,” says Elesh. “It’s not just me and my family, but the entire public that’s feeling cheated. For me, it was reality and for her, it was a show.”

Rakhi says that she’ll not going to marry Elesh

Rakhi has decided that she is not going to marry Elesh, as he didn’t support her in her fight with Sakshi. She feels that he is too westernized for her comfort levels. There is a sad separation song on TV, and they both are watching it. Rakhi cries on Elesh’s shoulder as she feels the pain. Elesh tries his best to pacify her and she also says that she will behave better as they both have to live in the same house for the time being.

As it is the teenager’s last night with their parents so the teenagers organize a Potluck at Shilpa’s house. While the kids are with Sharad getting the details, there are contradictory things happening at the same time. Gurmeet and Debina are planning their wedding whereas Rakhi and Elesh are breaking up. It is a contradiction in the truest sense.

The potluck happens at Shilpa’s house in which Gurmeet and Gaurav pull off a prank. Gurmeet dresses up as a ghost and is waiting on the terrace. Ghost tales are being shared by Shilpa and soon everybody wants to go on the terrace and check it out. When they go there then they get the shock of their lives seeing a white ghost. Later at the party, everybody plays ‘Truth or Dare’ and enjoy the dinner.

Rakhi Sawant calms down Elesh

Elesh Parujanwala is known for his calm and composed attitude where as Rakhi is recognized for her hot temper. But this time things seem to turn upside down with the entry of the adults in Pati Patni Aur Woh. Sakshi Bhayana from the fame of Splitsvilla will be entering as the daughter of Elesh and Rakhi in the show. “Her entry is going to be dhamakedar in the show as the janta will see her throwing her weight around in front of Rakhi,” utters our khabroo.

“Sakshi just entered the house and messed up everything from kitchen to the bedroom. She threw all the clothes of Rakhi from the wardrobe and just pushes her stuffs inside. This does irritate the drama queen but she takes it very calmingly where as Elesh could not handle the situation. He just ordered Sakshi to get out of the house,” adds the source.

Rakhi was cool and trying to solve problems between Elesh and Saskhi. “Rakhi was playing the mediator between the two and at the end she was successful too. Finally she stopped Saskshi from leaving the house and also made Elesh understood about their responsibilities,” concludes the source. There is lot more in the coming week as these jodi gears up to fight with their toughest phase of the journey in the show. Let’s see who comes out with flying
colours.