Winning hearts with sensationalism??

So what is Indian television trying to go for at present? By the look of it I would say its just TRP everyone is after and creating sensationalism to attract viewers. Well ok fine so nothing wrong with that, after all we are all in game of earning profits only…no one creats a channel to incur losses. But does this give them a right to compromise on the content and its packaging?
Entertainment channels have often been criticized off and on for their lack of content and increasing doses of ‘saas-bahu’ operas. Recently even Indian news channels also joined the bandwagon of entertainment. Thus the news channels are increasing the entertainment content on the ‘Idiot Box’. The fight for viewership and advertisements is very literally tooth and nail for Indian news channels.
We, the people have so been dumped with the content of TV programs and of ‘breaking news’ and ‘exclusives on news channels that our mind often fails to detach one from the other.
Where else did we thought that we would believe in aliens abducting humans…where else could we have seen so much blood and gore being glorified for TRPs… where else do we hear the question “aapko kaisa lagg raha hai” for each and every situation, no matter how grave or happy… where else could we see political and regional and religious camps being formed.
Yes, at present this and a lot more is what the India News industry is leading to.

The new God Cult on Indian Entertainment Channels

Well god are the newest entry to channel rivalries, no I m not talking about viiting temples or astrology sessions before shows. This time god is been packaged off in form of content on almost all of the major channels. We have ‘Jai Ma Vaishno Devi’ on 9X, ‘mata ki Chowki’ on Sahara, etc.
It’s like one channel decided to TV a new genre on viewers and all the others caught-on to mint the gold in this. Though there have been certain off and on attempts by channels before to cash in on such concepts before but this the major attraction is sale of God for TRPs and viewership, which is no less than a cult following. India has always bee a very religious land, and television has always been a major escape from reality and to entertainment. Now the channels have got their Midas touch by combining the two for its viewers. But well gimmick or no gimmick, no one complains as finally we are getting some quality content on TV.
Recently NDTV imagine launched there new campains to promote their show “Ramayan”. The TVC shows how present day TV content has taken its toll on our younger generation’ values and morals and then comes in “Ramayan”- ek acchi aadat.
Well though I know that the campaign is just a way to woo the audience emotions yet what it showcases is infact a situation based in our real life situations. So if the channel’s gold digging attempt is actually able to inculcate some’Acchi Aadat’ in the younger generation of the country then we don’t mind thee overdosage of such programs on the television.

Media- Industry or Profession? Both?

Being a journalism student, we often sit in classes and read about media ethics and responsibility and other such ‘heavy duty’ words. And well for most of us these set the general precedent of entering the field of media and journalism. We come here with certain “aadarsh” and hard head- strong ideas…. like to bring out the truth and help the society and its people. But well often we see the direction in which this field is heading to especially since the advent of the ideas like- 24 hour news channels, breaking news and sting operations, etc. at 1st these brought a very positive energy and light into the field. However, slowly and steadily, the positivism started to ward off and this became a mere game of TRPs, viwership and advertisements. Sensationalisation and yellow journalism became the new set of rules here to achieve success. In our classes, we often have guest faculty who are eminent personalities from the media industry coming in and talking to us about the ‘on the job’ scene and media as a profession as well as an industry. We often get into the discussion of what is ‘ethical’ and what content is considered as for public good and welfare, etc. Even amongst ourselves when we get into a discussion on the same issue. We get stuck on one point- if we are working in an organisation and we are asked by our editor to cover a story that we know is a mere mean of sensationalism and only for TRPs then what will we do. Will we be ready to get sacked and easily replaced for refusing on a bout of consciousness or go ahead and do what is asked because the editor asks us to do so?
I do not know about others but an honest confession that I would like to make here is that I would go ahead and cover the story. A bout of consciousness will not get me very far in this “media industry.” Here I am quite replenishable until and unless I niche a position or status for myself that is hard to be fulfilled or replaced. With a media institute at every nook and corner of the country and fresh batch of students passing out almost every month, it will not be difficult for any media organization to fill up a vacancy in less than a fraction of seconds (literally).What should I follow the profession or the industry? I guess following the profession in the industry is a case for lucky few only. The only thing that is left in this field are people who are trying to make industries out this profession.

IPL MANIA: PRESPECTIVE ON DILEMMA OF A ‘FAN’.

Suddenly I realize what dilemma I’m caught up in…n all thanx 2 IPL frenzied country of ours. Well not tht I m a cricket buff- no…believe me, but wid d entire country,& y go so far, even my family and frnds r going ga-ga over this IPL Fever.
I m being forced into all this just so as to be a part of d crowd. But that’s not even my real dilemma. My real point is what sud I support in IPL…cricketer? Teams? Or celebrities?
Mixing of all these 3 is making it all go haywire 4 me.
See normal cricket I get…one-days and test matches n even 20-20s.
But aren’t v all alrdy so divided in name of cricket- national team, international teams, this cricketer or that one, etc. then I don’t get it y would 1 like to bring in more elements in this gap?
Well in this IPL, even further divided is d fact that here even cricketer taking part r a mix of national & international stars. Teams r being owned by either bollywood celebrities or big business magnets. Even bollywood stars r going in different directions to provide support (as brand ambassadors) for either their hometown teams or their friend’s teams.
IPL mania is catching up like a fire in d jungle. Save yourself from dis alignment, is all I can think of as of now. So far, it is the inspiration drawn from d ‘non-alignment movement’ initiated by certain developing and underdeveloped countries of d wrld, during the time of Cold War. This solution is appealing to me d most 2 save myself from these dilemmas.

Whom should I follow…
Cricketers- national or international hotties that I love 2 see(rather stare at…hehehe)?
Teams- my hometown team or the teams of the place where I earn my livelihood (gladly 4 me both r one…but this can b a question 4 others, I guess) or one that my favorite stars own.
Or Bollywood?

Like I would now cite my example here.
Home team- Delhi- Delhi daredevils.
Favorite star- SRK- his team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Now which should I support being an ok-ok fan or cricket but a a great lover of Delhi and also of bollywood as well.
Where should, or rather where do, my ‘loyalties’ lie in such scenario.

Delhi daredevil or Knight Riders?
Akshay kumar or SRK?
Sehewag or Ganguly?

Mumbai Indians or Kings XI?
Ambani or Priety Zinta?
Dhoni or Yuvraj?
Bollywood or Bhangra?

Why do I still ask…..its all IPL.

Indian T.V. strengthening stereotypical hierarchies

Soap operas of Indian TV have been playing a major role in promoting stereotypical patriarchal ideas in our society. Whether it is subjugation of women, or idea of women as ‘perfect’ housewives or even presenting women as soft targets for crime of various nature; TV has played its role successfully in all this.

Serials project the ‘so-called’ stereotypical image of traditional women to its audience that then restrengthens these stereotypes in their minds. Totally, house confined tulsi’s and parvati’s without any individuality and who face all the acts of their family members by being mere voiceless entities. Without individuality, is what is now being the most favored attribute that people wish to inculcate in their daughters and daughter-in-laws. Idealism is being reset at so high altitude and the representation is set so much in past that it ends up confusing the people and in turn forces them to accept these images as a part of their living.

India is a country that believes in holding not only its traditions and rich culture but also holding the ‘almost-patriarchal’ stereotypical norms that are attached to it. In such a situation, if TV upholds such ideas further then it is not fair for the ‘new-age’ Indian women who wish to break beyond the bounds of these patriarchal hierarchies.


Shows that show women as soft targets of crimes at home and outside thus give rebirth to the ideas of patriarchy at all phases in society. Crimes like rape, dowry harassments, and molestations and even show various ways and through various arguments with which women are stripped out of their identity and dignity repeatedly.

What is even more shocking is the fact that these shows more than often use women itself to propagate the stereotypes that are typically not in favor of women.
Soap-operas and tear jerker like “kunki..” and “kahanni...”; and even so called different stories like “kasam se”, “betiyaan”, “saat phere”, “parayadhan” and “doli saja ke”, or any other for that matter have same environment that believes in subjugating and suffocating its women in the confines of the four-walls of the house and even women who hold this to be their life of freedom.
Even when shows project women who are career oriented the story itself after 2-3 turns and twists comes back to the same old ‘saas-bahu’ drama.

Well so is the scope of Indian television for now but all that is left to speculate is its future trends, will those in any way be able to offer any ‘change’ for real?

Arrival of new directors, small budget movies and the multiplex phenomena.

The most hyped about multiplex phenomenon is here to stay and now along with economic importance it is showing certain amount of unification with society and culture as well. The place that earlier came up as the pilgrim’s ground for luxury shop-holics has now added a new dimension to entertainment for moviegoers. The contagious phenomenon of multiplex cinema halls has turned to benefit of one and all—viewers, new directors, small budget films, and experimental movies.

The hectic life of 9-9 economic scenario has given a lot to be demanded by the new young age working generation. The new pace is hard to cope up with and the multiplex culture offers a certain amount of relief to the overworked generation of present.
It provides them with relief from all that trouble that earlier went in catching a movie for mere relaxation. No more long crowded booking counters, no more disappointments of houseful, etc. with multiple movie going on in the same complex in different halls allow people to catch a movie anytime.

The multiplex concept has made it easier for small budgeted movies to make their presence felt among the audience. Movies like “Khosla ka Ghosla,” “Mixed Doubles” and “Bheja Fry,” etc. have been able to not only make a mark with the audience but at the box office as well.
The multiplex culture has ensured constant movement of audience towards such movies as well that earlier would had been left with no takers. This has also helped in the distribution of small budgeted films as the distributors and producers are no longer unsure of film reach, impact and box office collections. As a matter of fact in the past one or two years it has been observed that these small budgeted movies have done much better job with audience reactions in comparison to big-bucks Magnus-operas.
These movies too have done their share in making such impact on the audience. These films offer a pleasant escape to the audience which otherwise had been over fed with the doses of pulp-fictionalized reality of the tear jerking magnum operas.

The new category of movies presents humor, fiction, reality all at the same time yet distinction between each is never blurred which provides the well needed relief to the overworked generation of the age.

This multiplex phenomenon has also encouraged new directors and filmmakers to give reality to their visions. It has given them a sense of security in terms of audience and that it has left them with enough choice to experiment on their work. It has also made producers and distributors more confident in financing and distributing movies of new names and of new genres.
This has also helped the filmmakers to experiment on new genres and the multiplex culture has given a new way to art/ parallel cinema. Movies like “Maine Gandhi ko Nahi Maara”, “Khamosh Pani”, “Haazaron Khawaishein Aisi” and “Haazar Churasi Ki Maa,” etc. have caught audience fancy and thus made the experimental efforts of the directors successful.

Thus we see how the economic ground of multiplex provided opportunities for development and reflection on society and culture.

South Indian flavor missing from the Indian TV platter

Just as on urban Indian television rural India is very minimally represented similarly in Indian news, especially on national news channels, southern India is presented very marginally.
Music shows never concentrate on d south, Class 12 topper from north gets 9 o'clock headlines, but from south he/she gets a brief interview.
Several reasons go into this…and well I may or may not be correct in my observation.

Firstly, the language barrier keeps southern states separated from rest of the country. Since Hindi is the national language and most of the news channels have Hindi version they probably concentrate on the Hindi-speaking sector. Recently one of my friends pointed out to me that in d latest television show “antakshri”(star one) you can find four Zones representing India and those zones do not include south zone. It includes only north, east, west and Central.
While d shows tagline says “har akshar ki dhun par khelega India” yet somehow southern states are easily omitted, Which makes one wonder if South India belongs to India or not.

This is just one example. India’s 24-hour news channels have just barely an hour or two devoted to news related to the southern belt.

Well I also think that I will not be entirely incorrect if I say that ‘south’ in itself too is a quite secluded community, that like to keep within itself, maintaining their distinctive cultures and traditional roots.

Nevertheless, I think that we too have a hand in that sort of thinking being upheld until now. By ‘we’, I mean the rest of the country and representatives of people. Representatives of southern states themselves do not seem to b making any effort to work on solutions of language and regional barriers and towards bringing ‘south’ closer in the mainstream India.
You know one more interesting thing to ponder on is that in this modernized day n age of global village concept we have become much more closer to foreign countries like U.S.A. and China, etc, than we can ever be to our own southern states.

Well another reason is also d fact that d ‘heartbeat’ of India lies anywhere but in southern India. Like the politics of the country is concentrated in north especially in the national capital of d country Delhi.
Similarly, mumbai and Delhi together become hubs of India’s economy.
Even the hub of India’s biggest movie industry is in Mumbai whereas Delhi plays a very strategically thought of headquarters for all the major news channels of the country.

Bears and bulls, seats, ministries, bollywood, economics, politics, conservatism, ethnic differences, education, growth, and ideas of protecting a pure essence of cultural roots… well according to me all these factors go in seclusion of southern India from the rest of the country.