Modern soap opera or just voyeurism?

By Ankur Pathak

Ankur believes that unless we’re imaginative, reality shows will be versions of Bigg Boss with better wardrobes

We thought the rise of streaming services meant that the days of cringe television were behind us. However, unlike in the US, where streaming companies compete with network studios that already set the bar high (HBO/Showtime), India’s OTT shows appear to be mirroring dodgy content from television that we thought we had outgrown.

I have absolutely no problem looking at a show in its context, but even within that paradigm, we need to hold it to a certain standard. We have to demand better. The Netflix show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives could have been an interesting window into the complications that the intersection of fame and money can bring to people’s lives but it’s been reduced to privilege tourism and lifestyle porn, offering a dubious, sanitised version of what life in rarefied circles looks like. 

Reality TV has always remained in the realm of addictive, guilty pleasures, but higher budgets, emerging talent, and a new medium offer the opportunity to turn trash into something that carries emotional truths and makes a comment on the stratified nature of our society. Unless we’re more imaginative with these shows, they’ll be reduced to some version of Bigg Boss, only with better wardrobes.

Ankur Pathak is a Mumbai-based entertainment journalist

From HT Brunch, December 6, 2020