BOLLYWOOD BOOS
Farah Khan in Tere Mere Beach Mein
This beach was not so sunny. And Farah Khan was no Karan Johar. The recently concluded celebrity talk show on STAR Plus got the biggest Bollywood names to dance, sing and reveal all on its sets, but the 13 episodes still failed to pack a punch. All that seemed fun in the beginning — the innovative tasks, the candid confessions, the little gig at the close — became all-too-predictable towards the end. “Tere Mere Beach Mein got off to a roaring start with a TRP of close to 4 for the first episode featuring Salman Khan, but gradually its viewership declined to about 1 to 1.5. The idea of a theme in every episode didn’t really catch on. Farah Khan, though fun, isn’t as articulate and tongue-in-cheek as Karan Johar,” feels an industry insider. With few victories — such as roping in reclusive Abhay Deol as guest and the final episode with Shah Rukh Khan — the show was unable to make the most of its star package.
Shah Rukh Khan in Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai?
Fresh from small screen success in Kaun Banega Crorepati, this one just didn’t work for SRK. Even with the support of television czar Siddhartha Basu and immense pre-release hype, Paanchvi Pass was a king-size disaster. Dismal TRPs ensured a premature end to the show. As expected, the producers are not even thinking of a second season.
Amrita Rao in Perfect Bride
If there was a poll for the weakest Bollywood debut on telly, this would be the topper. Though fireworks weren’t expected from the demure damsel, Amrita Rao in Perfect Bride turned out to be even more thanda than Amrita Rao in Shortkut. The Vivah actress is mentor to prospective brides in another swayamvar show that has 10 women wooing five men. “The format of the show is so boring that one really doesn’t have the patience to put up with Amrita’s wishy-washy mentoring at the end of the week,” says college student Ankita Sarawgi. “What I was apprehensive about at the beginning of the show was that the men might choose me instead of the girls,” Amrita had told t2 at the start of the show. At least that might have spiced things up!
Soha Ali Khan in Khelo Jeeto Jiyo
Who knew when the show came and went? Soha Ali Khan made her TV debut with a STAR Plus lifestyle quiz that not many tuned in to. Soha did try to egg the participants on, but overall, her tepid hosting did nothing to lift the less-than-thrilling show. “Who is interested in watching some people trying to win furniture for their home as Soha looks on with an uninterested smile?” asks adman Alyque Padamsee. With no plans yet for season two, this seems to be it for Soha’s television career.
Sushmita Sen in Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena
Her films haven’t been working for a while now and her television debut also fizzled out before you could say “Mashallah”. Sushmita Sen teamed up with former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram to judge Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, a Colors show that had top cricketers dancing with starlets. The initial curiosity to see Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth on the same stage post Slapgate did drag in some viewers, but Sushmita’s ample presence — with her chaste Hindi, complete with mashallah, and her predilection to break into poetry — was no pull. “Moreover, her fluctuating weight and animal print outfits were real eyesores,” says Ankita.
Suniel Shetty in Biggest Loser Jeetega
Now what gets almost everyone excited? The prospect of losing weight! Biggest Loser Jeetega promised much, but was thin on delivery. A desi take on the popular American show The Biggest Loser, the Sahara One programme that challenged a bunch of obese contestants to shed their flab failed to make an impression. Bollywood balwaan Suniel Shetty made his TV debut as host, but the actor looked so uninterested that the viewer had no choice but to reach for the remote. “The show format was unique but suffered because of Shetty’s lack of hosting skills and charisma,” feels advertising professional Sulagna Banerjee. The one thing that Shetty did consistently well on the show? Chew gum. There have been murmurs of a second season, but the actor maintains that this time around, his “involvement will be much less”. We don’t wonder why!
content is king
Sach Ka Saamna
No recent reality show has stirred the imagination of the viewer as much as India’s tryst with The Moment of Truth. No starry host, no big celebrity guests (Vinod Kambli and Roopa Ganguly were the biggest names), and no Bollywood people plugging their new releases. Gritty and voyeuristic, Sach Ka Saamna proved to be a TRP topper right from its first week. “The real star of Sach Ka Saamna is its format and the shock value of the questions posed. Having a Bollywood personality as host would have diluted the show. A less overpowering personality like Rajeev Khandelwal was therefore a perfect choice and he did a wonderful job,” says Bharathi S Pradhan, The Telegraph columnist and editor of Movie Mag International.
Aap Ki Kacheri
The younger lot may not like it, but Aap Ki Kacheri’s tough cop Kiran Bedi has grabbed more eyeballs than most Bollywood stars. The show has brought courtroom drama and real-life troubles into our living rooms, whether it is a wife taking her husband to task or a father complaining against the ill treatment meted out by his son. “There is no peephole perspective on the reality of Aap Ki Kacheri with Kiran Bedi. It’s frank and forthright on matters that are relevant to a whole lot of people,” says Siddhartha Basu, producer of the STAR Plus show
Roadies
Like Sach Ka Saamna, an unpredictable format and voyeuristic appeal have resulted in the unprecedented popularity of MTV’s extreme reality show. With weeks to go for season seven, the audience is getting ready to tune in to Roadies for two months to get their weekly dose of anything-goes entertainment. “Roadies is a brand in itself. Tomorrow, a star may start hosting the show, but if the format is not as appealing as it is now, I can safely say that no one will tune in,” says heartthrob host Rannvijay.
Rakhi Ka Swayamvar
Who would have thought that an item girl’s quest to find a groom would get the country hooked? Rakhi Sawant’s escapades ensured that the nation kept watching Rakhi Ka Swayamvar on NDTV Imagine. Viewership increased steadily, with the show often featuring in the TRP top 10. The finale registered a TRP of 6.3, one of the highest ever for a reality show in India. “Rakhi Ka Swayamvar worked because of the curiosity factor. Besides, many in the audience could identify with the 16 ordinary men from middle-class families trying to woo Rakhi,” says Nikhil Madhok, marketing and communications head, NDTV Imagine. The channel is confident that its second attempt at a swayamvar — Rahul Mahajan’s search for a bride — will grab even more eyeballs.
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs
This is a success story like no other. Every weekend, till last weekend when it drew to a close, the entire nation tuned in religiously to watch kids as young as five or six sing their way to reality show glory. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs — hosted by two precocious kids, judged by Abhijeet and Alka Yagnik and joined by star guests — didn’t drop out of the TRP charts. “It is the only show that my entire family watches together,” says schoolteacher Mita Chakraborty. The immense popularity of L’il Champs has ensured that it is the first choice for Bollywood when it comes to plugging and promoting its upcoming films. Aamir Khan may have opted out of Koffee with Karan and Tere Mere Beach Mein to appear on L’il Champs, but it wasn’t his presence that ensured TRPs for the show — it was the other way around. “A show like Dus Ka Dum with all its celebrities fails to match up to the popularity of L’il Champs,” says a Zee TV source.
SOMETIMES TV IS THE BEST LAUNCH PAD…
Shah Rukh Khan: From Fauji and Circus to the Bollywood Badshah.
Prachi Desai: The Balaji bahu made a smooth and spunky transition to supportive wife in Rock On!!
Rajeev Khandelwal: The romantic Sujal in Kahiin To Hoga wowed as a helpless man in his debut Aamir.
Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey: The stars of multiplex cinema started off as television funnymen, anchoring House Arrest on Channel V.
Gracy Singh: The Amanat girl began with a bang — debuting with Aamir Khan in the Oscar-nominated Lagaan and following it up with everyone’s favourite Munnabhai MBBS.
Shreyas Talpade: He was seen in a bit role in Amanat alongside Gracy Singh. Today, Shreyas has Shy- am Benegal and Nagesh Kukunoor on his CV. |
