(From top) Aparna Sharma, Prashant Chawla and Tanvi Saxena: Some of the contestants of Mr & Miss Bollywood

Television has been one medium of communication that has connected millions. And it is this connectivity that makes the recent splurge of talent hunt shows on the tube relevant, in ways more than one. Young faces conveying acute disappointment or even overwhelming joy have become a common sight on as many channels as your remote allows you to surf. Be it Sahara Manoranjan?s Mr & Miss Bollywood or Zee TV?s Cinestars Ki Khoj or Channel V?s Samsung [V] Super Singer, the hunt for talent has got to take its toll. Filmmakers, modelling agencies, television producers, everyone is out to give the young and enterprising their version of ?The Big Break?.

A path-breaking trend once set, soon catches on with the entire medium, owing to the cut-throat competition. Yet, the plethora of talent contests is getting increasingly confusing. Aptitude and interest, often desperate, among the young, aspiring to walk up the staircase of glamour and saunter in the hallways of fame, has always existed. What is it now that provokes such excessive attempts at channelising these young dreams? The number of channels and institutions involved in the making of these shows abound, and so do their reasons. ?We, at Sahara, produce around 40-50 movies each year. It is not desirable or feasible to go chasing the big stars for dates. The magnitude of production leaves us with a lot of scope for fresh talent to showcase their mettle,? reasons Rauf Ahmed, creative manager for Mr & Miss Bollywood.

Mr & Miss Bollywood seems to be the most elaborate of all the talent hunts, with 30 finalists to be chosen. The plucky four will get a feature film as their launch-pad, while the other 26 will be given prominent roles in television serials. Another crucial reason that seems to be the cause for such enormous endeavours is the soaring levels of ambition among the youth. As veteran actress Jaya Bachchan puts it, ?Training is very important in today?s times. The newcomers are very well groomed compared to the actors of yore, and they have to face tremendous competition. Such initiatives, therefore, play a crucial role and should be encouraged.?

Tatsiana, winner of the Dubai Item Bomb contest

Channel V and MTV have had a tradition of hosting talent hunts like Popstars, VJ Hunt and similar interactive on-the-road shows. The present efforts are more than appreciated and are even generating high levels of optimism and excitement. Turning the clock a little backward, the Annu Kapoor-hosted show Meri Awaz Suno on Doordarshan and the Sonu Nigam-anchored Sa Re Ga Ma are reminiscent of budding singers crooning their way to fame and glory. B4U Channel?s Hot off the Press, Nickelodeon?s Chhota Vijay and Sony Entertainment?s Boogie Woogie are other examples of popular shows that scouted the immense talent in the country that was hitherto lying latent. The procedure preceding the entry and the selection, however, have now become quite elaborate, considering the increase in the huge response to these contests.

Avers Tarun Katial, programming head, Sony Entertainment Pvt. Ltd: ?The shows that are happening today have got the reality factor in them, where we are tracing people back to their homes, even in cities like Manipur and Bhilai. Also, the Indian Idol will demand its finalists to repeatedly perform week after week and, therefore, they gradually transform to become characters in your life. You don?t only judge them, but also love them, or hate them. Now, emotions, too, creep in.? Thus, the concept may look familiar but the involvement and the resultant thrill ensuing from these talent hunts definitely go beyond their precedents. To put it in VJ Gaurav Kapur?s words, ?[V] Super Singer will have a surprise element weaved in into the well-acquainted concept. Besides, the emotions and the kind of talent that the event will generate will be different.? Another difference is also relevant, as elaborated by Tarun Katial. ?The booty at the end of the tunnel is also very big.?

Emotions, talent, hope, opportunity?so far, so good! However, that this new picture of the small screen is absolutely picture-perfect would be quite a naive supposition. Allegations from the cynics include labelling these talent hunts as a purely PR exercise and a fabrication to garner mileage. The wide-scale marketing and advertising and roping in of popular star icons in the process, looking from the other side of the glass become an apparent stunt at attracting popularity. Points out veteran scriptwriter-director Mahesh Bhatt: ?In fact, I would also call it the exploitation of the yearnings of all those who get involved in the competition. Most of the time, these shows have failed to sustain and deliver the promises they so garishly announced. I don?t mind them exploiting emotions if they have the integrity to owe up their intentions rather than claim philanthropic aims.? Bhatt was the judge for the finals of Bollywood Star, a talent hunt show held in London last July. The winner, Rupak Mann, who is of Asian origin is now a part of Bhatt?s next production, Nazar, which is going to be directed by his wife, Soni Razdan.

Actor-anchor Jaaved Jafferi, whose successful dance show, Boogie Woogie, gave a platform to aspiring dancers, too seconds Bhatt?s opinion. Jaaved says that there are more talent shows than needed at present. ?Every second channel has its own talent show to boast of. It has become an excuse for raking in money. While the true talent isn?t recognised, at the end of the day, the channel sure enjoys a rise in its TRPs. As for the aspirants, they fade into oblivion once the initial hype dies down. So, what is the point in having such talent programmes in the first place??questions Javed.

Veteran lensman Jagdish Mali, now better known as the father of Antara Mali, doesn?t mince words either in proclaiming the talent hunts as ?a crap concept?. ?It is a way of fooling the people, and the participants themselves. In earlier days, such talent shows did not exist, but there was no dearth of talent. Sadly, today, there are a dozen of such shows happening, yet talent is hard to come by,? mulls Mali.

In terms of business, the increasing popularity of talent shows has helped the channels in generating huge revenues by way of advertising, promotions and tie-ups. As a result, more and more brands, such as Hero Honda and Nokia, are collaborating with channels in an effort of brand building. Consequently, the slew of channels which has been proudly hosting talent shows are laughing all the way to the bank, not surprisingly. ?Advertising is mostly targeted at the youth since they form a substantial viewership base. Talent hunt shows are itself ?youthful? in approach. The tie-ups with recognised brands ensure that the cost is down to a marginal level, hence making sure that they romp home with a fat packet at the end of a hard day?s work,? says Yogesh Radhakrishan, business head, Zee Music.

(From top) Shreya Ghoshal, Shahid Kapur and Sunidhi Chauhan: Talents discovered from earlier contests

This way of discovering the right kind of people for the right kind of production has extended to the fringes of Bollywood as well. The Ishq Vishk star, Shahid Kapur, was the product of a talent hunt that director Ken Ghosh undertook for an all-new leading actor for his movie. Harry Baweja?s long line of ?stars? in Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai too followed a similar hunt for actors and actresses. Falling in the same category of beneficiaries are singers Shreya Ghoshal, Sanjeevani and Sunidhi Chauhan. So much for motivation and inspiration! As for those who can?t help worrying about those who did not make it to the limelight, here?s what Ken Ghosh has to say. ?Even if those who win don?t get anything, one cannot deny that they are at least placed on a platform for which many would give their hands and legs for. It?s a long process of grooming and nurturing that takes place through these shows. How they steer their flight from there is entirely up to them.?

Ghosh is one of the luminaries who are to judge Mr & Miss Bollywood. The programming heads have their version of justification as well. ?The show will die, but the winners continue to be larger than life. They actually shine on the top for about 2-3 years after the show is over. I think it?s a win-win situation for both the channel and society, moreso for the latter,? reasons Katial, referring to the American Idol talent hunt that is replicated in cities all around the world. So, there?s no getting away from the fact that the talent hunts continue to hound millions and very few are able to escape the siren call.

 

 

JUST WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Archana (Get Gorgeous Model Hunt winner from Calcutta) Photograph: Rashbehari Das

INDIAN IDOL
Channel: Sony Entertainment Television.
What? It is the Indianised version of internationally successful American Idol. It is a singing-cum-dancing show.
Novelty Factor: The ultimate winner will be decided by an audience poll.

SAMSUNG [V] SUPER SINGER
Channel: Channel V.
What? With Adnan Sami as the permanent judge, this one promises to give the country its ultimate Elvis Presley.
Novelty Factor: Auditions will take place in as many cities as possible.

MR & MISS BOLLYWOOD
Channel: Sahara One.
What? This is a hunt for actors/actresses who aspire to make it big in films and television.
Novelty Factor: The chosen 30 finalists will be presented with a unique opportunity to actually star in films and serials, even before they win! And their final selection is based on 10-minute films where each one has already become an actor even before the finals.

CINESTARS KI KHOJ
Channel: Zee TV.
What? It is a hunt to find a star to act in films made by Zee.
Novelty Factor: The winners will star alongside Salman, Sunny and Preity.

KITNI MAST HAI ZINDAGI
Channel: MTV.
What? This search has been organised by MTV in tandem with Balaji Telefilms to find actors/actresses for Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi.
Novelty Factor: A chance to become a part of the immensely popular Balaji camp.

DISCOSTAR
Channel: Channel V.
What? A hunt to find an Item Girl for Mukta Arts’ next production, to participate in a specially created song.
Novelty Factor: Auditions not only in India, but also in Dubai and the UK.

...AND SOME THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED

GET GORGEOUS Channel [V] Talent Hunt for Models
Channel: Channel V
What? It was a search for models. Tanvi, Archana, Natasha and Aarohi emerged as the four winners. They also got to walk the ramp at Rome Fashion Week.

MTV ASLI ITEM GIRL
Channel: MTV
What? A hunt organised by Pritish Nandy Communications to find an Item Girl to gyrate along with Sunjay Dutt.