Hating stars is not only a preoccupation, but also a passion. And it now gets a platform as actor Arjun Rampal makes his television debut with his new show Love 2 Hate U on Star World.
While the concept is new in India as the star-driven TV shows shower praises on stars, Rampal calls upon bloggers and social networking commentators, who love to hate the stars, but often don’t come out in the open.
So, would a platform also mean that criticising a star is not only about blasting him/her erratically, but also doing it well?
Author Aditya Kriplani, who is also a film enthusiast, posts a bashing review of a film and the stars immediately after he watches the movie. “The show will give haters like me a platform,” confesses Aditya, who believes that such a podium was the need of the hour.
On Twitter, haters like SatanBhagat, who introduces himself as, “Oh, I am just your average soul-snatching mediocre novelist and generally gassy individual” has more than 10,000 followers, while BollywoodGan**, who calls himself “Akshay Kumar’s chest hair waxer” has 40,000 followers.
Experts agree that it’s that boost in social networking that has given a visible platform to the opinionated people to create an opinion about the stars. But how many would actually come forward with their opinion and won’t hide under a screen name?
“If people are crazy about some stars, they also hate others with the same intensity. Now I don’t know if the stars know it for themselves. Often it’s got to do with their acting, but many a times it’s got to do with the overall personality of the star. Of course no one would like to talk about it on their face,” says Rayshita Sachdev, a student. “Even the biggest of the stars have critics. If he’s not criticised for his acting skills, he may be hated for his overtly pompous lifestyle or fragile relationships,” says Naina Shah, 25, a media student.
The show, according to Rampal, aims at changing the perception of the audiences about stars through dialogue and by presenting various facets of their personality. But have the audiences matured enough for such a show?
“Films like Dabaang and Bodyguard were massive hits, but then we have people watching offbeat cinema as well. It means that we have two types of audiences in the country, who love or hate different types of stars. There is a need to generate a dialogue, and the audiences are absolutely ready for the same,” says Aditya, also that healthy criticism can lead a star into introspection and make him/her a better person.