Television has enamoured millions for almost two decades in India, and reality television is probably the quickest pathway to fame. Now, people residing in small towns have the opportunity to make it big. Whether it’s flexing your brain muscles with Amitabh Bachchan or showing your dancing prowess to Dharmendra, reality TV has actively captured the imagination of the aam aadmi.
The fifth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati is bringing in the TRPs by showcasing atleast one contestant from a smaller town in the country. Shows like SaReGaMa Challenge, Dance India Dance and India’s Got Talent have a steady increase in participants each season that travel all the way from non-descript Indian towns. Just recently, a young man from Shimoga won `50 lakh on Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Many feel this is a win-win situation. Actor Ramesh Aravind who also anchors a television show says, “It’s heartening to see simple people, with humble roots achieve success on television. The urban-rural India divide is dissolving through reality television. It shows that India has talent, not just from Mumbai, Bengaluru or New Delhi.”
Producer-director Prakash Jayaram agrees that this is a very appreciable move. “This will definitely increase the audience base across the country. The quality of artistes from such places is very high. What’s good is these participants usually do not mimic anyone, and take great pride in originality.”