Would you categorise television news as entertainment or news, the daughter asked.
News, of course, I replied, near-instantly.
No, it’s entertainment, she said, laughing at a text she received.
Why entertainment, I quizzed.
Because, what did you gain by watching the 9 pm news tonight, she shot back.
Perspective. News is not just about headlines, but also gaining varied points of view on issues, I reasoned.
Aw, c’mon. What’s the difference between the six or more talking heads on Arnab Goswami’s Newshourand the inmates of Bigg Boss 9 (BB9)?
At this point, she hooked off on a call with a friend. I retreated to my desk, and tuned in to the night’s edition of BB9 to play in the background.
The chatter was inane. I didn’t really care much about the concerns of the various inmates.
If you aren’t a BB9 regular, you would’ve wondered what the likes of a Rishabh Sinha, Mandana Karimi, Rochelle Rao, Keith Sequeira and other participants were arguing about in the ‘Bhoot Bangla’ episode on Day 59. But then, if you aren’t much into news, you’ll also find the behaviour of the so-called national political leaders no better. Forever screaming and shouting at each other. You often feel like socking them for their behaviour. Ay dhishum!
Every time I watch the endless arguments of the inmates in every Bigg Boss episode, I curse myself for doing so. Whatta waste of time! Similarly, whenever I watch those debates in Arnab Goswami’s durbar, the blood boils. Are these the people lording over our political parties and shaping our future? No, the wife hasn’t spoken to me about leaving the country. Not yet.
But more than Arnab and Bigg Boss , the programme that has caught my attention in the last month isNaagin . It’s a bizarre storyline, though it isn’t the first time a snake-themed serial has been on telly. I remember how the Aruna Irani-produced Naaginn was a rage on Zee in the late 2000s.
The Colors show sees Muoni Roy, Arjun Bijlani, Adaa Khan and Sudha Chandran play the central characters. The story revolves around a snake with the powers to be a human and take on various forms – that of a wife, mistress, a girl in distress and even a seductress – all in the name of revenge.
The show comes from the house of Ekta Kapoor, and whether you like or loathe the stuff her production company Balaji Telefilms dishes out, one must admit she has a sense of what works with audiences.
The introduction of rural audience measurement has caused a bit of a problem to the roster of top-ranking of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs).
Naagin has helped Colors forge ahead. In the numbers released on Thursday (Dec 10), Colors was ahead of the free-to-air Zee Anmol channel as the #2 Hindi GEC, very close to the reigning #1, Star Plus.
This is all thanks to Naagin which is the best rated show amongst primetime blockbusters.
Now Naagin may essentially be a love story, but it’s regressive. That it’s a runaway hit now and in another form on Zee TV and Zee Anmol is an indicator of what audience preferences are these days. Purists will also tell you that Arnab Goswami’s nightly tantrums have made a mockery of civilised discussion even if does ask the tough questions. Ditto with Bigg Boss and the countless other soaps and reality shows airing 24x7 which often dumb down entertainment.
Heck, isn’t that true for every other part of Indian society? What explains Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ascent to superstardom post the Bihar elections? How is it that courts condone known transgressors of the law?
To my 17-year-old daughter, my counsel is that it’s perhaps necessary to redefine what constitutes news television. Many years ago, Sri Adhikari Brothers set up a specialised channel called Janmat, just for talk shows and commentary.
It failed because people like to be seen watching a news channel. The discussions offer the masala. Remember, this is a country which gave the world curry.
( The writer is a commentator and editor working across media. He is getting set to launch an alternative news offering. Tweets @pmahesh )
That Naagin is a runaway hit now is an indicator of what audience preferences are these days