While sporting personalities in the real world fight it out for glory and success in various popular games, it’s a different ball game when it comes to the non-fictional entertainment segment on television. Made for pure fun, with an interactive mode involving known faces from entertainment world, reality game shows are a big hit on Indian television. They keep coming back with new concepts in different segments targeting audiences across age groups. While some have been exclusively for kids, others involve parents, celebrities and the common man. Bengaluru Chronicle reports on such game shows which score huge TRPs.
“Ever since the concept of non-fiction resulted in enormous successes, Western countries started experimenting by mixing sports and entertainment. Eventually, shows like Amazing Race, Minute to Win It, and scores of similar shows made it onto the Indian television with added desi flavour. Further, regional players started inventing games of their own. Though it intends to involve the common audience, they bring in celebrities to boost popularity,” says director Satya Prakash.
Shows like Super Minute, the Kannada version of Minute to Win it, hosted by Golden Star Ganesh, has been a huge hit on Kannada TV. “It was a very good show that involved luck and talent. The best part was that it encouraged the common man. However, a lot of celebrities participating in it diluted the essence of it in later episodes. But it was still fun to watch. In the original version, it is only the common audience who participates for the prize money. Also, shows like Chota Champion, Daddy No. 1 and many more involved kids and parents which was were meaningful entertainment too. Though it is understandable that the makers need popularity to sustain such shows to up their TRP possibilities, involving the audience should be encouraged. For that, an intelligent concept should be evolved,” says Sharan, a television writer.
The latest shows to hit the Kannada telly audience are Sayalge Sye hosted by Nithya Ram, and Niranjan Deshpande on Udaya TV, and Sixth Sense on Star Suvarna hosted by the popular Akul Balaji.
In Sayalge Sye, the sole aim is to involve celebrities with unique challenges “Such unique reality shows feature well-known faces from Kannada television and cinema. The concept is that the participants will be divided into two teams of four, and the audience will get to witness the celebrities competing with each other in extremely hilarious challenges while having fun. Losers in these challenges will have to complete hysterical tasks given to them,” explains the maker of the show.
He further adds that the game show isn’t about winning and losing, but about having fun taking up challenges thrown at them. The show will also have the audience’s favourite personalities revealing their candid side.
In Sixth Sense, which is hosted by Akul Balaji, the contestants have to use their intuition to solve a series of challenges put forth before them.
