TV programmes like Kathayallithu Jeevitham and Jeevitham Sakshi have celebrity anchors mediating and solving a range of social problems, mostly marital discord, with the help of an expert panel. Perhaps the ‘fly-on-the-wall feel’ lets the audience mirror and measure up their own personal lives and problems. But there is a lot of criticism regarding a range of issues, including whether the melodrama in the shows is orchestrated to the legal validity of the decisions or even the morality of watching private and personal situations which are to be done under confidential terms. Also under scrutiny is the behaviour of the hosts of such shows.
The recent controversy of actress Khushboo catching hold of a participant by his collar in her reality show Nijangal on Sun TV invited criticism from many in the industry and outside. Being no stranger to controversies, Khushboo has no problem in explaining her action. She says, “With the kind of words the man used for his family members, I am sure any person who respects women would have caught him by the collar. Show or no show — even if it was in the middle of the street, I would have done the same thing. We are humans after all; people come to us to solve their problems. If I have caught somebody by his collar, people should also see how we have united families, sent an unwed mother to her home and how a minor girl has been sent back to her parents. It is just that you very conveniently want to leave the good part out and latch on to the other part. It is the perception and your viewpoint of what you want to see as right or wrong.”
A still from the show Jeevitham Sakshi
Khushboo adds that she does not expect everyone to applaud what she was doing and there was bound to be criticism, which everyone is welcome to put forward. Actress Ranjini had taken to her social media to criticise Khushboo’s actions and she explains, “Counselling should be done behind closed doors and not on a public forum — that itself is a breach. I believe you need professional counsellors and my colleagues, who do not know counselling, can only act. You cannot shout, catch the collar, be intolerant or verbally abuse while counselling a person. It is not the right way and the language used by the participants is not something fit to be aired during prime time with children around. There are so many governmental NGOs and counsellors offering qualified counselling; we should be heading to them and not the TV.”
Ranjini also feels that such programmes do not solve any problems and tarnish a family’s reputation. She says, “Vulnerable, naive people have been targeted and I am sure many would have regretted coming on television after the episodes were aired.” Ranjini adds, “In Kerala, we have a panel of legal experts on such shows but in other states, a single person is handling the show. We are mere actors; let us do something with our art.” There are cases filed against Jeevitham Sakshi and PILs against Kathayallithu Jeevitham in the Kerala State Human Rights Commission. P. Mohana Das, acting chairperson of the commission, states that such shows have a legal validity. Both Kathayallithu Jeevitham and Jeevitham Sakshi have the backing of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority.
Screenshot of Nijangal’ hosted by Khushboo
He states, “There is no human rights violation when the consent of both parties is taken. Without their consent, this programme cannot be telecast. In fact, we have got a complaint that the wife did not give her consent but still the programme was aired. If telecast without consent, it becomes a violation of human rights, inviting legal action. A host catching a person by the collar or using abusive language is not right. We have issued guidelines and the programme has to adhere to it. The decision of the panel has the value of a court decree too.” Producer of Jeevitham Sakshi Amritha Sohan says, “We have a panel consisting of a retired judge of the Family Court, a counsellor or pyschologist and a practising lawyer. The decisions are legally binding and the participants give their written and verbal consents to appear in the show.”
Same is the case of Kathayallithu Jeevitham hosted by Vidhubhala which has an experienced panel. “The actors are chosen because of their appeal and life experience,” Amritha says, and adds, “Where such cases drag on for years in courts, here, it concludes in just a day with no money spent by the participants. We investigate their stories and talk to their neighbours and only if found genuine, bring them on the show. We have cases where a large number of couples unite and some, where the husband has to give compensation to his wife after giving a written statement.” Regarding the allegation that such shows feature only economically backward contestants as participants, Amritha says, “Obviously the upper class do not need us. Only people without money come to us.”
