Children are raw, you can’t put fake emotions on them, says Anurag Basu
Are reality shows all about exaggerated drama and sob stories? Does talent really get its due over TRPS? There has been a raging debate for sometime around these questions. Ask filmmaker Anurag Basu, who has judged reality shows in the past, and is currently a judge on a dance reality show, and he says he wouldn’t be able to talk on behalf of other shows. “But in our show, the participants and what they do is all organic. Sometimes things get emotional because art is emotional... As judges, we don’t encourage any story which is not real,” says Basu.
The 51-year-old, who has helmed films such as Barfi! (2013) and Ludo (2020), adds that while he’s not evading the question about sometimes things going over the top, he cannot make a generalised comment. “I don’t know how it works on other shows. All the shows I’ve worked with have been for kids. They’re pure and organic, you can’t put fake emotions,” he maintains.
Basu says with children, the show can go either way, hence it’s as real as it can get. “Most of the times, show apne aap shape leta hai. Children are so raw, their personality and their background gives shape. Hum bhi flow mein aa jaate hain... Har baccha alag hota hai,” the director points out.
Basu adds that life stories of some contestants come to the fore as they genuinely want to know how it has been for that child. “As judges, we need to know what all has happened between episodes. We ask them kya taiyaari ki hai. Enough time is given to talent as well, apart from the stories. In fact, talent ko zyaada time milta hai,” he asserts.