REALITY GRIPS THE TUBE

Move over saas-bahu sagas and talent hunt shows, real-life crime thrillers are keeping viewers engaged now

Saas-bahu sagas are so yesterday, and there seems to be an explosion of reality shows on TV. Clearly, the time has come for a change on the small screen, and leading the change are some new shows based on real-life stories.

With bolder themes that revolve around marital rape, cyber crime and Internet scandals, these shows have taken over the tube.

“Empowerment and purposive action for a better tomorrow has emerged as a compelling theme in general. Its reflection on TV is an obvious one since this is one medium that can and should shape the thoughts of its viewers, especially the young crowd,” says Shalini Sethi from Bindass, which airs shows such as Change Ayega Hum Layenge and Halla Bol.

Subramanian S Iyer, creator of Crime Patrol — Dastak, which was one of the first successes in this genre, feels that these are stories that people need to know, instead of done-to-death fiction around family politics.

“Often, these crimes, which take place in remote villages, are embedded as snippets in the inside pages of newspapers. This is the only way we can bring them out and create social awareness,” says Iyer.

The rising ratings of these shows are also proof of their success. “Thanks to these real-life stories, I’m more conscious when I am taking a cab or letting an electrician or carpenter into my home when I’m alone,” says Namrata Pant, a public relations professional, who stays alone in Delhi.

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