In the name of showcasing talented children, television programming has young actors put on adult roles under the guise of cuteness, blurring the line between precocious and inappropriate. By Siddharth Choudhary
Scene 1: On the sets of a popular reality show, a four-year-old asks a singer-judge, herself a product of a talent hunt, to marry him. He is trying to be all cutesy while the parents look on indulgently.
Scene 2: On another reality show a five-year-old gyrates to a popular item number. Adequate doses of pelvic thrusts and suggestive gestures are a part of the performance. Neither the audience, nor the judges, not even the parents bat an eyelid.
Scene 3: Just after stupendous performance, the child narrates a sob story of a tough life, where sometimes two meals were hard to come by. There is not a single dry eye on the programme’s set as well as behind the TV set.
But what is the backstoryIJ They are all being made to perform to a script tailormade to ratchet up TRPs. In the process they are setting the template for a mad competitive rush to TV shows based on songs, dances and unusual acts, turning them into performing monkeys who will fetch a commercial price early on, something that even a start-up cannot. And the success of one fuels the ambitions of a hundred, leading to a spurt in coaching academies by ex-contestants who are grooming hundreds for making it to contest shortlists.
Reality shows on TV for children are now overarching superhero stories at the cost of innocence. On one, children can be seen dancing to the latest number, on another rendering a difficult raag and on another whipping up a seven-course meal. Many see reality shows as a passport to fulfill Bollywood dreams. But scratch the sparkly and glamorous surface of Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa lil Champs or Dance India Dance which showcase the talents of a child and instances of sexist jokes, children made to act older than their age and attempts to swing the TRPs with sentimental stories abound.
“As far as healthy competition is concerned, these platforms bring a child face to face to his fears and audacities. However, in the long run, it seems to severely damage the psyche of the children competing against each other. A business to hoard money and major concern for TRPs, the children are objectified in the most degrading way possible. Applying makeup, faking tears, inappropriate comments at an age which requires them to be above the concerns of appearances,” said Seema Choudhary, child psychologist.
The smiling faces of the judges, the sexist jokes of the anchors and the applause of the seated audience are all considered a part and parcel of the reality shows. It is also widely accepted that the child is not there to just sing and dance but to also act out a part. Not many people realise that these reality shows are scripted and directed to suit the emotional range of the Indian audience.
Flirting with the female judges is another given – with the child spouting lines that have been memorised. He/she is too young to know what it means actually. Dig deeper and one also realises that things do not appear as they appear onscreen. He/she is asked to narrate an emotional story after his performance and cry if need be. A child crying over something that happened in his/her past is a sure shot selling point. Controversies with other children on the show and viewing them as their competitors is another sure way to ensure that TRPs hit the roof.
Psychologists apprehend that this will lead to disturbing behaviour in their adulthood. A child psychologist, Tanushree Bhargava, said, “A child’s mind is still in the developing phase and when you uproot a child from a predictable lifestyle and place him/her in a highly competitive environment, it is likely to result in the emotional instability in later years.” She further added, “Exposure to such forced competition for fame is hazardous to the child’s attitude and behaviour. This is actually the time to befriend peers. But imposed stardom cuts him/her off from his/her ecosystem.” Parents need to be more careful about the limits of their wards.
However, more than the channel or the children and the judges, the onus rests on the parents. For after all, it is nothing but an attempt to make a quick buck on their part. In this rampant money-making, the parents at times forget that their child is human. They do not realise that pushed to their limits and forced to compete against their peers can have a negative impact on the child’s psyche.
The high expectations of the parents, and often a failure to fulfill them can result in an inferiority complex, low self-esteem and a sense of failure early in life. For children, it can be tough to juggle reality TV shows with their normal activities in daily routine. However, a creative content head of a kids reality show requesting anonymity said, “These shows are an opportunity for the child to develop their personalities and talents. They are exposed to the camera and are better-equipped to handle the pressure of the spotlight. The child gets a sense of achievement and a boost of confidence to stand up and perform on stage.” She also denies that there is a danger of harming the mental health of a child and says that there are adequate safeguards in place. She said, “We have counsellors and psychologists on board who monitor the children. They have their own schedules to follow, where they get time to study and play as well.” She also assures that though there is competition on these shows, it is only of the healthy kind. And rather than stiff competition, the shows serve as an inspiration where children after seeing other kids their age perform are inspired to become like them.
But what many people forget is that there is a thin line between healthy and forced competition. Pradeep Adwani’s Institute for Performing Arts (PAIPA) is a south Delhi-based academy for training talented children to sing and dance to help them get selected for reality shows. Rajiv believes that the spirit to participate and compete has improved thanks to these shows. But he agrees that there are pitfalls too. He says, “Children have become competitive to a point where it can no longer be called healthy. More than the children, their parents scavenge off their children and compare them to others. They push them to their limits and sometimes beyond that too.” Not surprisingly, this kind of behaviour leads to an unnecessary pressure on children which might lead to a vulnerable state of mind.
Educationist Umesh Pathak asserts that the onus rests not just on the parents but on the channels as well. “Reality shows are made for masses. So the moral responsibility of what is shown should be of the producers of these shows. They should promote talent rather than cheap negative stuff because children following these shows have a misconception that if they do such things they will also become a reality show star.”
Till the time the channels, producers of the programmes and parents realise this, it is only the children who will bear the brunt of their parental ambitions.