TV’s moment of truth

And caught in the storm this time is the game show Sach Ka Saamna, the Indian version of the popular foreign show Moment of Truth.
The show created a furore in parliament, which led to the Government issuing a show cause notice to the channel and a PIL has also been filed in the Delhi High Court. Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akhtar asked for a ban on the show and has called for strict censorship on
TV content, which brings us back to the question; is censorship necessary for Indian television?

The nature of shows today has become bolder, in-your-face and full of expletives. Roadies, Spiltsvilla, Bigg Boss are the best examples. The makers of Roadies had to telecast an apology continuously for three days after the government found offensive material in the show. “A certain level of censorship is important,” believes VJ Cyrus Sahukar.” But as far as the show Sach Ka Saama is concerned, I think the participants know exactly what they are getting into before sitting on that chair,” says Sahukar.

Producer/director Rajan Shahi too agrees on the need for censorship. “On prime time we should not be showing content that’s not fit for family viewing,” quips Shahi.

Prabhu, senior journalist and member AP State Censor Board feels that the time has indeed come for
TV censorship. “Censorship has become necessary as channels air shows that have explicit content and some portray women in bad light,” opines Prabhu.

Recently, politicians and women and child welfare groups slammed Baalika Vadhu for glorifying child marriage and a few other shows for regressive portrayal of the fairer sex. But Shahi begs to differ. “I don’t think women are misrepresented. At the end of the day TV serials are fiction. I do agree that shows go to extremes in characterisations for drama.” Prabhu though counters this view saying, “Satellite channels have penetrated even villages in India and many a time the audience isn’t that discerning.”
But TV censorship is a formidable task as the board has discovered. “It’s an impractical proposal. Serials are streamed on the tube 24x7 and going through every bit before telecast is a Herculean task what with so many channels present. Channels and producers need to be a responsible lot,” says Prabhu.

Critics, however, argue that shows like Sach ka Saamna thrive because the Indian society is turning into a voyeuristic one. “Everyone loves to watch what’s happening in someone else’s life. How else can you explain the success of a show like Bigg Boss?” asks singer Debojit Saha, a contestant of the show.”I think the Indian audience is indeed ready for shows like Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachaao, Bigg Boss and the kind. Of course, a certain kind of regulation is a must,” opines Saha. However there are those who think otherwise. Roadies contestant Nauman Sait is one of them. “The Indian audience is mature and knows what it wants. Why should there be someone to tell them what to watch?” he asks.

Thought the call for censorship is loud and clear, the TRPs tell a different story. The controversial shows rate high on the charts. As the debate rages on, it’s left to see who has the last laugh.