Censored, Uncensored

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  ·         Channel 1- The now infamous reality show ‘Big Boss 4’ shows contestant and small-time actor Dolly Bindra in all her gaudy, flashy glory; shouting black pearls of obnoxious non-wisdom at a suitably meek Shweta Tiwari, her co-contestant on the show. Sameer Soni, another contestant (or inmate, as some would say) steps in to save the day for his friend Shweta. Everyone shouts at everyone, and Dolly and Sameer get thrown out of the house. Apparently, this makes for compelling viewing nationwide.

  ·         Channel 2- Self-proclaimed item number queen and any-time news channel fodder Rakhi Sawant, on her show ‘Rakhi ka Insaf’(!), gets into an unacknowledged fight with the participants over who gets to be the more melodramatic. Sawant, by virtue of her being the (mis)judge of the show, has the license to call the accused impotent. A few days later, the guy dies and his family accuses her of instigating him towards his death. Rakhi remains her brazen self, and the battle continues.

  *A day later*

  ·         Random news channel- The Information and Broadcasting ministry finds these two shows “not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition, especially at prime-time when a large number of children are watching television.” Found guilty of vulgarity and abusive language, the I&B ministry directs these shows to be aired only between the 11 p.m.-5a.m. time band. After appeals, the decision is deferred by a week, because ‘Big Boss’ has to flaunt the buxom international beauty Pamela Anderson (one word-Baywatch) as a special guest- TRPs sky-rocket assured; and Rakhi Sawant has to, well...cry hoarse her defiance across all news channels and very thoughtfully test the limit of the viewers’ patience, thereby inculcating in them the art of patience? (A kind soul, that).

  
  

  While this fairly strong decision comes as a first for the law-making powers that be, I wish the transparency would have been better and the decision more noninterventionist. Agreed, the content on these shows extends beyond the acceptable norms of vulgarity. At the same time, one must also realise the intent and be able to see through the in-your-face drama. Yes, it makes one cringe (as non-judgemental as I would like to call myself, I can’t help wanting to punch Dolly Bindra and Rakhi Sawant in their faces the moment they open their mouth to utter a single word of their (un)quotable quotes), and yes, it is not by any standards recommended for children; but then, who are we kidding in the age of technology? Also, the hypocrisy surprises me. These shows have been shifted to the late-night slot because they make for unsuitable viewing for the children. However, on every second channel, we have those Manforce and the like condom advertisements; and subtle they are not. This is what makes me question the supposedly all-too-protective decision that the governing bodies think it is.

  Television today is a far stronger medium than it is assumed to be. Hauling up these particular shows for bordering on the already thin line of indecency and vulgarity would be giving too much importance to these shows that are anyway bragging over the roof-tops about the sudden surge in their viewership. As they say, the forbidden fruit is always tempting. If the culturally and socially demeaning daily soaps can be accepted as normal viewing by the young and the elderly alike, I don’t see any reason why these two shows should be specifically classified as inappropriate viewing. One always has the choice. We don’t really have to decide who is more charming between Dolly Bindra and Rakhi Sawant or go through the ordeal of watching a news channel devoting their prime-time slot to the ‘female-Ravana’- the new loud-mouthed media darling Dolly Bindra. One always has other options, or at least the rationality and freedom to decide what they do or do not want to watch, and that much freedom of choice should be left with the individual. Is this asking for too much? (Oh wait, I now hear the moral police...!)