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Sing along The fifteen minutes of fame come at a huge emotional price

India now seems to have taken wholeheartedly to reality television as millions SMS their verdicts on the eager hopefuls. And with the rise in share in the profit pie, reality TV is working harder to catch its talent as early as possible. In the last couple of years, the new demographic of participants has been children in the age group of eight and 14, doing everything from singing and dancing to matching precocious intellects to auditioning for a role in films.

Currently on telly is “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs”, hosted by Aditya Narayan and judged by Sonu Nigam and Suresh Wadkar.

And there will soon be Star Plus’s “Voice of India Chotte Ustaad” with Shreya Ghoshal, Kunal Ganjawala and Pritam for judges.

Even many regional channels have jumped onto the contest bandwagon with their own versions of singing and dancing shows for children.

The most common rationale offered is that the country’s undiscovered stars deserve an opportunity to showcase their talent. Thus, says Sonu Nigam: “This is the age where children will go far if they are given the right inspiration. This competition helps them know where they stand, know what their strengths are.”

Certainly, it is a persuasive argument. After all, as Surendra Nath S, Executive Producer of ETV (currently hosting the juniors’ version of “Yedhe Thumbi Haaduvenu”) asks: “What is the point of learning music or any other performing art if it is not being exhibited?”

In a country where visibility is such a challenge, what better way to bring out young talent than on a national platform?

Besides, the argument goes, although one winner is picked at the end, all the participants get their share of the limelight and learn what it takes to be a musician and so on.

A representative of Star, for instance, explains: “We believe the show is providing a great platform to showcase young talent and take great care to ensure that the participants see it in that light. While the show will have a winner eventually, the objective is to give such prodigious talent a strong platform.”

And let’s not forget that in this new reality-dictated age of television, talent hunts don’t merely focus on talent, but cover the entire gamut of experiences and skills involved in public performance.

Sunil Sharma, whose son Diwakar was a finalist on the last season of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs”, for instance, feels that his son received exposure that wasn’t restricted merely to his singing abilities.

“The show has shown Diwakar how to work hard, to perform before the public and so on. It has given him a lot of experience and changed his outlook to life. He is more mature now and more willing to work harder to get what he wants,” says Sunil.

Not everyone buys this argument, however. Many, such as Nandini Mundkur of the Centre for Child Development and Disabilities, feel that such contests do not account for the emotional vulnerability of children.

“Asking children to compete in this manner is grossly unfair. Children of that age are emotionally unstable, and such competitions may scar them. Children below the age of 12 shouldn’t be made to compete, and should be allowed to sing, dance and so on as a hobby. In the process if their talent shines through then that should be encouraged.

“People need to sit down and think about the pros and cons and figure out what is developmentally appropriate for the children,” says Dr. Mundkur.

Concurs VJ, singer and former member of Viva Anushka Manchanda, who realised from her own experiences on Channel [V] Popstars that reality television requires a lot more maturity and intelligence than the average teenager, much less a pre-teen, possesses.

“Older people can deal with the experience better. I don’t think little children are equipped to deal with the stress and criticism involved in such shows,” she says.

This argument, however, is countered with the idea that with music the earlier one starts the better; an idea that Anushka too wonders about. “If you look at people like Beyonce, she started her career at five, and is now an international superstar,” she says. The argument thus goes that talent alone will not get a child far, and he or she needs the right opportunities at the earliest possible time.

Another problem with reality television is how children cope when the experience has ended. “During the show, children would develop a tendency to think of themselves as stars, but after the show ends they realise that no one really cares about them,” points out Dr. Mundkur, arguing that children might then find it difficult to return to their regular lives after having tasted fame.

And finally, there is also the ethical issue of consent, as one study on children and media by the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University for the Broadcasting Standards Commission, points out.

One question that the study raises is “whether parents are always the most appropriate people to give consent for children’s participation, especially if parents themselves stand to gain expensive prizes. And, if parents are not the most appropriate people, then who else should take responsibility?”

With reality television having made its forays into childhood, a previously-sacrosanct territory on Indian television, it is important that issues such as these are looked at, and the interests of children are protected amidst concerns about TRP ratings and telly drama.

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