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Sing along Are children emotionally mature enough to handle 15 minutes of fame?

It began less than five years ago, when the nation watched and marvelled at scores of young people putting their life on hold for their 15 minutes of fame on Channel [V] Popstars. And, one could almost hear mothers clicking tongues at youngsters wast ing their life on something as fickle as fame.

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 (Udit Narayan’s son) 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 of the regional channels have jumped onto the children’s contest bandwagons with their own versions of singing and dancing shows.

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.” In a country where visibility is such a challenge, what better way to bring out young talent to 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.

A representative of Star TV, for instance, explains: “We believe the show is providing a great platform to showcase young talent, and takes great care to ensure that the participants see it in that light.”

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 .

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.

“Children of that age are emotionally unstable, and such competitions may scar them. Children below the age of 12 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 children are not equipped to deal with the stress and criticism involved in such shows. This argument, however, is countered with the idea that with music the earlier one starts the better, an idea that Anushka too wonders about.

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.

RAKESH MEHAR

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