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The reality of the man

Photos: Sandeep Saxena

In focus Niret Alva’s fascination for automobiles

As a teenager he used to secretly watch James Bond’s ‘adult’ movies in his mother’s high heels. As an adult he quit print journalism within two days because he was expected to be at the bottom of the heap for a few years.

As a television professional he made us realise that documentaries need not be boring and that India can generate television content of international standards. Arguably his biggest achievement is that he along with his brother Nikhil introduced us to the world of reality television with truth as diverse as Hospital and Indian Idol. Meet Niret Alva, who loves living on the edge.

“After completing my course in journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, I joined a media house for internship. On day one I found copies of seniors with incorrect English but I was not supposed to point them out. Getting a byline

Living on the Edge followed and the rest is well documented.

Niret says there are two kinds of reality shows, one that show observational reality and the other that hinges on constructed reality. “Hospital, which we made for BBC, is an example of observational reality, while shows like Indian Idol involve constructed reality.”

For those who don’t remember in Hospital emergency patients in AIIMS were tracked from the moment they were admitted to their recovery.

“It was observational reality done with the permission of the patients. We shot some amazing battles against cancer. The voice over (done by Niret himself) was also very point to point. BBC took special care not to insert advertisements in between,” relates Nitin.

“I don’t understand all this talk of leaving the young contestants in the lurch once the show gets over. Most participants are smart enough to understand what is expected of them and what they will get in return. Still I make sure to tell every participant that it is just a platform and an opportunity to get their talent noticed at the national level.” He insists that participants like Amit Paul and Prashant Tamang have become brand ambassadors of their states proving the format has mass appeal. But does it put the crown on the worthiest head?

As for squabbling between the judges, Niret admits it’s constructed.

“When you have three-four judges, and emotional people like Anu Malik on the panel, they are bound to have their favourites. In fact, at times we have to edit out portions.”

He takes time but agrees even in the selection of judges they look for characters. For instance this time he is bringing Kailash Kher on the panel of Indian Idol.

“We were the first to put female pilot in the midst of Balaji bahus in the prime time with Sara Akash and it worked. Now our Kyunki Jeena Isi Naam Hai on Doordarshan raises rural issues and is among the top TRP grossers across all channels. And reality shows need not be only about bling. In our Lead India show, we endeavoured to find the future politician of India and we got some sensible participants talking about solutions to India’s grass root problems.”

Niret is now working towards a general entertainment channel in partnership with Turner.

Expected to hit air waves by this autumn, he doesn’t want to divulge much but hints it could be called Real.

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