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Lower the stakes
I remember watching a reality show called “Meri Awaz Suno” on DD in the 1990s, in which a 13-year-old Sunidhi Chauhan emerged the winner and went on to become a top Bollywood singer. The judges on the show guided the children like true gurus, pointing out their flaws and praising their strengths. With too many reality shows on too many channels vying for TRPs and the prize money running into lakhs, the organisers feel the need to be ‘different’ from the rest. The judges are under pressure to sensationalise the show and do so mostly by being rude to the young participants. This, combined with parental pressure and peer competition, takes a heavy toll on the child’s well being, as proved by the collapse of 16-year-old Shinjini Sengupta, a reality dance show participant. Either the minimum age for participation in these shows should be fixed at 18 years, or the stakes for children’s reality show should be lowered.
Smita Shenoy
R A Puram
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