Many of you know I have been a huge BIGGBOSS fan, and I even went for the audition in one of the seasons when BiggBoss was looking at commoners. I have attended a few weekend shoots with family and would want to do that again if given an opportunity. This piece was written before the start of BiggBoss16 on 1st October as ‘Unsolicited Advice To Bigboss’. However, after watching the first few episodes, it is clear that in BiggBoss16 the channel is on the right path to rejuvenating my favourite reality show and making an impact.
To me, the concept of BiggBoss is interesting and exciting. There were so many things to look out for. And if someone was interested in understanding human psychology, group interplay and dynamics, the basics of ‘give and take’ and the ‘expectation Vs experience’ imbalance. Biggboss is a deadly social game worth watching. However, the 2020 season was not something that I liked watching. While my interest levels dipped in the last two seasons, many loyalists complained that the show no longer had the same pull.
Every show must evolve, outgrow the earlier audience, and pull in a new audience with higher lifetime value, but not at the cost of originality and the show’s basic format. BiggBoss, for some time, has been avoiding changes. Reality shows must consider audience engagement and involvement, which may not even reflect in TRP. In the current era of perceptions and viewpoints, social media interaction and engagement go a long way. Every year for one or the other thing, we keep listening for boycotts and banning the show.
THE REALITY SHOWS.
Colors TV’s other show, Khatron Ke Khiladi, also suffers from the task’s repetitiveness. This stunt-based show is hosted by a director known for blowing cars. It is different that he only talks and never gets into the act- unlike the season, which was handled by the Khiladi star- Akshay Kumar. Contestants know they will need to swim, interact with animals, and bear some amount of current. Yet, they walk in as zombies without preparation!. This year the number of aborts in the KKK was unprecedented, and so was the number of proxies. Not something that the audience appreciated, and it did not leave good taste.
Reality shows on Indian television are well-established in Dance, Singing, Talent and Comedy. The judges sometimes show biases in defining talent and a specific skill set. The audience does not want dance and singing to be considered in shows like India Got talent, but channels have other thoughts.
One of the reality shows I miss is Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao. Additionally, Indian Idol and Roadies with Saach Ka Samana and Emotional Atyachaar have/had their own followings. On the side, my friends have a concept for another exciting reality show. But, currently, the channels are not biting at this hour.
BACK TO BIGGBOSS16 AND THE FEW FACTORS THAT MAKE THE SHOW. Or what the show should do. Thankfully, some action is already evident in the first few episodes.
THE FORMAT.
The BIGGBOSS format, an adaptation of Big Brother, keeps participants (Housemates) in a controlled location (Living space) without access to the outside world. Their life is controlled through tasks defined by an outsider, a proven format that has worked across countries. The participants are under 24-hour multiple-camera surveillance.
The audience, who cannot think of being in the same situation as the participant, gets voyeuristic pleasure in seeing celebrities bear it out.
There is ample space for demonstrating leadership, groupism and individuality. Participants negotiate, keep secrets and share revelations. Almost all possible human expressions and emotions are displayed, bringing variety and spice to the show. The participants know it is tough to keep the mask on under pressure, and their reality would emerge in the reality show.
However, the show needs to innovate, keeping the basic format. BiggBoss16 getting into Khela mood and controlling it tightly is the right thing to do. Remember, if you keep doing the same thing, you will get the same results. For a different result, you need to do things differently. It seems BiggBoss’s creative and production teams have understood the situation.
THE HOST.
Most Indian Reality shows are strongly associated with the host. KKK- with Rohit Shetty-. KBC with Amitabh Bachchan and BiggBoss with host Salman Khan. BiigBoss has been hosted by Shilpa Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Amitabh Bachchan, Farah Khan and Sanjay Dutt. But Salman has held the fort the longest. What matters is how he conducts the show on the weekend. Most participants have respect/fear for Salman. He is also expected to guide them and does it wonderfully well, but at times the host and the creative team’s biases are on full display. There is a definite difference in how a celebrity and a non-celebrity are addressed on the weekend.
THE DISCIPLINE.
One of the most significant factors that made BiggBoss a hit was the unknown voice – BIGGBOSS CHAHATEY HAI. And the strict discipline. Penalty and decisions were swift.
]The rules are simple. Use Hindi as a spoken language, do not temper any electronic equipment, only sleep when lights are switched off, no physical violence, no personal attacks, not share any information from outside and do not leave the house unless evicted or there is a genuine emergency.
The celebrity participants have stretched BiggBoss’s discipline in the last few seasons. They tested the system and were surprised at how far they could go without being reprimanded or penalised. Even physical violence was treated differently depending on the instigator. The penalty for sleeping during the day or ignoring BiggBoss commands was minor. It seemed that the control was of the participants, and BiggBoss was just not interested.
It is time for BiggBoss16 to create some examples, even if it means timely and justified eviction or jail. There must not be compromise on physical violence, personal attack and harmful gender stereotyping or racism, or class divide. This time, BiggBoss has demonstrated that he is willing to bell the cat at the very start. That the rules are rules, and they must be followed. This is good news for the show and the audience. The audience mostly appreciated the newfound action in the recent episodes.
BIGGBOSS16 PROMISES TO BE DIFFERENT IN 2022.
The promos of BiggBoss 2022 promise a definitive shift. BiggBoss will play the game- aab Khela Hobe. BiggBoss was always playing games, but discipline and control were missing in the last few seasons.
Whatever one may say, this promise heightens the expectation- one hopes the experience matches; otherwise, the show would suffer. And the ball is set rolling in the first few episodes.
THE PARTICIPANTS.
BiggBoss no longer looks at the general masses, and the celebrity participants are religious, regional, or political players or, at the least, a person with a decent social media following.
This season the housemates are a volatile mix. It has an Industry Senior director, a pageant winner, A rapper, two friends from the TV industry with a huge following, a failed budding politician, a social media influencer, and more. It makes for highly imbalanced interpersonal equations, which is good for the show. Polarity and skewed emotions help, and in BiggBoss16 BiggBoss has gone out of its way to nudge them into action. The new eviction format and the undefined tenure of the captain are some of the simple moves which will have a significant impact. All is good on this front.
THE TASKS.
Like KKK, the tasks in BIGGBOSS for the captainship or the weekly budget are routine and repetitive. The teams need to rekindle the interest by weaving in some innovative tasks. Salman Akahada is not something that interests the viewers. Still, the silly, playful question answers and the penalty for wrong answering have been a hit- as is the balloon bursting of perceptions.
One has to wait and watch to see what new innovative task BiggBoss16 will bring to surprise the housemates and the audience. This is something that is very much needed. In addition to the tasks given by BiggBoss, the house tasks and their allocation among the housemates always makes for an exciting watch.
THE INSIDER OUTSIDERS
Like any other reality show, BiggBoss has a coterie of earlier winners, participants, media, and celebrities, including fortune tellers and Panditjee. The show banks upon them for exciting interactions. However, they are too predictable, and the excitement is missing. No- don’t think they need to change them- they are fine- but the roles, interactions and expected deliveries need to be closely monitored. And, if need be, expand the list.
NET NET BIGGBOSS16
See BiggBoss as a social experiment and can get many insights into human behaviour. The trade-offs, negotiation, partnerships, trust, faith, rebellion, isolation, group dynamics, and loneliness is all on display.
The audience always questioned how the housemates lived in such a scenario and if they could survive it. Covid time and WFH have given audiences an insight into such an isolated situation. This may affect the way the audience interacts and consume the content. The cameras or participant-based live unedited feed could be interesting. And, if the channel works well, the BiggBoss Camera gully – set experience for interested viewers- could be amplified.
After so many seasons, BiggBoss has woken up to actively control the game narrative. I worry it becoming an irritating concentration camp rather than entertaining. However, I believe that the creative-production team will do justice to the format and the audience. Long Live BiggBoss.
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