Indian television is now coming of age

The current brouhaha over some reality TV shows marks how Indian television is coming of age. The decision of the government to shift Bigg Boss and Rakhi Ka Insaaf to late-night slots is sensible, yet it would have been better if this gesture had come from the producers of the shows themselves. It is never a good idea for the media to force the government to intervene in matters of creative expression. At the same time, TV producers must be tuned not only to the desires of society but also to propriety.

As for those who grumble about the low standards on reality TV, there is one easy response: do not watch it. As long as the producers and channels follow existing laws, they are well within their rights to broadcast their programmes. It is undoubtedly true that such shows pander to some of the worst excesses of human sentiment. But so what? People have as much a right to be lowbrow as they have to be snobbish or high-minded. Reality TV appeals to our atavistic desire to peep and pry into other people’s private lives and this fits with the current zeitgeist, where you have to live your life in full public view to full public scrutiny. It is true for A Raja as much as it is for Rakhi Sawant.