The whole debate around the ban of children reality shows in India has managed to throw the spotlight on issues that definitely need attention. While the industry is divided into two when it comes to reality shows, some think that it gives a good platform and exposure to children, which also helps in boosting their confidence.
To reveal some insight into every one of these issues, chief Amole Gupte made some substantial focuses. A DNA report has cited the executive making some genuine focuses on the same. Discussing the extend periods of time that are included. Amole said,
“I’ve been crying myself hoarse on the issue of children being forced to participate in reality shows for years. But to simply blame parents’ ambitions for this cruel and inhuman practice is absurd. Parents, who pressurise their children to excel on reality shows, are as much victims of a system that fosters and encourages unrealistic ambitions, as the other perpetrators of this criminal treatment of children.”
While what we see on the small screen is always a happy and inspiring tale of kids who make their parents proud, the other side is extremely dark. He added “They are brought from distant towns to Mumbai and huddled into cheap hotels with their parents. Every morning, they have to travel to the TV studio for rehearsals. These kids have wrenched away from all normal activities and are thrown into a single-minded devotion to lending their voices to these reality shows. They are made to shoot for countless hours, sometimes in humid non-air conditioned rooms. It’s barbaric.”
“A little, blind boy had made it to the finals of a singing contest. Throughout the day he was rehearsing under grueling circumstances for his song and finally at 1 am when he was to record, he lost his voice. The child was traumatized for life.”
According to Amole, the shoot for kids should rather be treated as a workshop, without mentally straining them to do things they don’t wish to. Recollecting the shoot of a Maggi Noodles ad, Amole said, “The kids shoot when they want to. There is no pressure on them. I’ve seen what happens to these children during long hours of shooting. Once a two-year-old child was shooting a Maggi noodles ad which I was directing. It was late in the night and the shooting was halted because the child was asleep. I saw the mother hissing and prodding the child to wake up. I went up to the mother and told her to please stop, that we will hold the shooting until the child is ready, even cancel it.”
However, clinical psychologist Pulkit Sharma says that being judged — and losing — on such a public platform can leave a deep impression on a child’s mind. “For a young and tender mind, this whole concept of winning and losing gets very emotional. Children don’t have that kind of reasoning mind like an adult, where they can tell themselves, ‘Life is like that, and there will be other opportunities to win.’ I’ve worked with children who participated in reality shows, and it becomes very difficult for them to come back to normal life.”
Some of the Contradiction on Amole’s words:
Filmmaker and show judge Remo D’Souza says, “I can’t talk about any other show, but on the shows that I’ve judged, I have not seen any kid suffer. It’s good for them to have a platform to showcase their talent. I agree that they shouldn’t bunk school.”
Actor Boman Irani, also a show judge, said in an earlier interview, “There are extracurricular activities in schools and there’s a way to enjoy their childhood. When they’re preparing for a school play, do we say that they are ‘working’? They’re enjoying themselves. These things are also done in school; the difference with shows is that it’s done on a larger platform. Look at it as a child who grows up with a wonderful experience.”
