Reality show BiggBoss, which is based on the adaptation of International format ‘Big Brother’in US, UK and other Markets, is surely a property that entices large scale viewership in almost all the Domestic and International markets, wherever it was adopted.
Despite the requirement of huge investment in the form of production cost, the show never fails to justify it by means of reciprocation in form of instant spike in Viewership Ratings and other intangible benefits like huge volume of audience getting attracted to sample a particular TV Channel or Digital Platform and it also converts into mass scale Buzz among the general public through the means of conversations both Online and Offline.
While this was the positive aspect of the show, Critics always have an eye of suspicion over the integrity of the show and it faces the accusation of being a scripted show rather than being a Reality. As an outsider many tend to believe it and I too was surely in dilemma, whether it’s Purely a Reality Property without any control over happenings inside the House…? Or a Well-scripted show with high dosage of controversies planted artificially…?
An invite From Star Vijay to stay inside the BiggBoss (Tamil) House in Chennai along with 15 other fellow Jurnosto live the life of an inmate for a day, helped me to understand the secret behind the success of the show and I wish to decode it with my own observation based on my inside experience.
Election of House Leader: Breaking Equality
As an individual From a civilized society, we all tend to be good to everyone around us and avoid picking quarrels or getting into controversies with people around us. This is how every inmate in BiggBoss tends to be in the begging as long as a sense of equality and harmony prevails in the BiggBoss House. However, the equality factor gets smashed, the moment the election of ‘House Leader’ starts kicking-in, as one among the inmate will be elected as the Leader of the House, under whom everyone needs to fall inline.
This first step though may not trigger any major controversy; it will ignite the first spark that breaks the sense of equality and creates fissures among the inmates. Those who didn’t vote for the leader or those who unsuccessfully contested for the House Leader post will surelybe disappointed.
At this stage, the individual may note be expressively confronting but it will be simmering in their mind.
Tasks: Cloud nine for Winner – Agony for looser
Following the successful election of the House Leader, The Inmates will be assigned with tasks to be performed splitting in multiple teams in the task room. While the winning team will be in cloud nine enjoying their victory. The looser will be in distress and pain.
This second step will surely add grief to a set of inmates who failed to make it and they may not be pleased with their teams performance for various reasons. This will surely widens the crack but very few will brew an issue out of it. while others will still be composed and calm because of the civilized human and psychological maturity and tolerance in himhelps to cope up with the inmates, move forward and co-exist in the House.
Nomination for Elimination: Awakening of Devils
In the previous two stages, the inmate will be displaying his Originality in terms of the character and behavior in front of others and trying his best to move along with the members of the BiggBoss House. But, the Elimination Process will be a major factor that will influence his originality.
Until, the first elimination round the house will be displaying harmony at large, barring few eccentricity. The moment of elimination and humiliation attached to it casts a great impact on the remaining inmates and creates a kind of necessity to win over others’ confidence to survive the future rounds of elimination.
In their efforts to be good to everyone, they will be forced to alter their personality and resort to crocked thinking and defame others to please someone else, projecting themselves to be Mr. Perfect.
Imagine the scenario when every inmate starts doing this that results in slurring, slandering and disparaging among the housemates.The situation will end up weaving fiction flowing with heavy drama scenes replicating multiple tracks of a daily soap. With celebrities From different walks of life putting their best performance in several tracks coupled with high voltage eliminations in the weekends is sure to make it a perfect entertainment for the audience.
Does the format still needs an artificial scripting, while it can weave dramas on its own…? Just enjoy the entertainment.
Umanath V
