Last week, V Unbeatable, an acrobatic dance group comprising youngsters living in Mumbai slums, won America’s Got Talent: The Champion season 2. The incredible story of the underdogs and their relentless drive to succeed made the whole world sit up and take note of their talent.
Their story inspires all those who have similar abilities and drive to draw their own success graphs. But that’s easier said than done, even in a scenario when there are several entertainment channels eager to mine talent.
There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip, the first one being clearing the auditions. If you make the cut, there are several more rounds when you have to compete with equally skilled co-participants to stand out from the crowd, woo the audience to vote for you and then seal it with a big win. This is the brighter, exciting picture, where you are cheered for and envied by other contestants. But what if you don’t win, what if you are forgotten soon enough by the fickle-minded audience? Does that make you a failure? Certainly, not.
These are the grey areas that anyone who wants to wow the judges, mentors and the audience, with their voice, somersaults, or that nimble footwork, should be aware of. While some learn these lessons early enough in their journey of garnering five minutes of fame, some take a little longer.
A POCKETFUL OF DREAMS
Muhammad Arsh Ali and Arsan Ali, travelled from Kanpur to Mumbai, to participate in Dance Deewane 2 reality show on Colors channel. They were accompanied by their elder sister, Madeena Shah. The stint taught them that there is no escape from auditioning and rehearsing till they are perfect and practise again.
“In our community, arts are not considered significant, but our parents were inclined towards reality shows, so they supported us. Arsh and Arslan had to struggle a lot in Mumbai. There were so many talented youngsters and the competition was stiff. The boys were noticed as long as they were on the show. They haven’t received any offers since,” says Shah.
Nine-year-old Arsh, however, enjoyed the process and seemed oblivious to the pressure. “You do what you have to do. All the contestants had to face some amount of pressure because we all had to get good reviews from the jury and the audience. There came a point when I felt like giving up, but my parents and choreographers motivated me,” he says.
Neerja Tiwari from Malakhedi, Madhya Pradesh, was another contestant on the same show. She got evicted in the semi-finals. “When Neerja was on the show, everyone was happy and had high expectations from her. We learnt a lot of techniques during our stint on the show and we are using it in our daily practice. When we returned home, everyone was curious to find out why Neerja was evicted. But no one saw the amount of hard work she put in,” says Priya Tiwari, who teaches dance to the eight year old.
“As the contestant progresses to the next round, expectations increase and consequently, the pressure,” she adds.
THE JOURNEY MATTERS
Pressure, exploitation, early maturing are some of the points that define the conversation around reality shows. Is it wise to put kids in this ‘pressure cooker-like’ situation? Shouldn’t we encourage the kids to explore the art form for the sheer joy that it presents instead of expecting them to excel at it? Does the format of reality shows motivate children to invest time and patience in learning an art form or is it more veered towards results?
Veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh is not too happy with the concept of such programmes. She says, “We are a little scared of reality shows as they put so much pressure on the children. When a child comes to learn from us, our first condition is that they shouldn’t think of performing. We think that the journey of learning an art form is important and not the result. Whereas, in reality shows, the results are more important. It’s a different culture that we are yet to come to terms with.”
“Suppose we have a rose plant with three buds, would you let them bloom naturally or inject chemicals so that they flower quickly?” she adds.
Hrishikesh Chury, one of the jury members of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa music reality show, points out that the competition is pervasive in all areas of life. “If kids get a chance to participate in such shows, parents must be available for their kids to guide them. The environment on the sets is very much like a big family where everyone tries to help each other. I believe that every child who comes on any reality show, is already a winner. This is their age to learn and enjoy themselves in this process,” he says.
Noted music composer Vishal Dadlani, who judges Indian Idol show, says, “Selection is only based on singing ability, no matter how sad your story is. We judge the contestants only on their singing ability.”
Speaking on how kids can handle fame that comes their way at an early age, Chury says, “Kids and parents must remember that success and failure are never permanent. Reality shows are a stepping stone for their future. One must use this fame to expand their horizons.”
PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Sanjay Sarwan, father of Gourav Sarwan, who participated in Super Dance 3, says, “I think the kids enjoyed participating in the show and they were not under any pressure. Gourav, in fact, is missing performing on the reality show.”
When we pointed out that the young contestants are often made to dance or sing songs that are not appropriate for their age, the father of the 13-year-old boy, says, “When they perform to any such songs, I don’t think the children understand anything. They just focus on their performance. After Super Dancer 3, Gourav is more inclined towards performing in reality shows. He has now expressed his wish in participating in Dance Plus.”
Arsh too is enthused about returning to reality shows and also dreams of becoming a choreographer. “There were times when on the show, I did miss my friends and school, but I also wanted to prove myself. When my brother Arslan and I made it to the third round, I realised there was no dearth of talent. Now, when I am no longer on the show, I feel there is nothing happening in my life. I wish to go back, I will audition for more shows during my vacation. I would like to be a choreographer when I grow up,” says Arsh.
His sister, however, is aware of the efforts that he would have to put in to be noticed again. “Once you are no longer on the show, it becomes difficult to reach back to your original position. If Arsh wants to go back to Mumbai, he’ll have to repeat the whole process of auditioning, practising and so on,” adds Shah.
Offering a neutral view on the format of talent hunt shows, Deepika Sharma, mother of Saksham, who was a contestant on Super Dancer 3, says, “Most parents don’t perceive the talent in their kids as a hobby, as something to be nurtured. Kids should go to competitions, see where they stand amongst the lot, and enjoy the journey. If they feel the pressure, they will feel demoralised. We tell Saksham that if he gets selected in competitions, then it’s good. If not, he should take it as a lesson. Today, there are many platforms like TikTok, YouTube where you can showcase your skills and reach out to the larger audience without feeling the burden.”
LESSONS TO LEARN
And yet respected names like filmmakers Shoojit Sircar and Amol Gupte and laymen alike worry about the children’s ability to process failures. What role can schools and educational institutions play in this scenario?
Indu Gharat, principal of C K Thakur Vidyalaya, Panvel, believes that reality shows are more commercial and they do not give out any message to society. “Reality shows today have become commercial. Parents are happy that their kids are getting a stage to perform. But these shows hardly have any message to give to society at large. I strongly believe that the shows must be regulated,” says Gharat, adding, “I don’t believe banning reality shows is a solution. We have been introduced to some talented singers and dancers through these shows. But there must be some regulation.”
Her educational institute doesn’t permit performance on item songs during their annual gatherings. Says Gharat, “At the school/ college level, such songs don’t adhere to the decorum. Instead, the school authorities can choose a theme for their annual programme that can be reflected through dance or drama.”
Anubha Doshi, a city-based psychologist and an art therapist, says, “At Artsphere, we have one studio for classical dance and another is a counselling division. We don’t entertain the teams of reality shows that ask us to send our children for auditions. I, personally, don’t encourage sending kids to such shows. That said, we all know that each situation has its pros and cons. Yes, reality shows encourage talent and boost confidence amongst children. But I see more downside here, because at the end, there will be only one winner. What about the rest of the contestants? Are they trained to handle failure? Our education system doesn’t teach us how to process failures, because it’s built to win. It’s the same with reality shows, where 100 kids are put together and only one wins.”
