Game of Thrones

My cousin, who does not enjoy watching much of Hollywood or American television. His genre is transfixed on action movies. But then he is a huge Game of Thrones fan. Last year when the season ended, he said he wanted more of it and disgusting was the feeling to wait another year for the next season. This year he was not anticipating it, he had lost interest but then after nine episodes, he requested for Episode 1, Season 6 and an all nighter to complete all the 9 episodes and a leave from office the next day. He was itching for the Finale Episode. At the same time, he was saying what is this concept of Season, they should show everything at a stretch. But I explained to him, had there been no seasons, it wouldn't become the most anticipated event in the world. More on it later.

I remember, watching Mahabharata, that there would be zero existence of human being on roads in a country like India. Back in early 90’s, Mahabharata would make the nation of 80 Crore people come to a standstill. Only people visible on the road were the ones watching the television on the streets outside an appliances shop. Internet was yet to born. Hell, satellite television was yet to born. There will be only one time telecast, so do not miss it. 

In this day and age of satellite television, when there is TV show for possibly anything human can imagine. Internet can give you the experience for the wildest of human being’s fantasy. Game of Thrones is not just a serial or fiction drama series, it is the phenomena. No event or no activity, I can bet on it can generate the amount of curiosity, that even elections of Hillary Clinton (First Woman Nominee for the President’s post in USA) and the mad mogul, Donald Trump, whose antics always keep the media and social media buzzing would generate this level of hype as was witnessed before premiere of Season 6.

Hell, even, POTUS (the glitzy abbreviation for President of the United States, Barack Obama) was quizzed about the same. To which the President admitted, yes, and when asked about his favorite character from the show, he said, he really liked the short guy, the midget Peter Dinklage, who can think that a midget would be favorite actor on the planet.

Season 5, at a tragic note with one of the favorite characters of Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) was killed. Up till Season 5, it was an adaptation of the novel, Game of Thrones. People could still anticipate of what was coming especially for those who had read the book. TV shows follow the trend, which characters people are enjoying and how they are enjoying. They mould the characters and story line in the similar fashion as to the taste of the audience. Like in Castle, people enjoyed the bodily tensions of Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and Novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), so post their marriage, the detective show developed the same reclusive behavior of their relationship by separating them for the world yet they were husband and wife. There was immense media outrage and social media blustering to bring back Jon Snow from the dead. Anything is possible in Game of Thrones.

Melissandre’s Lord of Light brought him back to life. Audiences movement won. More so, because the writers of the book have yet to write the last part of the book. Season 6 was written by the makers in consultation with the authors of the book. So hence, it was an unchartered territory. HBO’s team was free to think and imagine as they liked and not contain themselves within the boundaries of the book or adapt from the book.

Iron Throne and the costumes or the trivia with the home models for sale travel across the world. My brother mentioned last year, Iron Throne was available to sit and click photographs in an exhibition arranged by the makers of the show in Sydney. Exhibition was scheduled to open at 10, people started building queue at 7, after 9, they announced please do not stand in the queue as we cannot accommodate more people than already standing in the queue. It costed 250 Dollars per head. Hell, even the Queen of England was offered to sit on the Iron Throne but then the Queen dismissed the request as she thought she already had a throne to sit. So much for a throne on a television show.

Till Season 5, people were thinking, we are yet to see the nude version of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and then came the Walk of Shame, what a scene it was? Five minutes long and she roams the entire streets of Westeros in nude. Season 6 was epic and phenomenal. Season 6 began on a slow note. Season 6 had the least number of nude women, which is again the true characteristic of the Game of Thrones. But then they gave us a glimpse of Khalisi, Daenerys Targareyan again. This scene captured so much power and authority that it displays, she has what it takes to rule. 

Season 6 had last two episodes with so much happening and it leaves people gasping. Season 6 Episode 9 captures evil forces like Boltons and Greyjoy also won with the help of Khaleesi. Season Finale leaves us hanging by the cliff.

Jesus Christ, what has Cersei done? Dropped the whole hall of the King and became the Queen without the King and all of her kids are dead. Emilia Clarke is sailing for Westeros to fight with Cersei to claim her title. Margaery (Natalie Dormer), one of the most adorable characters of GoT is dead too. Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) took the revenge of her mother’s death. Now the revenge of her father’s death is left for her to accomplish. Jon Snow’s reality is known to people but the finality of it yet to be known. Who will marry Emilia Clarke? She had left her lover behind.  Can a bastard (Jon Snow) marry Emilia Clarke or are they cousins?

Queen Cersei needs wildfire (sulphuric acid) to fight Danaerys but she has used the every bit of it on her own defectors. Her loss is known to everybody and definitely it will be happening at the hands of Maisie Williams but how is the reason why we watch GoT?

Season 7 will be the penultimate Finale of GoT or there will be more is the question on everybody’s minds. Will the Season 7 be ultimately fully consumed in the war. Will the events spill onto Season 8 as well. The IF questions, or may be it’s important to visit Europe during the winters when and where the GoT is shot and see if we can get a glimpse of it.

Finally, finally, after 6 years, after several times over waiting for it, WINTER IS HERE.

Reality Drama

India is a land of contradictions. One amongst the fastest growing nation in the world. Fastest not only in terms of economic and technological, but others factors like sociological, small little and big things which we started late than the rest of the world but at this moment we are now more or less head-on with some developed economies in the world.

Going back to 1993 when India’s first digital satellite channel was launched. It created a furore in the market. ZEE till date has more or less stuck to its format. The only reality show that they strongly believe are talent competitions. In last five years, the structure of the industry went for a complete change, wherein all the content and media property stayed with the concept owners and production houses. The TV channels couldn’t afford any other role than the broadcaster. Nevertheless, that’s a big role unto itself.

In come the people like Synergy Communications, Endemol, etc. etc. They buy the formats or take rights from some of the popular International game shows and package and restructure it for Indian markets. Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) was produced by Siddarth Basu (renowned quizmaster) from Synergy Communications. History is the testimony to the fact what KBC has done to the careers and fortunes of Star TV, Synergy Comm, Amitabh Bachchan and the contestants who featured in the reality show. Star TV stayed on top of the charts for five years because of the euphoria created by one reality show.

KBC said and defined that reality show is the only way to success for scaling the charts in Indian broadcasting market. Zee TV is the only channel which does not believe in reality shows as it is being portrayed, dramatized and scandalized in India. Colors Channel was the new offering few months back and managed to reach the top place in the cluttered GEC (General Entertainment Channel) with reality show Big Boss.

Sony Television owned by Multi Screen Media has lost its ground in past two-three years over its competitors. So they launched slew of reality drama shows. It will not be fair to call them reality shows as the kind of drama that they create and generate; it can be aptly termed REALITY DRAMA. Star TV also lost ground, so they launched a game show.

The reason reality shows are a hit. As audience connect better with them than other shows. Because audience believe and feel that the situations are real, people are real (they are not getting into the mould of any character). Albeit everything is scripted and dramatized to suit the minds and lives of Indian audience. Though Indians are not that adventurous as our television shows/portrays them. Secondly if you have celebrities on your show, everybody gets involved in that, the various forms of media, newspaper, television news channel and web information portals. So as the show gets a little popular, the channels get the marketing of their show through this media without incurring any cost.

Currently there are three reality shows running popularly on the Indian screens. Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao, by Sony, wherein they have most of the out of fashion television actors as their participants. They are made to do crazy and whacky things. That’s why most of them are willing to opt out of the show. Shweta Tiwari’s photographs of her taking bath under a waterfall in a bikini are all over the channels and the internet. Ask them, in what clothes does a person take bath. Then there are discussions and talk shows on reasons of her exit. Whether she was angry or happy that her photographs were blown out of proportion? The quoted reason as always, has to be personal and family reasons, she was missing her daughter. Then enters Nigar Khan, everybody found it difficult to trace a photograph of Nigar Khan in which she is wearing some thing more than bikini or monokini.

The most pathetic part of the show is that the participants are always complaining. For God sake, it was your call to participate and you are getting paid for it. Like in Shweta Tiwari’s case, she may have exited because of fear of animals and creepy insects. What can you expect in a Jungle? If its such a big issue of existence, then why the HELL you entered the JUNGLE? Iss Jungle mein jaane ki zaroorat kya hai – should be the title.

Rakhi ka Swayamvar, another dramatic dose of the said “REALITY” from the stable on NDTV Imagine. I really would like to study Rakhi’s mind to understand what is it that she wants from her life? She is free, fare and frank. She likes to do all the things with her fans. I don’t know how many fans have been with her (I mean you understand)? Or whether she is going to sell the video of her wedding night also? Toh shaadi bhi main sabke saamne karoongi, I hope somebody finds the connect with Rakhi. Cover her body completely not as she would say is fully covered and send her on street, nobody will recognize her. Now for shaadi, there is not a single male who seems to be decent enough. Of course, I know all men are decent compared to Rakhi.

When Rakhi dons Indian wear, not much is left for audience imagination. Rakhi as always, would like to please her fans. Can you please define your fans and who they are? I always believe Sachin (apna Tendulkar) is the sexiest man in India. The true sex appeal is when you can make people from the same sex as yours, go mad and roving and jealous over the whole idea of you and your existence. Any man will fantasize Rakhi, Celina, Amrita, ………… you know, whether they are wearing something or tid-bits. They will sound sexy and hot only if women envy them for their beauty, style and glamour. A woman should be worshipped for her beauty (outside or inside) but not for her body.

Don’t be surprised if Rakhi marries and then after a month is filing for divorce because of the family abuse issues or her husband has not consummated their marriage. You can expect something more blasphemous from Rakhi Sawant than her last time. In that sense, she is a true artist and knows how to grab the media attention. God gives the hope and courage, who wins the contest by marrying RAKHI SAWANT. Will you that winner or loser? May the best be saved. In any case, Rakhi would have definitely gained immensely from the show.

Sach ka Saamna on Star TV, presented by Rajeev Khandelwal and produced by Synergy Comm. It is a reality quiz show on the basis of popular USA tele-show, Moment of Truth. By far, the most popular of the three shows mentioned in this post because of the high TRP rating with the real human touch. Discussion in newspaper, on new channels, every political party and finally the issue is discussed in Parliament.

Lie-detector machine is itself full of lies. They ask some of the most intimate questions, which a man/woman likes to keep to himself/herself. Not even share with their life partner. But then that is the way the show has been designed. For parting away with your privacy and secret stories, you are getting paid, nobody would mind that. But then there are certain obvious questions, which are always true in anybody’s case? Asking a married man, has he ever thought about his neighbour’s wife or for that matter Priyanka Chopra? Who would say NO to such question? You are not doing anything against your marriage, so what’s the big deal? Our Indian society has yet to progress to talk about such issues in open.

There have been Court cases against the show. Parliament is requesting Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Minister to ban the show. It is indecent and not attune to the Indian culture. Cultural debate will be taken some other time? It is not a family program. Of all the things, the organizers are happy as it has created more hype than they expected without incurring costs on marketing.

Nevertheless, still all those interested in Quiz shows or reality programs. I would recommend DUS KA DUM, it carries that extra bit punch of fun we require for kick starting our weekend. Drop your pop corn buckets for a moment and swing with Salman Khan.