Somu

Indians are high on the emotional quotient and anything that strikes the emotional chord is an instant hit in India. The success of reality shows in India can be attributed to a great extent to this weakness. The relief that these shows provide from the saas-bahu soaps is another reason for their immense popularity. The rising popularity of the reality shows on Indian television channels has added a new dimension to the production of TV programs. These shows give opportunities to the prodigies residing in the interiors of the country to showcase their talent.
The craze for reality television hit India when channel V came up with Viva, a band of five young singers. When auditions were announced, young dreamers gathered in huge numbers to give their luck a try. They cried when they failed and celebrated when they triumphed. The audience lapped up this overdose of emotions thrown with open hands. The show was a big success and an inspiration for both the shrews’ business minds and also for the young dreamers waiting for their share of fame.
Since then there has been no looking back as reality television proliferated with each passing day. With the registration for each show surpassing the last one and the audience votes pouring in billions, all doubts over the acceptability of these shows by the Indian audience subsided. The real life Bunty and Bablis came forward for the auditions of Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul, India's Best, Roadies, etc. Almost every channel today has an Abhijeet Sawant or a Qazi to boast about.
The potential of reality shows was exploited by various television channels. Kaun Banega Crorepati, India's take on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, catapulted Star TV to the number one position. Similarly, Sony's popularity saw a huge rise after it launched Indian Idol, an adaptation of a hit British reality show. It was reality television that wrote the destiny of television channel Star One. Its two realities shows The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and