CHILDREN OF THE
IDIOT BOX
By Mamta Sen
Maharashtra Labour Minister Nawab Malik has created a stir in the entertainment industry by sending notices to all television producers through the labour commissioner about the safety norms for child artistes working on the sets and the long hours they put in. Most television channels declined to comment on the notice, with some claiming that they had not even received it. But measures are being put in place to ensure that the child actors do not disclose information about their work conditions and schedules.
Television channel Colors which is airing at least four serials with children in the lead — Balika Vadhu, Uttaran, Jai Sri Krishna and Chhote Miyan — was not particularly forthcoming on this. Programming head Ashvini Yardi pointed out that these serials try to focus on social issues that have never before been dealt with on Indian television. “Our single biggest priority is to offer programming that will help break through the clutter and this is why you will see us deliver a strong proposition of differentiation and distinctive content,” she said.
The channel has ensured that children acting in its serials do not interact with the media. This has reportedly been incorporated in formal agreements, according to a family friend of Balika Vadhu’s lead character Avika Gor who plays the role of Anandi.
Eleven-year-old Avika is today the most sought after face on Indian television. She has won an award for Best Female Child Artiste, as well as for Best Female Newcomer, Best Female Artiste, and Best Fresh Face, outdoing senior actresses. Rumours are, Avika, who is earning lakhs of rupees, has stopped going to school. Numerous calls to her father Sameer by this correspondent went unanswered. Avika has also started modelling and recently walked the ramp for an imitation jewellery designer at a five-star hotel. She is also making her debut in a movie Paathshala with actor Shahid Kapoor. It also stars her “rival”, ten-year-old Swini Khara.
Swini had made audiences sit up with her crisp performance in Balki’s Cheeni Kum starring Amitabh Bachchan, where she played the role a terminally ill patient. She began her career as a three-year-old modelling for Ajanta toothpaste and hit the big screen with Kalpana Lajmi’s Chingari and Hari Puttar. Her forthcoming films include Paathshala [with Avika] and Kaalo, as well as a voice over in Nikhil Advani’s Ab Delhi Door Nahin. Swini, who was nominated for Best Child Artiste [female] along with Avika for her role in Baa Bahoo aur Baby on Star Plus, confesses that though she does get tired, it is the sheer enjoyment of acting that keeps her going. Her mother Shilpa though believes work schedules often differ with each production house. “Swini generally does shooting after school, but we prefer commercials to films or serials since they wrap up pretty fast. We often tend to bunk school for commercials since they usually take up an entire day,” the mother said, adding that children too should be compensated since school is kind of “work” for them. “Juggling school and shootings together often takes a toll, but Swini carries her school books to the film sets and studies between shots,” said Shilpa, refusing to answer how much her daughter is paid for her long hours of work. She admitted, however, that the competition was getting extremely stiff.
Casting director Mona Irani, who has been working with child actors for the last 16 years, said, “Earlier there used to be a mere ten kids auditioning for one role. Now around 150-200 kids land up, out of which only one will probably be selected.” She said that this increase in numbers has become noticeable over the past five years. “There is a lot of talent, it is just a question of getting the right break,” she said. Mona was of the view that more than producers, parents need to be pulled up by the Government for pushing their children to the brink.
“Parents themselves give permission for their kids to shoot for 14 hours at a stretch. The notice should have been sent to them instead. Most parents want their kids to be mini-stars. Once the child gets a taste of fame they stop him or her from going to school. Quick money and instant recognition is what drives parents to push their children to such limits. They are trying to live their dreams through the child,” said Mona, adding that the remuneration ranges between Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh a day.
Money, and not safety, is of utmost importance, according to several coordinators in the entertainment industry. A modelling coordinator confided that film sets were often not safe for child actors. “You often have men, specially technicians, landing up drunk on the sets and I have seen kids left alone by parents to fend for themselves, with no separate rooms for them to relax. So yes, they are vulnerable and it is almost as if we are waiting for a disaster to happen,” he said.
Hansika Motwani, a former child artiste who made her debut opposite Himesh Reshammiya in Aap Kaa Surroor: The Real Luv Story last year, is a case in point. “Her mother used to call the shots. The child at eleven years was even made to act as a rape victim in a movie called Jaago based on a real life incident. This movie catapulted her to the status of the highest paid child actor then. Though the girl is only 18 years old today, she looks over 30 and has hardly made an impact as a heroine,” insiders point out.
“The child should be given an opportunity to decide,” according to theatre artiste Debashish Chanda whose two daughters Swarna and Prothoma have been acting in serials since three years old. While Swarna [9] has acted in Neelanjana on 9X, Prothoma [6] is busy doing commercials. “Work only depends on the number of scenes per day and yes, though juggling school and shooting is tiresome, one cannot help it,” Debashish said. He admitted to being disappointed if his children failed the auditions, adding, “Favouritism is rampant here as well; which is why I have registered my kids in the Cine Artiste Association as members to protect them from being taken for a ride.”
Swarna, of course, did not know what the fuss was all about. “Sometimes I do get tired but it’s okay. In school I am the only one who is famous and I love it when everyone notices me,” she said with a big smile [¼]
REALITY BITES FILM STARS
The small screen has always been regarded as the last hope for resurrecting one’s acting career. Amitabh Bachchan gave a shot to his career with Kaun Banega Crorepati?, a lead that several actors followed. TRP ratings for Salman Khan’s Dus Ka Dum, Shah Rukh Khan’s Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? and Akshay Kumar’s Fear Factor remained low and dissuaded others from anchoring similar shows. Instead, film personalities decided to play the role of celebrity judges in several song and dance reality shows, rather than actually acting in teleserials as was the case over a decade ago. Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, Star Voice of India, Nach Baliye and Jhalak Dhikhhla Jaa are some of the more popular shows where celebrities take on the role of strict judges, often relaxing sufficiently to sing or dance with the contestants.
To spice up their shows, the channels are wooing film personalities who are in great demand. Nach Baliye 4 has Farah Khan, Arjun Rampal and Karisma Kapoor as its judges, while the relatively new dance show, Dancing Queen has Hema Malini and Jeetendra.
Rajesh Kamat, chief executive officer of Colors, says that proper weekend programming along with a good choice of celebrities as anchors is the formula for a successful show. However, as sources pointed out, for many of the film personalities the show becomes an opportunity to project their ongoing films. For instance, Deepika Padukone has paired up with MTV Roadies with the return benefit of publicising her new movie Chandni Chowk to China. “I too have been an avid watcher of the show and I think it is a complete blast,” she said when asked about this.
Makarand Wadekar, principal consultant for I Search which tracks TRP points, said that several reality shows were running on advertising revenue and a celebrity was taken on as a judge simply to raise the ratings. “But if the script and idea of a particular show are clear and bold enough to pass on the real message then celebrities are not used for the show,” he said giving the example of Sony TV where the song-based shows enjoy the highest TRP ratings currently.
As for reality channels, two will be launched by CNBC-TV 18 and Turner International on 1 January 2009. The total investment for these over the next three years is expected to be US $39 billion of which $12 billion has already been invested in India. Sports 18 of CNBC will also start operating with an adventure reality show called Volvo Ocean Rally.
I agree what casting director Mona Irani has to say – it’s the parents who need to be pulled by the Govt. more than the channel producers.
When we were kids competition existed only in school – debate, song & dance, extempore, in the field – sports… and it was healthy. It managed to keep a balance between studies & other co-curricular activities.
When Sony started with Boogie Woogie years back it wasn’t a reality show of sorts. It was a kind of competition and aired on television.
The entire country was swept with the reality bug with the launch of shows like The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma… and soon every channel had its own version of song, dance, drama shows without being too much different from one another. At the end it all seemed same.
Reality show has exploited the middle class urban Indians, soon everyone wanted to become a millionaire by answering a few questions thrown to them at random; everyone wished to get their three seconds of fame and would go to any extent to grab it. Some of the contestants were so dumb in the quiz shows! It’s such a pity!
As far as children are concerned; we all love kids but like everything else even an overdose of kids makes the experience insipid.
Hansika Motwani who appeared on a TV series Desh Mein Nikla Hoga Chand first was a delight but such a cry baby and overgrown she was it surely was overkill.
We all loved Jugal Hansraj as the super cute Rahul in Massom but he hardly made an impact as an actor later.
Urmilla Matondkar (another child actor whom we adored in Masoom) became the hot favourite in everybody’s list perhaps after the Rangeela makeover. I wonder if anyone remembers her prior Rangeela.
When I first saw Avika as Anandi in Balika Vadhu I loved her instantly. Her performance would light up those thirty minutes of the series. But once while surfing channels I caught her in some award function where she was being nominated and was performing as well on stage. When questioned about her likes, dislikes and the rest; it didn’t take me long to realize that this little Anandi has lost her innocence somewhere in all the adulation, fame as well as the moolah.
It’s very sad.
My own niece did a couple of press advertisement and TV commercials. It started only as a fun thing. She was barely 5 or 6 years then. But like any other job this too demanded a lot of focus and time and neither my sis-in-law or her husband had time to tag along with her for the shoots. Many a times she missed school. Yes her parents were proud to see their daughter – huge billboards, centerspreads featuring her but they were very right in taking the decision that studies come first and she has to do that first. So now my niece who is 10 is no longer the “glam babe”. She neither her parents regrets this.
I only wish if all parents were as sensible as them.
Another drawback about serials today is the fact that they are infinite! Had it been just the thirteen episodes like the good old Doordarshan days maybe it’d be a lot easier for the kids to balance their school and appearing on the idiot box.
As for TRP rate thinning, there are so many channels and so little to watch. And whatever there is on the platter; it’s the same everywhere. So TRPs would definitely fall.
We need a change. We need real comedies and not slapstick ones like Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasma. We need good stories which should end in a stipulated time and not stretch for years. Fox History airs Bhanwar and I love watching this series and don’t mind being a repeat watch. We need series like Katha Sagar. Such lovely stories it had to tell. We need comic relief from the likes of Pankaj Kapur’s Office Office and wouldn’t mind a Rajni as well. We could perhaps welcome Byomkesh Bakhsi than seeing the CID guys being so dull, blatantly moronic – anyone watching the CSI series on AXN would regard our Desi CIDs to be such buffoons.
Is anyone listing?
