Skip to content Skip to navigation

Reality behind reality shows

Indian television is experiencing a new revolution in the form of reality shows. There is a deluge of reality shows in each and every channel that you turn on. MTV Roadies, Popstar ki khoj in Channel V, Big Boss a rip off from the British show called Big Brother of Shilpa Shetty fame, and the plethora of singing contests from Voice of India in Star Plus, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, challenge in ZEE to the Indian Idol in Sony reality shows have captured the viewers imagination. The northeast has not yet forgotten the frenzy created by Debojit Saha’s victory in one such contest that catapulted the struggling singer into a house hold name overnight and now the northeast people are in crossroads once again to choose between two new contenders fro these parts that have reached the finals in this years Indian Idol aired by Sony.

Amit Paul from Meghlaya and Prashant Tamang from Sikkim are jostling for the winner’s crown in this show.

Perhaps the northeast is basking in the glory of unexpected national recognition that has come its way from these girls and boys who have succeeded in awakening the nation towards its northeastern brothers and sisters.

Thses shows have treaded into hitherto forbidden grounds and hit pay dirt with the successes of local talents. A year before it was Debojit who had united the people of the two valleys i.e the Brahmaputra Valley and the Barak Valley by procuring a record number of votes that led his winning the contest. Once again history is repeating itself with Amit Paul who has managed to bridge the gap of community divide in the minds of people of Meghalaya and has ushered in an era of peace.

His modest house in Shillong has turned into a temple of sorts where fans of all shapes and sizes, irrespective of age, difference in communities have become a fixture. They are voting for Amit Paul and praying for his victory. Similarly Prashant Tamang the constable from Kolkata police is trying to come to terms with the instant name and fame that he has brought for himself as well as for his home state Sikkim.

Whether these lads retain their new found glory is yet to be seen but what is heartwarming is the enthusiasm of the people who for once have forgotten their incessant differences and rooting for their new heroes and uniting to see them win.

Photo: People of Shillong breaking the barricade of caste and tribes gather at the Polo Ground in Shillong on 20-09-07 praying for the win of Shillong lad Amit Paul in the Sony TV's Musical reality Show Indian Idol Final. Pix by UB Photos.

Comments

jaay's picture

Finally, it looks like we are ready to make the mark on the national level. It is not that our presence was not felt, but now it looks like the impact is felt. There has been no dearth of talent within the region, but it was matter of being exposed. Anybody who feels that only telephone calls registered made the contestants win, should not forget that people Northern part have more presence and awareness than our part. I think the worthy contestant has won. Congrats to everybody and let’s hope we have new dawn and future to look on to.
kamakshi manjari's picture

Prasant was realy awesome.

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Barnadhya National Champion in Classical Orchestr

28 Oct 2010 - 3:40am | editor
Barnadhya Hazarika, student of Class VIII, Maharishi Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Silpukhuri, Guwahati has secured First position in the event of Classical Orchestra Mixed Group, along with...

A Director in the MAKING with DIFFERENCE

5 Aug 2009 - 1:57pm | Pranjal Saikia
With contemporary audiences entertainment industry is always in creating innovative resources of creativeness day by day, minute by minute to make their work more admired and acquire lots of...

Chilarai bhawan vandalised

20 Apr 2016 - 5:33pm | Shajid Khan
The Udalguri district unit of AKRSU have condemns the incident of vandalization of partly constructed Chilarai Bhawan near Tangla College by miscreants. The student body have also urged the...

Gogoi to table state budget today

10 Mar 2008 - 3:48am | editor
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is all set to table the state Budget for 2008-2009 on the floor of the House today. Speaking to Assam Times, Assam legislative Assembly officials here say Mr Gogoi...

Other Contents by Author

The festival season has been set into motion with the celebration of Eid-Ul-Fitr today. The Muslims the world over assemble in various mosques and Iddgahs in order to offer Namaj and express their gratitude to Allah on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. The preparations for this joyous occasion start days in advance as devout muslims end the month long Ramadan fast. The word Eid signifies “greatest happiness” and Fitr stands for ‘breaking Fast”. The month of Ramadan is a sacred one for the Muslims, because it was in this month that the revealation of the holy Quran began and fasting as an obligatory institution was prescribed by Allah.But today the celebrations and...
The media which is a mirror of society has been broken into shards by the the guns of millitants in Manipur. The newspapers were missing from their usual stands in Manipur following threats and counter threats by rival factions of rebel organisation PREPAK over publication of a statement. According to the All Manipur Working Journalists Union the media was torn over a decision to publish a statement which a faction of the PREPAK wanted to publish while another opposed and threatened to react violently if published.The journalists fearing for their lives sought safety in the Imphal Press clubs instead of their homes for fear of persecution. But this is not unusual in manipur as earlier also...
We are celebrating Wild life week but as we read this hundreds of animals are falling prey to the poacher’s gun, succumbing to the onslaught of floods or becoming senseless victims of man’s cruelty. Destruction of natural habitat is a serious threat to wild life which deprives these wild animals of food shelter and water. Their quest for survival brings them in the proximity of human dwellings which in turn puts them in danger of being pelted with stones, bludgeoned by machetes or simply shot at point blank range. Indians are not abreast with the techniques of handling wild animals which stray into human habitation. Rough handling and terror of being attacked leads people to...
“I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country, in whose making they have an effective voice, an India in which there shall be no high class and low class of people; an India in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability, or the curse of intoxicating drinks ad drugs. Women will enjoy the same rights as men. We shall be at peace with all the rest of the world. This is the India of my dreams”. Mohandas Karam Chand GandhiSadly we Indians have failed to live up to the India of the mahatma’s dreams. For India is still afflicted by the maladies that the Mahatma...
The Assam Lekhika Santha, a forum of women writers from the state organized a two day North East women writer’s meet on September 30 and October 1 in Shilpa Gram Panjabari Guwahati. The aim of the meet is to promote integrity among the north-eastern states and to provide a common platform to the women writers from the region.The eminent writers who were to grace the occasion are Mamang Dai and Nanni Dai from Arunachal Pradesh, Dr Limattula and Dr Temsula Ao from Nagaland, Dr Shanti Kshetri from Sikkim, Dr Shilaramani Changkham from Manipur, Karabi Deb Barman from Tripura, P Kolongungi from Mizoram, Patricia Mukhim and Al Varin Dokher from Meghalaya and other noted writers from the...
The paeans had not yet subsided regarding the communal and ethnic unity and harmony that the Indian Idol finalists had brought about in the states of Sikim and Meghalaya and the northeast for that matter that pandemonium broke loose. The fans of newly crowned Indian Idol Prashant Tamang erupted in fury at jibes made on their idol by a Radio Jockey of a Delhi based FM station. The 2000 odd fans of Tamang undertook a procession in Siliguri to submit a memorandum to the local SDO but the march turned into mayhem as they indulged into a controversy regarding the passage of an ambulance carrying a patient. The tiff led to widespread arson and triggered a chain of violence which brought in the...
Lucky Mahanta was a handsome lad in his school days, always ahead of his class academically and a bright boy indeed. After passing his Higher Secondary from a reputed boy’s school in Assam he went on to pursue higher studies in the capital city of India, a trend that is an in thing these days and gaining popularity by the day. But soon Lucky’s disposition changed his grades fell and so did his friend circle. He started hanging out with shady characters and formed a group of his own. Slowly he started borrowing money from his college mates and sometimes even begged for a couple of bucks. He sold his car and other expensive belongings to make ends meet. Vicky is now a mere shadow...
The rising price of onions is bringing real tears in the eyes of the consumers. The onion vendors are pricing them at exorbitant prices forcing the public to opt for an onion free diet. Onions are an inherent part of Indian cuisine hence such a situation greatly distresses the common people.The price rise is a direct outcome of the delay of trains bringing consignments of onions coming from outside the state.The All Guwahati Potato Onion Merchants’ Association (AGPOMA) has allegedly approached Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to look into the matter. The late arrival has also led to the damage of thousands of these products further escalating the prices of these perishables....
Manipur’s human rights activist Irom Sharmila who has been on a fast-unto-death since November, 2000 seeking the repressive Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act repealed. She opposes the Act that gives draconian powers to the security forces and has repeatedly been used with brazen brutality in the Northeast. For five years, she has been imprisoned and force-fed by the State for her ‘crime’. Irom Sharmila’s lone battle against the government is a proof of the grit and determination of a woman scorned.Popularly known as the iron lady of Manipur Irom Sharmila has approached UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for help by handing over a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi to Sandeep...
A bandh is the choicest means of protest for all political parties or organizations. We have seen umpteenth number of bandhs for hundreds of reasons such as killings, price rise, atrocities etc. But have these bandhs ever benefited the cause they are called for? Instead these bandhs reverse the wheel of an already slow progress that Assam is involved in. School children and college going youngsters are unable to complete their syllabi on time which later has a bad effect on their future results, ailing people suffer immensely for non availability of medical attention, daily wage earners are the worst sufferers who are unable to feed the hungry mouths at home. In such a predicament do these...