Sushil Kumar, who became the first person to win Rs. 5 crores on the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, revealed in a Facebook post last year that his life fell apart after his overnight success. Incidentally, Kaun Banega Crorepati is gearing up for its 13th season, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
Sushil Kumar, who found fame after his victory on KBC in 2011, wrote on Facebook last year that he was subsequently cheated by business partners, became an alcoholic, and that his relationship with his wife suffered because of this. But thankfully as the article concludes, his life is back on track. Sushil returned to Mumbai as a teacher, and quit drinking in 2016. He said that he stopped smoking in 2019.
Indian Idol 12 has just concluded, and Big Boss has just begun.
It’s a mountain to climb to win any of the regional or national reality shows – you are richer for the experience in more ways than one as the Indian Idol story reveals, and if you win you are rich in more than just experience.
But it is then perhaps, your lack of experience will come into play unless you learn very fast to deal with the fleeting fame – the next season brings a new hero, and all you will have are a folder full of memories on your laptop or mobile… some time with no space left for anything or anyone else…
And then what do you do with your winnings… and the pinings? If the latter overtakes the former, then it is best to remember Rudyard Kipling…
“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;”
First, there was only beauty and that was our reality. We could appreciate it, and when they spoke, they were even more beautiful! Even before they told us India’s got talent, we knew everybody’s got talent – now you see it, now you don’t, depending on the circumstances. Today though, somehow you must see it in yourself or in another…. That should be your talent….if nothing else.
Reality shows are everywhere on TV from News from Afghanistan, to singing to General Knowledge, from Comedy to Dancing and of course living with other human beings – it’s really tough in the Big Boss House… just as tough as living in your own house with your spouse. That’s all there is left of the family.
And the reality is…. age is just a number. The younger you are, the better it is, the older you are, well, the more bitter it is… its best you promote your kids for the show!
And then, of course, there is another reality, or is it a fantasy that it is all fair? Naw, there must be a dark horse to balance the odds and spice it up!
Added in of course, like salt and cider to the curry at dinner after the show, is the romance of the challenge, of the triumph over adversity, of perseverance of the diligence of hard work… It’s a fairy tale, that wags your tail…
These shows, that convert Rags to Riches, Ragas to Melodies, Shakes to Grace, and Rain to Rainbows are the in thing nowadays – for all sections of the population that have been battered by the pandemic – watchers, voters, and aspirants. As they audition, for these shows, it’s life interruptus. Everyone’s focus is on the “grand finale”. Sometimes the grand finale can be your grand beginning, or it can be a grand finito!
Everybody likes to live somebody else’s reality – it’s our fantasy that we hope will turn into our reality tomorrow. And what’s wrong with that – everyone needs a fairy tale that is their own.
But what is impressive is how the contestants bond and lift each other up as they go along towards the final rounds…language starts as a barrier, but in the end, it’s a carrier…and in some cases becomes a career. Relationships blossom, the Network grows and for some Net worth grows with each show – especially the producer!
But we must have courage, determination, talent (at least a little bit) and support of the family, community and even our village…
Because in the end, it’s the votes that matter – which makes one wonder why politicians don’t win these shows. Because they don’t audition for them, They are busy with their own reality show – one without an age bar, but plenty of other bars if you are behind them. The challenge is to put others behind them first! It too is a television reality show, that comes every few months and can beat all the Reality shows put together hands down. There is dancing, singing, there is a comedy, and of course tragedy and the challenge of living with others in the same big house in Delhi!
Even as we strive to reach our grand finale, the reality of our reality comes back to haunt us every minute of every day – when we look into the mirror, when we see the messages from our banks, when we get a hospital bill or any bill for that matter, or just handle the challenges of living with our neighbours. We turn to the Bigg Boss for solutions and hope…..
Life is the best reality show…. a show without end, that provides for multiple winners, multiple seasons, and a chance to renew every generation. It’s a game that sometimes leaves you with fame, sometimes lame. Just love it.. at least until next week, when there’ll be a new shame!
Disclaimer
This Article is written in a lighter vein. It hopes to bring a smile to your face, and you must not ascribe motives to its contents. There is no connection to events and characters in real life and if perchance you find a connection with any such real-life event or character, rest assured it’s purely coincidental.
Image by imageworld
