Even before GV Prakash and RJ Balaji’s controversy on mocking actress/filmmaker Lakshmy Ramakrishnan’s reality show on their recent film, Kadavul Irukkan Kumaaru could die down, veteran actress Sripriya, has stirred up the hornet’s nest, by lashing out on actresses who host TV reality shows, a few days back.
Earlier, it was only the national award winning veteran actress Lakshmi, who was hosting reality shows on Kannada and Tamil TV channels. Currently, we have seen several actresses who have been active in hosting such shows, viz., Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (Solvedhellam Unmai — Tamil), Roja (Rachabanda — Telugu), Geetha (Bathuku Jataka Bandi — Telugu) Urvashi (Jeevitham Sakshi — Malayalam) and Kushbhu (Nijangal — Tamil).
Yesteryear popular Tamil/ Malayalam actress and lawyer, Ranjani, is the latest to echo Sripriya’s views on these reality/talk shows, where artistes take a call to panchayat aam aadmi’s personal problems. Particularly referring to Kushbhu’s Nijangal show on a popular TV channel, actress Sripriya tweeted, “When there is a problem between spouses, we have the family court to handle it; if any criminal problems, we have different sections of law to sort it out. I am sick of TV shows where we actors sit and judge someone’s problems and pains. Can we stop this please, huh? Let’s anchor and judge just art, which we might have learnt a fistful.” (sic) In another post, she said, “If it’s a platform of justice to those in misery, let’s do it without the camera. Take them to the right person a lawyer or a counselor.”
Actress Ranjani, who returned to acting after a long gap, posted on her Facebook page, screenshots of Khushbu’s TV reality show Nijangal, where she was seen holding a man by the collar. “It’s so shameful that shows on so-called ‘counselling’ are being aired on all channels in different languages. I have taken these clips from Nijangal telecast on Sun TV, where actress Khushbu grabs the contestant’s shirt and shouts. Is this counselling?”, she retorted.
“In fact, this succumbs to bullying, abuse, assault, battery, sexual discrimination, exploitation and public nuisance. Please, people don’t fall prey to such shows. It is not helping you at all. Instead, it degrades your entire family in public and the TV channels are making money out of you!” she continued in her post. “I am very saddened to state that some actresses who host such programmes are not at all qualified to counsel. Always seek the help of counselling organisations, like NGOs. It’s offered free of charge before approaching the courts. I sincerely hope that Khushbu apologises to this contestant in public before she faces the courts,” she asserted.
When DC contacted actor-politician Khushbu, she said, “It is Sripriya’s opinion and I don’t want to comment on it. I respect her as a senior artiste. For all those (including Ranjani) who make remarks on my show, all I have to say is ‘thanks for watching my show’.” Talking about her show, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan says, “The awareness Solvedhellam Unmai creates is unbelievable. I realised it after I completed 500 episodes. I give my heart and soul to the programme and I get feedback from thousands of people, young and old, when I go to functions and public places, and they have all been positive. I listen to both sides and try to guide with my experience. Anyone is free to state their opinion.”
On the reception these shows get, a popular trade analyst, on anonymity, explains, “Nothing will change. Although there are negative remarks and criticisms about these shows, it would only help to escalate their ratings.”
