In the recent past, no other prime time television show has tasted the kind of success that Kutty Pattalam has had. A children’s show where the host engages in quirky and interesting conversation with children aged under-14, the programme was touted as having one of the highest ratings during the three years when it was telecast on Surya TV. Even the Youtube uploads of the episodes saw anywhere between 20,000 to three lakh views.
Despite its phenomenal success as a show that both kids and adults enjoyed, the latest news doing the rounds was that the show was dropped after the intervention of Kerala State Commission for Child Rights, as a result of a complaint about inappropriate content. Social media has been abuzz after news broke regarding the cancellation of the show.
Much of the credit for the show’s success has to be that of anchor Subi Suresh who showed a unique knack for bonding with the children and get them to open up, often with hilarious results.
However, she was in for a shock when she started receiving calls regarding cancellation of the show. “Kutty Pattalam wound up three months ago, and I believe, now someone is trying to bring that up because I am moving over to Flowers channel with another show. I suspect this is all the result of a channel war. My new programme is also a children’s show but does not follow Kutty Pattalam pattern.”
She adds that there were no negative remarks against Kutty Pattalam while it was being aired. “I have never received any complaints against the show or my style of hosting. There might be an intention to spoil the new show that I am going to be a part of. I have not taken any of this seriously though. I know that someone had filed a case against the show, but I do not know the details, since there are plenty of such issues doing the rounds, I don’t think Sun Network was bothered much. We were only told that a case has come up.”
Hashim Collemban, the man who filed the complaint with the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, says: “The complaint was not targeted at Kutty Pattalam or the Sun Network. But I had quoted examples from Kutty Pattalam and its various episodes, because I could get these episodes through their Youtube Channel while such material was not available for any of the other such similar shows like Pokkiri Peekiri.” He adds: “But then, complaints about the content of Kutty Pattalam were already doing the rounds on social media, even before I filed mine. Children were asked provocative questions and when the child responds, they were made fun of. When they air the show, they added applause and other funny sounds to get people glued to the show,” says Hashim who is also a blogger. “What is to be considered here is, how do such programmes affect a generation and how it can be curbed.
Government approved psychiatrists were present during the sitting along with the Child Rights Commission and Surya TV representatives. What I had suggested in my complaint is that there should be a committee to monitor TV shows, like the censor board. Besides, if a channel is planning to air a show with children less than 14 years there should be a child psychologist present at the venue.” Dr A. Nirmala, Child Psychologist and Principal of Shanthinikethan School, says “I have fleetingly seen a few episodes of such programmes and more than as a doctor as an observer I have found it quite irritating when a small child is encouraged to come up with witty repartee to inappropriate questions. This is a negative trend. Already children try and imitate things seen on TV. Showing such things continuously will affect them badly when it comes to accepting negativity. With people laughing at such negativity, a child watching it at home will surely imitate it.”
Although the Kerala State Commission for Child Rights admits that they did receive the complaint and had taken up the case, they did not wish to comment further on the matter.
