Mumbai: Neha Kakkar has responded to Sunidhi Chauhan’s comments about music reality shows, and her answer has added a fresh twist to the ongoing debate over how “real” these shows actually are.
While speaking to the media, Neha defended shows such as Indian Idol and disagreed with the idea that everything viewers see on reality television is scripted. She pointed out that many contestants come from small towns, share difficult personal stories and work hard to make it to the stage.
“People’s lives aren’t scripted,” Neha said while defending the emotional moments seen on these programmes. According to her, the contestants struggles are real, and so are the emotions that come with hearing their stories.
But it was her cheeky “angoor” comment that caught the most attention. Referring to the saying “angoor na mile toh khatte hain”, Neha appeared to suggest that people sometimes criticise something after no longer being associated with it.
Neha also spoke about the popularity of music reality shows during her time on them. She claimed that the shows enjoyed their highest TRPs when she was part of them and jokingly suggested that their popularity dropped after she left.
Her comments come in the wake of remarks made by Sunidhi Chauhan, who has herself been a judge on several music reality shows. Sunidhi has been openly critical of how these programmes have changed over the years.
In an earlier conversation with Raj Shamani, Sunidhi spoke about her experiences on reality television and said the format had become less genuine compared with its early days. She alleged that editing and manipulation could influence how contestants and their performances were presented to viewers.
Sunidhi also recalled being asked to praise a contestant despite not feeling that the performance deserved it. She eventually stepped away from judging reality shows because she was uncomfortable with some of the practices involved.
The contrasting views of the two singers have now sparked plenty of discussion online. While some people have backed Neha for defending the shows, others feel Sunidhi’s experience raises valid questions about what audiences are actually watching.
At the heart of the argument is a question that has followed reality television for years where does reality end and entertainment begin?
For now, Neha and Sunidhi seem to have very different answers.
ALSO READ: Apoorva Mukhija Relocates to New York for MBA and Fresh Start