It’s a virtual Lord of the Flies, and who is drawing the fine line between vicarious and vicious? The mental health fraternity is becoming vocal about participants like Monika Bedi, Raja Chowdhury, Rahul Mahajan – the three contestants on the Bigg Boss reality show now in its second season who are drawing in the TRPs as the nation watches for a potential meltdown. As a hoarding depicting former jailbird Monica Bedi screams ‘Himmat dikhayegi ki toot jaayegi’ (will she show courage or will she break?). You can bet the money is on her breaking.
“Bigg Boss is thriving on primitive human emotions and wants to exploit the pain, suffering and controversy of human beings. It’s sickening,” says eminent psychiatrist Harish Shetty best known for handling Faisal Khan’s case. “I would go so far as to say Bigg Boss is unethical in exploiting human beings who are going through a difficult time and a difficult phase and who would naturally gravitate towards such a medium for not knowing better.” His anger is shared by the mental health community. Psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria states “Sleep deprivation (the first task on the show) itself can trigger nervous breakdowns. What are they doing?”
Seeema Hingoranny, the clinical psychologist attached to Bigg Boss, (both seasons) stands in defense of the show. “The hoardings are put together by publicists. I’m not aware of that, but I handle the mental health of participants on the show,” she is quick to say. “The participants have asked me questions like ‘What if I go mad?’ Some had heard stories from previous contestants about how tough it is, and others had seen Amit Sadh break down on Bigg Boss 1. I have conducted psychological tests, interviews, observations on each participant, and briefed each participant on the show.”
“We haven’t considered their pasts because we have conducted the tests allowing them to look at how they are now. After their processes of healing have begun. We are not judgemental about their pasts, but have allowed for a fresh start,” she says. That’s not enough say observers if you consider the history. Monika Bedi has been through extradition and jail time, a family that disowned her, Raja Chowdhury battled alleged alcoholism, a wife who claimed abuse, divorce and a custody case, as well as allegations of assaulting a TV journalist. Rahul Mahajan has faced his father’s murder by his uncle, alleged substance abuse that accused the death of a friend, and his own divorce. All extreme circumstances that may or may not allow them to fare well under pressure-cooker situations. The perfect formula for TRPs. Very bad for mental health. “They could turn around and kill themselves or each other,” warns Anjali Chhabria, psychiatrist. “Have psychological tests been performed keeping in mind they are being put in such high-pressure situations?”
Media watcher and the man behind the move for self-regulation of media Peter Mukherjea is horrified, “I call it the bigg loser show as it’s no different to several news channels disguising complete nonsense as news. For me, general entertainment should be about family entertainment and putting a bunch of challenged people together to watch them through hidden cameras isn’t family entertainment by any stretch of imagination. It’s distorted and not enduring or endearing.”
Psychiatrists are also aghast that two others – Faisal Khan and Jahnavi – the individual who declared herself Abhishek Bachchan’s true wife on the morning of his wedding – were approached too. “It is an attempt to be whackier than others by being exploitative rather than being creative,” says Harish Shetty.
Friends of Faisal Khan were horrified when he was approached. “Even I am glad he’s not been institutionalized by his brother,” said a friend of Faisal’s who chose to stay anonymous, “but under that sort of a high pressure environment, he would have surely cracked, didn’t the organizers know that before offering him the show?” he asks. In all probability they – Endemol India – did know of the consequences. In fact, say inside sources, that’s why they offered it to him.
Psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria outlines the dangers of the situation “The participants in a reality show are sleep deprived, constantly under camera, watched all the time, and they are put to different tests that encourage them to extend beyond their physical capacities – singing or dancing, or preparing for some task. That is the format. Add to that the fact of not knowing whom to trust, the air of suspicion, manipulation, plotting an planning, and that’s a lot of pressure to take. I have treated a lot of so called ‘normal and strong’ people from previous shows who have broken down due to all the pressure. Definitely, people with a history of emotional disorder, breakdown or substance abuse are at higher risk in such an environment. In trying to get better TRPs, one should not play with emotionally frail minds of at-risk individuals. God knows at what provocation individuals may turn around to kill each other.”
TV actor Raj Logani, Raja Chowdhury’s former brother-in-law and Shweta Tiwari’s brother though dismisses reports of Raja’s violent behaviour, “Personally I may not fight in public, but Raja is just a guy’s guy. He’d react if it was intensely provocative and he was in a bad situation, but deep down he’s a very nice guy. Gem of a man who’s actually very helpful,” he says. “He was just going through some things,” he adds, “Who knows, he may actually show his nice side?”
Let’s hope so. Seema Hingoranny states she has qualified assistants monitoring them during the show. “We have a stand by team – a psychiatrist, an occupational therapist.” Now, fingers crossed that the fragile limits of endurance don’t crack irretrievably.
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