Drama in Real Life

What defines adult content? Expletives and pedestrian innuendoes which are clumsily cut or bleeped out in any case? The I&B clearly doesn’t watch Californication,repeats of which have aired through the day on FX. It’s possible there are loopholes in the rules,that explosive foreign content is fine. All shows on English GECs right now have murder,sex,rape or adultery as the central theme even if there’s no bad language. Going by the I&B’s directive on BB4,Californication should have been banned based on the title itself. Even after the cuts,this is way more raunchy than anything Rakhi Sawant or Dolly Bindra could come up with,at their wildest best.

As a huge television buff,I’m currently watching Mad Men (outstanding),Lie to Me (occasionally good) and repeats of Wallander on BBC Entertainment. Now that I make films myself I’ve become sensitive to piracy issues,but in the past I’ve watched all seasons of Nip/Tuck,a weirdly addictive show on plastic surgeons,and Gossip Girl,on DVD. My only exposure to Indian GEC content is when I visit my 90-year-old grandmother,whose one big indulgence has been a giant TV screen to watch an assortment of Indian soap operas,at an alarming decibel level. Mercifully,these soaps also seem to have faded away. Despite the criticism,our TV content is finally evolving ahead of crude comedy,cheesy drama and dance shows.

In an age of over-sharing,ideas on privacy,even in India,have dramatically altered. Self-display,self-promotion and shocking revelations on prime time are wholly acceptable and industry insiders predict that edgier reality shows on senior citizens and dangerously obese people are on the cards.

I’ve often wondered why there’s no show with an office as the hub. Considering how many people we add to our workforce every year,there’s certainly an audience. The main elements of storytelling: intrigue,ambition and romance can be found in every company. Throw in some corporate fights and Satyam-style scandals,there’s room for several masala shows right there. Now,if only the I&B approves.

hutkayfilms@gmail.com