Public hearing

Even as talent/reality shows ride high on participation, there are those who believe it will fizzle out sooner than we think and personal issues will enter the arena. “The shows will revolve around our private problems. Our society is getting more edgy and frustrated, so that’s a natural shift,” says Sidhant.

The trend of discussing our private lives in the public domain is already visible on the airwaves, with talk shows becoming a popular outlet for listeners to dial-in and vent themselves. Anil Srivatsa, COO, Radio Today Broadcasting Ltd and host of Between The Sheets on Meow FM, a women’s late night show, says: “The future of television and radio lies in personal issues, not song and dance. It’s cathartic for people to talk about themselves because they feel isolated today in many ways. We still talk about our problems among friends, but we are now taking that a step further. Being a judgmental society, trusting people isn’t easy for many, so venting through an anonymous, though a public medium, works.”

Are people not talking to each other anymore — even within the same family? “Once a 41-year-old mother called me and her first worry was that her teenage son should not be listening in. I asked her if she knew whether her son was sexually active and she said she wasn’t sure. Parents don’t know what goes on in their kids’ lives today. We have an environment of freedom but not free communication. In my time, my mother even bought my condoms! If today my daughter can’t come and talk to me, I’m to blame for it.”