05 July,2026 08:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Akshita Maheshwari
Celebrities, influencers, and public figures are confined to a prison-style setup in Lock Upp
Call me stupid. But reality TV is fun. At least it used to be. I can trace my obsession back to Band Baajaa Bride (2013-20), which gave little girls like me the dream to be a Sabyasachi bride. Then there were the food-based ones, Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay (2007-2014), and if your stomach couldn't digest that much yelling then maybe, The Great British Bakeoff (2010-).
Of course India pioneered the reality TV game with successful talent-based IPs like Indian Idol (2004-), India's Got Talent (2009-), Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2006-2024), and such. But these were for family viewing. If you were willing to be a little risqué, you could tune into Bigg Boss (2006-), Splitsvilla (2008-), or Roadies (2003-) (I still ask friends, "Aise banega tu Raodie?" [Is this how you'll become a Roadie?] when they do something stupid).
Although Bigg Boss and Splitsvilla are still going strong, we're entering a new era of reality television - the OTT one. Last weekend, both Netflix and Prime Video aired their new offerings, Lock Upp and Alliance respectively. And boy, were they disappointing. Here's why.
Firstly. What are these hosts? I have nothing against Farah Khan (I actually love her) and Riteish Deshmukh (meh, I like Genelia more), or Kunal Khemu (aye, I love Go Goa Gone [2013]). Say what you will about Salman Khan, but he has consistently been entertaining on Bigg Boss. Rannvijay Singha made Splitsvilla what it is today (we miss you, sigh), and there are probably more Reels about Sunny Leone on Instagram than about the actual contestants.
They were all somehow the perfect match to host these shows, and we just don't get to see that magic anymore. No one dares to go off script, it all feels so packaged and fake. Where are the days when Salman Khan would put contestants in their place?
Secondly. None of these shows create memorable scenes. I can recite the "Pooja, what is this behaviour?" scene from Bigg Boss word-to-word. Even if you have never seen Bigg Boss, you have probably heard someone say, "Pooja, what is this behaviour?"
Now, there is a copy-and-paste formula to get contestants riled up. These fights are only fun to watch when they are organic. Today, no one would kick a dustbin "by mistake", which works because of how simple yet outlandish it is. Today, the masala lies in yelling at each other's faces. I can't be asked to care for that.
Thirdly. Why are stuck in the same formula? I genuinely enjoyed watching Traitors last year. My friends and I would get together every week for Traitors Thursdays. The concept is that a group of contestants called the "Faithfuls" must identify and eliminate a secret group of saboteurs among them, known as the "Traitors". It's simple but it works. The show became so addictive that a lot of my friends still play Traitors among ourselves.
Now, every show is basically just another Bigg Boss. The concept is so weak, like in the case of Alliance where you have to⦠form alliances, that show relies entirely on cheap plot twists and gotcha moments that have no pay off. Or in the case of Lock Upp - celebrities and influencers are confined to a prison-style setup - there is basically no concept. Instead, there are weird segments like thought of the day, where contestants just discuss their... thoughts. In 2026, Lock Upp is still giving a platform to a Harshad Chopda who says he's scared of gay men and a Ram Kapoor who forcefully kisses another contestant, Varun Yadav.
The most entertaining battle in these reality shows is the OTT platforms themselves, who seem to be fighting for who gets more eyeballs. Well, neither of you get mine.
