Reality check: The 'real' truth about reality show contestants

Are reality shows as wonderful as they seem Sure they could catapult any talented person mdash no matter the economic strata or region they come from mdash to a world of fame and opportunities But look closely and there is an ugly underbelly to the whole rideMonali Thakur had to struggle quite a bit to gain a foothold in Bollywood even after her popularity had shot up thanks to her participation in Indian IdolTake for instance Monali Thakur who despite tasting success in the show Indian Idol had to struggle before finding her space in Bollywood Some reality show winners share their personal experiences with hitlistThe pros of taking part in a reality showgtgt The most ordinary person who can never imagine getting in touch with the people who matter can now dream of making it big through these reality showsgtgt Regardless of the person getting opportunities winning these shows or getting through some crucial rounds boosts their confidence and validates their talentgtgt If they win these reality show contestants might enjoy popularity at least for a year or so If they are lucky their popularity could last longer and it might fetch them more opportunitiesThe consgtgt Reality show contestants especially the winners might get disillusioned when soon after their win the attention shifts to the winner of the next season The limelight being taken away from them doesnrsquot agree with many young peoplegtgt Some contestants might get disappointed as they harbour false hopes that once they win the contest their future is set for goodVJ AndyReality show He participated in Bigg BossQuote unquote ldquoI would say that doing reality shows opens up new avenues for your career Besides I am now learning new things about myself mdash like the way I am and the way I want to represent myself Also it pays you well financiallyContestants VJ Andy and actress Elli Avram during the grand finale of Bigg Boss mdash Season 7Reality shows have helped my career in many ways One of the cons is that people think they know you well which is not always true Some people know you and some donrsquot Also many people donrsquot know how much hard work one has to do how many hours one has to put in I would like to finally say that reality shows have always reaped benefits for me and I hope Jhalak also work in my favourrdquoMeiyang ChangReality show He participated in Indian Idol and won Jhalak Dikhhla JaaQuote unquote ldquoThe pros of being a reality show contestant are many If yoursquore a newcomer it gives you an unmatched platform to display and hone your skills as well as pick up new ones in my case hosting and dancingMeiyang Chang points out that while reality shows offer an unmatched platform to display and hone onersquos skills they are capable of creating their own monstersThe global reach of television is unparalleled and that explains how a dentist like me got the opportunity to show off my singing skills and pursue my passion as a career rather than let it stagnate as a hobby Reality shows are a great steppingstone to the entertainment world and they get you noticed for the right job I landed a role in the film Badmaash Company when the director saw me on a reality show The cons of being a reality show contestant are few then again reality shows are well capable of creating their own monstersrdquoRajiv LaxmanReality show He participated in Indian Idol and was one of the presenters of MTV RoadiesQuote unquote ldquoDespite what other reality show contestants might want to believe I dont look at reality shows as launchpads for an acting careerNot everyone has the charisma talent or drive to make it big in the glamour world At best reality shows give you some degree of familiarity with the audience Everyone comes with big hopes but only someone who has the discipline determination and the acting talent has a good chance of succeedingrdquoRahul VaidyaReality show Second runnerup in Indian IdolQuote unquote ldquoI donrsquot see any cons of reality shows With more singers cropping up these days their career tenure in the current scenario will be shorter than that of singers from the earlier daysNowadays a person hailing from a small town can get this exposure just because of reality shows Irsquom really happy to see new talent get its duerdquo