Swayamvar Season 2-Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge - Moral problems with the show

Swayamvar Season 2-Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, has raised the heckles of many people for what they construe to be anti-India values; while for others it is a fine example of the marriage between notions of small-time celebrities to cooked up reality shows. Such platforms provide a very good opportunity for channels to create a certain buzz about their brand while for those associated with the show itself (the celebrity=Rahul Mahajan and the contestants) it is all about getting those fifteen seconds of fame. In fact for many of the participants it is the stepping stone that they need to bolster their flagging modelling/acting careers.

The moral police who deride the show for its blatant disrespect of so-called Indian values and tradition, such shows go against the concept of the ‘ideal’ Indian woman who is supposed to be all coy and demure. In fact surprisingly the contestant themselves come with pre-conceived notions of the ‘ideal, Indian wife” and look down upon and back bite fellow contestants who do not fit into the stereotype. This was clearly evident in the kind of comments received by a contestant Dimpy Ganguly last week. Dimpy is a fun loving, high spirited girl from Kolkata. A model and actress by profession, her easy charm and dimpled smile had clearly won over Rahul. The two were seen cosying up to each other while taking a hot air balloon ride.

Things came crashing down for Dimpy when it was revealed that a man name Neil Shah had been repeatedly calling her up from Australia. He even sent her a Kuala Bear stuffed toy as Christmas gift. Immediately she was put under the moral scanner by all her fellow contestants. It was shameful to see an open trial being conducted on national television that questioned her integrity and her honesty. Granted that she had put herself in the spotlight by agreeing to be a part of the show; but that did not give the producers the right to question her about personal affairs so openly. The only person who had the right to question her motives and actions is Rahul Mahajan since her affairs are of direct consequence to him, if he were to fall in love with her.

Instead the entire thing was up for public consumption. Agreed that it is this voyeuristic trait of reality television that makes it so ‘happening’ but there has to be a line of decency that ought not to be crossed no matter what the compulsions. It was very disconcerting to see her squirm with embarrassment and a certain amount of shame as the host of the show Ram Kapoor came at her full guns blazing. What was even more disgusting was the manner in which the other female participants reacted-venomous barbs, spiteful comments and a lot of sniggers. No wonder then that a woman is considered to be another woman’s worst enemy!