1. Reality shows: Look ma, I'm a star!
Once upon a time in India, to be a celebrity, you needed to consult your family soothsayer and wear the right rings to emit the right vibes.
Then, this year, a phenomenon called reality television, which had been sputtering for a while, exploded.
Millions went gaga over Fame Gurukul winner Qazi Tauqeer, a boy from strife-torn Kashmir who danced all night in front of his bedroom mirror and daydreamed of stardom. Millions thumbed cell phone messages to vote Abhijeet Sawant, a singer from a very middle-class Mumbai area, as the first Indian Idol. And they were just two of a new crop of everyman stars.
Last week, another mega-entertainer Nach Baliye crowned real life actor couple Supriya and Sachin as the best dancing pair on television.
Hundreds of television executives are still devising new reality shows. And thousands are still queuing up to shine overnight.
Text: Sumit Bhattacharya
