Why Indian reality TV shows, despite criticism, always find a way to work

What’s overshadowing the premise of The Traitors is not the strategy but the spectacle, which begs the question: why does Indian reality television continue to thrive, even when its patterns feel familiar and often predictable?

Reality TV in India has always had this strange kind of grip on us. We complain about it, roll our eyes at the drama, and still somehow find ourselves watching every episode, discussing with friends, or at the very least, seeing it all over our feeds. The biggest shows know exactly how to keep us hooked by making us feel something, even if that something is mild annoyance. Maybe that's exactly what works for The Traitors. The show was supposed to be a psychological mind game, built to advance based on strategy, but what we got was very different. Instead of clever gameplay, we were served yet another drama-heavy spectacle. Karan Johar makes grand entries, contestants get into loud face-offs, along with a cast that, although it feels randomly assembled, still works. Knowing how it was trending all over with the show being chopped into reels, triggering debates online and taking over group chats, really makes me wonder what it is that actually makes a reality show click with Indian audiences. Why is it that so many shows that's promoted with an interesting concept or a promising plot, slowly drift into attention-grabbing drama? Is that what we really want as viewers, or is that just what we’ve gotten used to?

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Let's introspect:

Sometimes, the drama isn’t accidental; it’s intentional

One thing that most reality shows in India have in common, even when their formats are completely different is relying heavily on a human angle. No matter what the show claims to be about, there's always a personal story built into the narrative to pull the viewer in. These emotional moments are placed very deliberately. It's always a contestant talking about their struggles before a performance, a visibly moved participant on a quiz show, or a dramatic fallout presented as betrayal in a social game. The packaging may differ, but the pattern don't. There is always a moment meant to create empathy, even if it feels manufactured or overly polished. These shows are built to create reactions through carefully planned emotional rollercoaster that feel repetitive and even predictable at times. It’s no longer surprising to see tears, breakdowns, or dramatic confrontations placed exactly where they’ll get the most attention.

What makes this formula work is how familiar it has become, in fact it has become the main driver of viewership, regardless of what the show claims to be about. The always skyrocketing viewership says a lot about the heart how reality TV is conflict and no matter what the format promises, it’s the drama that keeps people coming back. 

Indian versions of global shows have their own identity

Most Indian reality shows are based on global formats. The Traitors comes from a successful international concept, just like Bigg Boss was adapted from Big Brother, Kaun Banega Crorepati from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Indian Idol from American Idol. No matter how successful internationally, they’re always reshaped to reflect Indian values, culture and, more often than not, made louder and more dramatic to match the audience’s appetite for spectacle. Contestants are selected not only for their talent or fit with the format, but for their potential to divide opinion, create controversy, or simply dominate the conversations around the show, even for the wrong reasons. Indian version of The Traitors is a perfect combination of all of this. And while it may leave viewers conflicted, but that confusion works in the show’s favour. Because for a reality TV show, attention, even when it comes in the form of criticism, is still attention, and that is the currency these shows thrive on. 

Reality TV remains a safe bet for Indian networks

From a business perspective, reality TV is a highly practical choice. It costs significantly less to produce compared to big-budget dramas or films, yet it consistently delivers strong engagement and dependable viewership. These shows manage to hold attention not only through their main episodes but also by creating a steady stream of additional content, including bonus clips, weekend recaps, and behind-the-scenes footage that keeps the audience coming back for more. For brands, this kind of reach is gold. Reality TV appeals to a wide and varied audience, cutting across OTT-savvy urban viewers and traditional television households alike, which makes it an ideal space for sponsorships, product placements, and advertising partnerships.

Indian reality TV isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it’s doubling down on what it knows works. The formats may come from elsewhere, but what we do with them is entirely our own. Somewhere between all that it offers lies a version of entertainment that reflects both our viewing habits and our contradictions. We critique it, we consume it, and whether we admit it or not, it has been designed to match the preferences of the majority. Maybe that’s the biggest twist of all that reality TV doesn’t just reflect its audience; it relies on them to keep the drama alive.

What’s your unpopular opinion about Indian reality TV shows? Tell us in the comments below!

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