A New Obsession: Reality TV

Until this year, I had never watched a single reality show. I had this elitist I am above all this attitude toward them. I guess pride comes before a fall, because in 2022, I have been binge-watching these shows like crazy. Some were decent, but most were pathetic, but still, I kept watching till the end.

The one good thing, I guess, is that my viewing has been very diverse.

Masaba Masaba

This is the show that started it all. The show stars Masaba Gupta, daughter of actress Neena Gupta and cricketer Vivien Richards. She is a Mumbai designer who dresses all the famous celebrities in Bollywood.

I swear I watched this show because I love Neena Gupta so much. She’s a talented actress and a delight to watch.

The show focuses more on Masaba, though, and was quite bland. I watched the entire first season and then didn’t bother with the second.

The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives

That was because I had latched onto yet another reality show by then. The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives is precisely what the title claims. It’s about the lives of four women on the fringes of Bollywood (their husbands are all pretty washed up, which is probably why they are doing this show).

I liked this show and would recommend it if you are a reality TV junkie. It’s light and fun, and it also throws light on how Bollywood can be – tricky if you aren’t able to make it, but also high on the friendship and its dark side – nepotism. Their lives are so tightly wrapped up in each other that I can see why outsiders say it’s hard to break into acting.

Indian Matchmaking

This is where I went down a slippery rope. This series about a matchmaker trying to arrange marriages for a bunch of people is cringe-inducing and so damned awkward.

First of all, none of the people seemed interested in the process; they were incredibly picky and had little self-awareness. Second, her constant remarks about adjusting and compromising got on my nerves. Plus, she was an unsuccessful matchmaker, and how many crappy dates can a person watch? I stuck through both seasons to see who settled with who, only to find that almost none of the matches panned out.

Byron Baes

This series comes in the so bad it’s good category. A bunch of influencers and creatives gather in Byron Bay, Australia. The storylines are almost non-existent – revolving around two newcomers who cause rifts between Byron Bae locals. There is a somewhat dull love triangle; there is a lot of shock around a plot involving an Instagram influencer buying followers. But nothing clicks.

The beautiful Byron Bay setting kept me watching through all eight episodes. It’s just heaven, and I wish there were more of the scenery and less of their vapidness.

Dubai Bling

This is probably the most egregious of all the shows I watched. As the title suggests, the bling is next level. The women are dripping in diamonds and head-to-toe designer labels. The cars are super-fancy. It’s bilingual – mostly Arabic (which is such a beautiful, lilting language, just lovely to the ears) and some English.

The plot is again, rubbish. The acting is terrible, but still, there’s something addictive about it. I have watched seven episodes so far, and who even am I?

What should I watch next?

I have so many shows on my to-watch list next. Young, Famous, and African is a reality show from South Africa. I have heard things (not particularly good, but who am I kidding, none of these shows are good) about Love is Blind.

But, as of now, I am sticking to the World Cup. I am currently watching a rather dull section of Argentina vs. Mexico, but I am pretty excited about the World Cup. For one, it is in Qatar, which is a pretty decent time zone for us. Also, there have been so many upsets; it’s been interesting.

My favorites, though, continue to be in good form – Spain and Brazil and I am rooting hard for them. I hope I am not disappointed.

What are you watching these days?