Bollywood Choreographer Terence Lewis Exposes The Real Side Of Reality Shows: 'Moments Are Scripted'
New Delhi: Famous Bollywood dancer and choreographer Terence Lewis has delivered a bombshell on reality TV, saying that many of the natural situations are really carefully scripted to catch viewers. The famous judge of programs like ‘Dance India Dance’ and ‘India's Best Dancer’ spoke candidly with Pinkvilla, revealing that the entertainment business often uses preplanned encounters to generate viral promotional moments.
Terence revealed how situations are purposefully created to increase ratings, exposing the reality behind the so-called unscripted contests.
Terence confessed, “A lot of people assume we want to dance, but the reality is we are asked to create these moments. So when you ask if things are scripted – yes, interactions with guests and contestants are planned. However, the dance, the judgment, the talent, and the comments remain authentic. But anything that makes for a great promo moment? That’s scripted.”
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The Pressure of Television
Terence was shown an old photo of himself and Deepika Padukone dancing on ‘Dance India Dance Li'l Masters’ while promoting ‘Chennai Express’. He openly said that such legendary moments are never spontaneous.
Terence recalled the dance with Deepika and said that they had to invent a dramatic moment on stage, in real-time. He said, "Television is unforgiving. There’s no time and no budget."
The choreographer went on to discuss an instance from India's Best Dancer, when he was given instructions to create a comical scene for the sole purpose of increasing the show's ratings.
After the show's producers showed Terence statistics demonstrating that such over-the-top, entertaining moments greatly enhanced viewing. He said, “It’s sad to say, but the highest ratings came from moments of masti. So, ultimately, the audience is to be blamed because they enjoy it.”
television