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The most controversial shows on TV
Reality shows are feeling the heat.
With a host of new shows mushrooming every season, pressure is on to stand out and raise TRP ratings, which often means resorting to cheap and shocking tactics.
We bring you a few that made headlines.
Pati Patni Aur Woh
Would you hand over your child to complete strangers for a day, forget weeks?
Well, NDTV Imagine's new reality television show Pati Patni Aur Woh found itself mired in controversy when the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights sent a notice to the makers of the show asking them to stop its telecast claiming violation of a child's rights.
Rakhi Sawant and her partner on the show, Elesh Parujanwala, Apoorva Agnihotri and Shilpa Saklani are among the celebrity couples taking part in the show.
Pati Patni Aur Woh is an adaptation of the BBC's popular format Baby Borrowers where parents hand over their children to celebrity couples, who then care for them on the show as their own. The whole experiment is to see how the celebrity couples handle parenthood.
In the BBC show, the children's parents supervise the proceedings in adjacent rooms throughout the show, and are free to intervene if they perceive the slightest risk to their child. BBC also has qualified nurses and doctors on call 24X7 for any emergency.
Now that the Delhi High Court High Court has allowed NDTV Imagine to telecast the desi version, it remains to be seen if the channel can make sure the show goes on without a hitch.
Sach Ka Saamna
Would you risk destroying your relationship for a few bucks?
Judging from answers on the controversial show Sach Ka Saamna, the answer is a resounding yes.
Hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, the adaptation of the American show Moment of Truth ran into trouble when the Information and Broadcasting Ministry sent a show cause notice to Star Plus following Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akhtar's objection to the personal questions asked on the show.
Contestants on the show have to truthfully answer 21 questions about their personal lives. A polygraph determines whether the contestant is lying or telling the truth. The contestant keeps on earning as long as he answers truthfully.
Kamal Akhtar objected to the personal questions asked on the show about a person's bedroom life.
Bigg Boss 2
Put 13 celebrities together in a house for three months with cameras 24*7, throw away the key, and what do you have?
Catfights, backbiting, sleazy hook-ups and what have you.
Ever since the desi version of Big Brother kicked off its first episode, it's been constantly in the news for its contestants and for the goings on in the house.
For example, Sanjay Nirupam, a politician who entered the house in season two of the show for a go at the prize money, created a stir when he told housemate Monica Bedi that he would help her get a house in Mumbai.
He also commented on item girl Sambhavna Seth's style of dressing and her profession. "A woman's 'izzat' (self respect) lies in covering up her body. Since item girls have to dance in revealing clothes, why do you do such a job? Indian women are supposed to have a certain amount of shame," he was reported as saying.
Then there were reports of Rahul Mahajan and Payal Rohatgi having an affair though they both denied it.
Rakhi Ka Swayamwar
How can we not mention Rakhi Sawant? After all reality shows have made her a household name.
Rakhi took a break from itsy bitsy item numbers to enter Bigg Boss house. After getting a taste of 'reality', the starlet was hooked to the constant attention.
Thus Rakhi Ka Swayamvar on NDTV Imagine was born. The show revolved around Rakhi and her suitors vying for her hand. Controversies soon followed during the second week of the show when it was revealed that one of the prospective grooms -- Arther Pervez -- from Kashmir was already married and had three children.
It reflected badly on the channel that it didn't bother to do a background check on Pervez who incidentally is a police officer!
The show also made news when one of the grooms asked Rakhi personal questions about her physical relationship with Abhishek Awasthi. Rakhi had walked out of the show but later returned.
Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao
Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao is based on the international show, I Am A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here where a bunch of celebrities are left to fend for themselves in the jungle with only a ration of rice and beans as their source of nourishment.
The winner of course is reimbursed for his ordeal.
Controversies arose when one of the participants, Akashdeep Sehgal was stung by a swarm of insects all over his neck. The other contestants became very upset over the incident and had threatened to walk out.
Another time Jay Bhansali threatened to quit the show when singer Mika pulled his pants down.
Then there was the time a bikini-clad Shweta Tiwari took bath in full view of the camera. She later walked out of the show to be with her daughter Palak.
Ballika Badhu, Na Aana Iss Des Laado and Aap Ki Antara
Okay, so these are soaps and not reality shows.
But still, the soaps were embroiled in controversy over the issue of child marriage, female infanticide and long hours.
Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav had approached Ambika Soni, the Information and Broadcasting Minister to ban Balika Vadhu as it encouraged child marriage. Ambika Soni however gave the show a clean chit.
Likewise Sandhya Bajaj, member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights was upset with the serial Na Aana Iss Des Laado as it deals with female infanticide.
As for Aap Ki Antara, the issue was long hours. Child actor Apple Reetoria was replaced by Zaynah as Apple's mother was upset with the way her daughter was being treated on the show.