Star Vivah- A Matrimonial Reality Show

Samiya Anwar

Ever heard of fixing marriages from the IDIOT BOX or matchmaking from television? Just by sitting in our houses getting the marriage fixed. Any class, any caste or religion, by our choice, our wish, right marriage proposals right in our homes (Ghar bhaithe rishte). An opportunity for viewers of television to connect a number of people around the country for marital bond isn’t a super idea.

Star Plus has come up with atypical matrimonial reality show, Star Vivah last month. Shaadi.com, a matrimonial site has come along with the Star Plus to help the people to fulfill the dreams of marriage through television. It is something different from walking down to marriage bureaus, going through newspaper matrimonial columns and browsing matrimonial sites on internet, a unique, and a more convenient option.

It is a noon show hosted by Mohnish Behl and Aditi Shirwaikar who are popular telestars. The show is aired at 2 pm every Monday-Friday and more and more women are its audience undoubtedly. The show is for the two-men and women. It is about a marriage, about spinsters and bachelors. It is a combination of reality and entertainment together. It aims to bring together men and women along with their families, for a real-time matchmaking session on TV.

Marriage is a personal issue, very private indeed. Does the promise of Star Vivah help the people to find their soul mates right in their homes in front of television set? Does the telestars like Mohnish and Aditi (though they are doing fairly well) will really assist the one who are willing to marry. It is difficult to say anything about the new show. It may work or rework the people’s psychology. Is life getting more glamorized or we’re heading towards modernization? The question came up with the show glamorizing marriage on television. For instance “Rakhi ka Swayamvar” being highlighted and much hyped these days.

Needless to say, how today the television is? At every home there is a TV and members of each family are hooked to some kind of programmes. It plays an important role. It is a pompous source shaping our minds and ideas, say psychic profiles. Television decides the context where we have to live, be placed, and reinforces it constantly. The stereotyped images, glamorization and world class style, all is portrayed in such a way that it allures. Our mindsets are working in a conventional way, cannot be denied.

The best marriages in the world are said to be the ones that have been arranged, by God. However now the marriages are arranged by television, Marriage is made up a ‘glamour object’ like every other thing. It is odd. But a half of the Indians have accepted the show with warm welcome spending few minutes viewing the profiles of bridegroom to match make.

But Star Vivah is providing a whole different platform for the matrimony. It connects the people personally showing the videos of their houses, meeting with parents and siblings, listing out the opinions and hobbies of bride and groom. And moreover the show provides the useful tips from marriage function halls to bridegroom dress, the mehandi designs to styles of make-up, hairstyles, etc.

Also on Fridays the famous celebrities add flavor to the show by sharing their marriages. Star Vivah is fighting towards the social disease, dowry. It is encouraging the youth to say ‘no’ to dowry. Like recently, a young girl said if the demand is reasonable, it is ok. Mohnish interrupted and shut the mouth of the girl saying ‘there is nothing like reasonable demand’. No demand can be reasonable. It is a kind of dowry if you wish to fulfill any demand from the groom side. It was a situation causing shock and apprehension.

Marriage isn't a function only; it's an important event in our social life. The effort of Star Vivah seems to be good. But it is on SWOT format.

Strength
The show gives a wide audience. A platform which connects millions of families in an open discussion through television, it will help the people who are serious about the marriage.

Weakness
People may be afraid to tell the truth in front of TV hiding facts. Not all or say very less in the youth today take care of parents in real, does pujas daily, spend time with family because they don’t really have the time in busy world. Guys and gals hide the fact and come out with fake profiles too. This may cause the show to end drastically.

Opportunity
The show establishes a new form of marriage, a glamorized concept helping to tie the knot through television. A kind of publicized marriage which all the people get to know how-is-getting-marry-whom, it may also result in number of successful marriages too.

Threats
If Star Vivah doesn’t work it will be blacklisted and no one will try such a show again. Like the Shubh Vivah in 2002 failed, this show will also be counted as such a failed attempt to glamorized marriage.

Because of late, people have changed a lot. They have become smart and practical. And from newspapers to television and radio every channel of mass communication including internet is spuriously acting like a blessing in disguise sometimes and sometimes media-hyped nonsense. The people know Vivah or Marriage is an institution that binds two individuals into a bond that is sacred, pure and eternal and a commitment for life.

Ironically, this is the same audience which made the movie Vivah, super hit unexpectedly. The Indian families, young girls loved the movie and its concept whereas other movie Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi failed to bring the same charm again. So it is hard to say how much the Star Vivah can bring the soul mates together because in 2002 Sony Entertainment also brought a similar show of matrimonial reality, Shubh Vivaah which failed to impress the audience in spite of Madhuri Dixit hosting the show.

Will Star Vivah remain the favorite afternoon reality show or soon fade like Shubh Vivaah. The time will show. Let us wait and watch.