Child's play

Whether it is reality shows, fictional soaps, sitcoms, historicals or mythologicals, there is an overwhelming presence of children on the small-screen. Some of the most popular serials Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Ek Veer Ki Ardaas – Veera, Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasmah, Maharana Pratap, and Bade Acche Laggte Hai have kids playing a pivotal role if not the protagonists. Among the reality shows, Indian Idol Junior has caught the attention of Bollywood celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar, Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan who have been tweeting about the enormously talented kids. For the first time even Master Chef India is going the kiddie way with a Junior Masterchef starting next month. Looks like children are a safe bet when it comes to whipping up the TRPs.   

The X factor
The reason for the influx of children in serials is their simplicity, innocence and charm, which instantly strikes a chord with the viewers. They also bring a new dimension to the conventional saas-bahu soaps. As Rajan Shahi whose Yeh Rishta.. is currently focussing on little Naksh’s (Shivansh Kotian) track says, “Children work as a great binding factor.
They also help in exploring new tracks that are realistic. More importantly they bring in a wider audience.” Veera’s producer Yash Patnaik adds that with children the emotional content is high, and it touches the heart of the audiences, who are reminded of their childhood. “Also, in every family there are children so there is a greater level of relatability,” he points out.

History with kids
Not just soaps, historicals like Prithviraj Chauhan, Jhansi Ki Rani, Chandragupta Maurya, Veer Shivaji and the latest Maharana Pratap have started their journey with the childhood of these famous personalities. Producers take great care in choosing the right kid, because if they connect, the makers strike gold. Whether it was Rajat Tokas in Prithviraj Chauhan, Ulka Gupta in Jhansi Ki Rani or Rushiraj Pawar in Chandragupta Maurya, they have been instrumental in making the show a success. Also, the serials’ history shows that when the kids give way to the grown-ups, the show hasn’t sustained in most cases. 

Nikhil Sinha, who had directed Prithviraj Chauhan, reasons that people are familiar with the child version of the character and when the grown-up character enters, it takes time to connect as the perspective and storytelling changes. As a result, producers continue with the child actor as long as possible. A case in point was Prithviraj Chauhan where Angad Bedi was to play the title role but Rajat became so popular that his track continued for two years and Angad, fed up of waiting, opted out! 

Reality bytes
Not just fiction, children are a big hit when it comes to reality shows too. Whether it’s Sa Re Ga Pa Little Champs, DID Li’l Masters or Chhote Miya, kids have always got better ratings. In fact, DID Li’l Masters is Zee’s trump card when it comes to shoring up the ratings.  Little wonder then, this year even Sony chose to have a kids competition in Indian Idol and Star Plus is set to experiment with Junior Masterchef that will have children showing off their culinary skills.

Needless to say, the kids are basking in all the attention. As Bhavesh Balchandani, Ranvi of Veera says, “I am being pampered by everyone and I’m loving it!”