We must talk sex: Siddharth Basu

We must talk sex: Siddharth Basu


Why do you think people choose to bare their secrets on the show?

The prize may be an incentive, or 15 minutes of fame, but these can take a backseat as the contestants get involved, with a number of them saying on the show that they have come for validation, or absolution, ( "prayaschit ", "sukoon", "bojh uthaane", "halka hone", "sach saabit karne"). We've heard a whole host of reasons - to prove that that they truly love someone, or that thay have not cheated, or to confess to things so that they can get some peace and closure and move on.

Our brief to the team is not 'let's dig up some scandal about this person', or 'lets look for ways to embarass him'. On the other hand, our approach is very similar to best practices in journalism. It's — here are people who've volunteered to walk over the coals for truth, lets find out how truthful they truly are, what they want to hide, and what they want to come clean with. We look to find out and tell the human story. And thats what we think viewers respond to.

Do you think we, as a society, are changing, becoming more open?

Our society is going through tremendous transition. Social and sexual mores are in a huge state of flux. A show like Sach Ka Saamna strikes a chord with viewers because we are holding up a mirror to reflect what is going on around us. People are willing to bring things out into the open and deal with them. This includes deeply bothersome issues related to family structures, sexuality among others. These issues are seldom aired. However, denial or sweeping all of them under the carpet is not going to make them go away. We've deliberately kept the environment of the show compassionate and civilised, which allows the participant to have full say on his or her side of the story. The sizeable viewership seems to suggest that all of this has substantial acceptance.

Did you expect such a response to Sach ka Saamna?

Sach Ka Saamna has had a record opening and in fact was the best non-fiction launch on general entertainment channels since 2008. Thirty million are supposed to have sampled it in the first three days alone. Since the show opened, at last count there are over 21,000 people who have written in wanting to participate on the show and everyday more than 600 people call in with the same request.

It is a show that makes people sit up and take notice. It engages their thoughts, feelings and conscience and helps get a better understanding of what's going on in the hearts and heads of people around them. It's high drama that can be very thought provoking and moving. And that is what people are responding to.

How did you feel about the court verdict.. which said that people are free to tell the truth in public if they choose to?

We welcome the verdict. Censorship and banning have implications far beyond the fate of a single show. Anybody who cares for an open, pluralistic and free society would resist calls to muzzle free speech. Those who don't like the show can always switch away from it.

Do you agree that the questions asked on the show are risque and could put relationships in jeopardy — for eg, a husband admitting to thoughts of another woman when in bed with his wife, or a wife confessing to having contemplated her husband's murder?

Questions dealing with sexuality form a small percentage of the questions put to the contestants. They are neither graphic nor explicit by the standards of what obtains in the rest of our mass media and literature, and neither is the attitude of the show in any way salacious, or prurient.

It is about coming clean about things that are hidden, or need validation, before people you are closely connected to, before the world. This comes out of research with the participants, whose participation is entirely voluntary, who know each and every question that is going to be asked to them before they come on to the show, and can quit at any time.

About this putting their relationships in jeopardy, this could happen in any forum or disclosure, but so far there are none that we've heard of, and we sincerely hope it stays that way. The hope is that even if there are cracks, things will be dealt with and bettered once things are out in the open.

What factors convinced you that India was ready for such a show?

We've worked hard to make Sach Ka Saamna work for Indian sensibilities, to allow for individual narrative, empathy, understanding, compassion, to make it thought provoking. Prior to going on air two separate pilots were made and tested with focus groups across the country. The response was heartening. Since its launch, the response and ratings suggest that a huge number of Indians are mature enough and ready for it.