Realty bytes elderly couple, HC comes to rescue

MADURAI: An elderly couple ‘tricked’ into washing dirty linen in front of the television camera for a realty show can breathe easy as the Madras HC (Madurai Bench) has blocked broadcast of the episode featuring them.A 61-year old Madurai resident Charles had moved the court pleading to restrain Zee Tamil television channel from broadcasting an episode of ‘Soluvathellam Unmai’ featuring him and his 90% visually-challenged wife Shanthi (couple’s names changed). Charles said if the programme was aired, he would end his life out of embarrassment.He contended that producers of the show, in which people are encouraged to discuss  private matters in the name of family counselling, had tricked his wife into sharing personal issues.Shanthi was invited to the studio to participate in a ‘cookery programme’. However, the show’s anchor Nirmala Periyasamy put probing questions which Shanthi unsuspectingly answered. Charles was also on camera. The couple learnt later that they had actually auditioned for a realty show.“I was totally astonished and embarrassed to the core,” Charles said and pointed out that in previous episodes some participants had even come to blows.Anticipating that the episode could be telecast this week, he prayed to the court to restrain the channel from broadcasting it and ban the show. Holding that Charles had made out a prima facie case, Justice K K Sasidharan directed the channel not to broadcast the episode and ordered notices to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Broadcasting Content Complaints Council and Zee Enterprises to respond to the ban plea.