Somereality TV showstake things too far and push the boundaries between entertainment and humiliation. TheIndian reality showDadagiri(bullying)is a great example.Dadagiripremiered back in 2008 and featured contestants completing physical and mental challenges to claim the 50,000 rupee prize. But that’s easier said than done because the very format of the show was designed to put the contestants throughverbal abuse, intimidation, and psychological manipulation. Every episode featured the contestants facing off against a panel of bullies, all of whom were given characters to play. The idea was to mimicthe horrors of being bulliedon the first day of college.
DadagiriSeason 1, also known asDadagiri: Beat the Bulliesfeatured 4 bullies, includingVishal Bhosleas The Beast,Sharmain Jainas The Mindstein,Esha Bhaskaras The Goddess, andQuaiser Jamalas Juicy The Chef, who forced the contestants to eat all kinds of nasty foods. They broke down the contestants’ confidence in their own way, through mind games and open hostility. But these bullies often went beyond just insults, because the veryobjective of the show was to provoke extremely emotional responsesfrom the contestants.
The Viral Moment That Ruined Ravi Bhatia’s Life
In an interview withThe Times of India,Ravi Bhatia, a contestant onDadagiriSeason 1, shared that the show was about70% scripted and 30% improvised.In a viral moment from Season 1, Bhatia was beingsubjected to verbal abuseby Esha Bhaskar, during which things took an ugly turn. The objective was to get Bhatia to retaliate. However, he remained calm during the torment. In fact, as Bhaskar continued to insult Bhatia and the other contestants for not retaliating, Bhatia claimed that it was because they did not want to talk to her. That pushed Bhaskar to take things to a whole new level byslapping him without any warning.
Caught off guard by the unexpected aggression, Bhatia instantly slapped her back as he exclaimed “How can you slap?”The confrontation heated upalmost immediately as the host and othermembers of the cast and crew lunged at Bhatia.He continued to yell “How can she slap me” out of anger and frustration. But no one listened to him and instead, the crew members’ aggression against him only intensified. Bhatia was called names and thebullies and producers said horrific things about his sister and mother, who weren’t even present there. Bhatia started crying as a result of the unexpected attack, but no one on set listened to him or helped him out.
The Aftermath of Bhatia’s Slap
The “How can she slap” incident went viral for many reasons, andbrought in all kinds of reactions ranging from ridicule to empathy. While some people turned Bhatia’s reaction into a meme, others were disturbed by the cruelty of the situation. Bhatia’s response — a slap in reaction to Bhaskar’s aggression — might have been reflexive, but it was also inappropriate. Many viewers supported him, and perceived it as a moment of self-defense. However, slapping back crossed a line that didn’t justify his retaliation, regardless of the circumstances. In an interview withThe Hindu,Bhaskar shared that she cannot be good to the contestantsbecause her character is a mean girl who loves putting people down. Her exact words were: “If I talk to them politely, it will contradict the role and our tagline,‘TV’smeanest game showin India.’”
In a conversation with Brut India, Ravi Bhatia opened up about the incident and claimed that he still regrets it to this day. He shared how embarrassing it was for him to have the entire world laugh at his misery. As far as his reaction goes,Bhatia confessed that he shouldn’t have slapped Bhaskar,but admitted that the reaction was a reflexive response in the heat of the moment. He shared that his family members believed he should have just walked away instead of retaliating.
Popular Reality TV Game Shows Hit With Discrimination Claims
“It’s not all fun and games anymore”
The Slap Incident Affected Bhatia’s Acting Dreams
However, considering that he was later attacked by the cast and crew, the memory remains bittersweet for him. The incident also came in the way of Bhatia pursuing hislife-long dream of acting. He recalled going for TV, commercial, or film auditions andhaving people recognize him as the man who slapped Bhaskar.
It took him four years to finallyland a role in a daily Indian soap,which kickstarted his career as an actor. He also went on to work in Indonesian soaps, where his work was extremely well received by the audience. When he returned to India in 2018, Bhatia took on the role of producing the filmShukla The Tigerfor a famous Indian streaming platform. In the same interview with Brut India, Bhatia shared that he feels bad that hisfilms and TV showsdid not get the same attention as his infamous viral moment. “I want to get famous for my work, for my acting,” added the formerDadagiricontestant. Ravi Bhatia ended upserving the producers of the show a legal notice and demanded a public apologyfrom them. The producers, however, did not respond.
There Are Systemic Issues Within Indian Reality TV
Over the years, Indian reality television has garnered a reputation for shock-driven programming, wheredrama and controversyare more important than authenticity and respect for contestants. Shows likeDadagiricapitalize on public humiliation to keep the audience hooked.This instance with Bhatia and Bhaskar wasn’t isolated — it revealed a systemic problem within Indian reality TV culture, where contestants’ boundaries are routinely crossed for the sake of ratings. Producers are okay with contestants being pushed over the edge for entertainment value — even slapped and assaulted in this case.
In Season 13 ofBigg Boss,anotherIndian reality showthat aired in 2019, contestantMadhurima Tulioncestruck fellow contestantVishal Aditya Singhwith a frying panduring an altercation. This incident led to her immediate eviction from the show. Although this is a spat between contestants,the fact that it happened and was aired in the first place is a problemin itself. The show is constantly criticized for encouraging confrontations and emotional breakdowns for shock value. This dynamic invites viewers to question the ethics of these shows, where the lines between entertainment, respect, and exploitation blur.
Reality TV in India reflects an overall troubling industry standard that normalizes confrontational and even violent behavior in the name of viewership, and that indicates a need for reevaluation of what’s considered acceptable in televised entertainment.All parties involved in the saidDadagiriincident are wrong, including Bhatia, who should never have retaliated. Moreover, the men who are defending Bhaskar are also threatening grotesque violence against Bhatia’s sister and mother, which puts every man in that room at fault for their reactions. TheDadagirislap incident is an unfortunate blemish that should be the catalyst for change in the industry.
