Escaype Live Exclusive! Jaaved Jaaferi on reality shows nowadays: I personally don't subscribe to Bigg Boss and sensational shows

The year was 1996, when Jaaved Jaaferi, Naved Jaffrey, and Ravi Behl judged the dance-based reality show, Boogie Woogie, on Indian television. The show became a cult instantly, and it was something that India witnessed for the very first time back in the 90s. During an exclusive interaction with OTTplay, Jaaved was quizzed about his take on the current reality show setup as he introduced it in India around 25 years back.

The actor-host told us, "I did something called 'talent reality show'. I don't subscribe to shows like Bigg Boss and sensational shows, which use very basic human feelings, which are a lot. People are having fun watching someone fight and abuse each other. What you see is very gossipy, technically. You know, for me, I don't think—I'm not being judgmental about somebody, but that's not something I think I would watch."

Jaaved went on to say, "I would rather watch a good story told as a film or I'd rather watch a documentary, which is amazing in giving knowledge on Discovery and National Geographic. I love that. I think it's amazing to watch the world around you, the universe around you. There's so much to see and learn. I enjoy that personally, and I listen to TED talks. I listen to people's experiences, so why would I just sit and listen to the fighting and bickering? What is it at the end of the day? So it's not my cup of tea."

The actor's latest outing, Escaype Live, has premiered on Disney+ Hotstar. When asked about what he thinks of everything becoming a trend or going viral, Jaaved stated, "I think somewhere we are all subscribing to mediocrity or the mundane. I mean, like not even mediocrity, sometimes it's like c**p. Why am I watching this? Somebody is following five million or eight million in flow. What are you shooting? What are you doing? If you say something like, 'Wow, you're a really good singer, dancer, performer, or sportsperson,' you're highlighting your talent. If you are into physical fitness and someone inspires you to get fit, fair enough. But if somebody is standing, walking, or lip-syncing somebody's dialogue or songs, what I mean is, it's total time pass."

He added, "If you create something original, I will enjoy it. If you are doing comedy or a stand-up routine, fine. I will laugh with you. If you are a beautiful dancer or a fantastic singer, fine, use the platform. But just as time passes, do something at least!"