For months, the contestants of Bhutan Star danced to the tune of the judges and sang their hearts out to impress them and the audience. What finally prevails, however, say observers, is the nimble touch of a few buttons on mobiles and landlines.

The quest for the country’s first star did not quite start on a good note, at least moneywise. The first attempt to collect funds through a concert by Indian Idol Prashant Tamang failed in terms of generating both revenue and crowd. And the organiser complaining about a lack of sponsors resulted into little or no attention on the contestants.

The concept, being tried for the first time in the country, was in itself hardly new. Neither was the process of income generation. Nor the manner of presentation.

To declare the names of contestants, who scored the least votes, something that should not take a minute, the host instead held back tantalisingly, building suspense and playing with the already frayed contestants’ emotions.

This is much a part of many reality shows (especially those that flood our homes through Indian reality show channels), but, as much as it shows and polishes the host’s oratory skills, the audience does not find this act of creating suspense appealing. Most said they preferred the results being declared without any drama.

Today, as the four-month old drama comes to an end, what’s new is the winding-up process of the star hunt. And since drama always translates into votes and votes into revenue, the organisers have decided to keep voting lines open, unlike other shows and contests, for ten days after the grand finale. This, according to organiser Nguldrup Dorjikss, is for the public to make a better judgment. (The results will be declared on December 31)

Another new aspect was the grand finale, which was on ticket system and not telecast live on television. To collect fund for prizes, said Nguldrup Dorjikss. Even the tickets sold during the finals were the unsold ones from Prashant Tamang’s concert with the date overwritten. Audiences in other districts were later remembered and the finals rebroadcast.

The priority, we realise, is far from a hunt for talent or a search for the country’s best voice. The priority is money.

Voting through SMS (short message service) may be democratic but, observers say, also flawed and biased, because one number can vote unlimited times. The contestants can vote for themselves and this, many feel, can overshadow real talent.

Authority rationalise by calling it a “commercial” activity. But the question going around is – should talent be compromised for commercialism?

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