The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) recently directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council to suspend all television ratings until it secures a renewed license under the new Television Ratings Policy, 2026. As the industry navigates the impact of this move, actor Smita Bansal is looking at the bright side.
Having worked on TV for close to three decades in shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Balika Vadhu and Sanjivani, Bansal says she “never understood the TRP game”. Actor Smita Bansal says she has never believed the system is an accurate measure of a show’s success. Calling it “confusing,” Bansal says she has “never understood the TRP game,” questioning how a handful of sample households can decide the popularity of content watched by millions.
“I’ve been skeptical of the ratings system throughout my career, especially after seeing well-made shows fail despite their quality,” she tells us. “I’ve seen some very good shows not get TRPs and get shut down early. I don’t understand how it can be the right tool to judge a show’s success or failure.” She adds that TRPs should never be the sole benchmark. “Whether this decision is right or wrong is debatable, but I don’t feel TRP is a good judge of popularity. Ultimately, the audience decides whether a show is good or bad,” says the 48-year-old.
Questioning the methodology, Smita says the system doesn’t reflect TV’s diverse audience. “Who are these people? Which homes have these devices? Television has a massive audience across the country. How can one percentage decide what’s working? Every show has its own audience, children, youngsters, older viewers. Judging every show by one number is something I’ve never agreed with.”For her, ratings don’t dictate effort. “If my show’s TRP is low, I won’t work any less on the character. And higher TRPs don’t mean I’ll perform better. As an actor, you always give your best.” The real measure of success, she says, is audience connection. “When people recognize me because of a character, that is popularity. That’s how I judge if a show is working.”
Smita, last seen in Bhagyalakshmi which ended in June last year after a 4-year run, is now returning with a finite, Army-based drama. Unlike daily soaps, it has a fixed 30-episode storyline planned from start to finish. “The TRP game won’t apply here because we’ve almost shot the entire series. Everything is pre-decided. There’s no chance of changing anything, and I think that’s beautiful,” she says.She adds the format reminds her of early TV. “When I started, stories were finite. As an actor, you knew where your character was going. In long-running shows, you don’t know what you’ll do next week.”