Children Working in Media in India: Is their Childhood Endangered?

In India the entertainment and media sector is seen as one of the fastest growing industry in the country. According to a report jointly published by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and KPMG, the media and entertainment industry in India is likely to grow 12.5 percent per annum over the next five years and touch US$ 20.09 billion by 2013¹. There are several popular television serials featuring young children and sometimes in the lead roles. These child actors are gaining so much popularity that it has become a full time job and some of them are acting or participating in more than one TV serial or reality shows.

What is disturbing is the fact that the trend of engaging the young children so early in life in the media industry is increasing at a very fast pace in comparison to the past two decades. The media industry seems to be easily alluring children as it gives not only fame but money too, early in life. The children become stars overnight. This growing trend of children joining the media industry can turn into a major problem for the children, as they are very young and may be face lots of pressure and competition on the sets among themselves to remain on top. This paper is an attempt to look into the life and problems of these children and find a solution, so that they can enjoy life as normal children.