What Is the Story About?
The Tribe is a Bigg Boss-like reality show, where five happening Indian female influencers are sent on a paid holiday to Los Angeles. The initiative is a baby of an entrepreneur Hardik Zaveri, who’s quite excited about the potential of the content collaboration and is ready to spend what it takes to deliver results. However, the going isn’t all too smooth.
Analysis
The timeliness and relevance of a show like The Tribe in an Indian context can’t be disputed. These are times when trends and norms are set by social media influencers and content creation is viewed as a long-term, viable career option that pays well – the beauty is that the norms keep changing with time. One must be truly on their toes to digest the feedback, be malleable and soak it all in, with a certain lightness.
The Tribe brings together five Indian influencers from various walks of life with different areas of specialisation on a holiday to LA. The aim is to create content regularly that engages, inspires, strikes a chord and eventually makes money. Before they jet to the US, the show offers a brief glimpse of their personal and professional backgrounds, hinting at the value they’d bring to the project.
The entire project is the brainchild of Hardik Zaveri and Alanna Panday – the founders of Collab Tribe. While Hardik doesn’t mind spending big money on the influencers and his pet project, he expects a sincere effort from them to make quality content, without letting the in-house drama overtake the collaboration. Alanna tries hard to nurture the group’s creative juices – doing her best to channel their energies in the right direction.
Interestingly, the show is off to a colourful start at Alanna Panday’s wedding – graced by the who’s who of Hindi cinema, the fashion industry and the business scene (what’s a Karan Johar production without a wedding?). There’s Srushti Porey, Alaviaa Jaaferi – the hotshot fashion influencers, while Aryaana Gandhi brings music to the mix. Meanwhile, Afia Jaffri, a culinary enthusiast, is returning to social media after a sabbatical.
The drama, as they stay together in LA, is similar to Bigg Boss, albeit with some sophistication. There’s a mini-quarrel around the room allocation – until Alanna and her husband take charge of the situation and return to their residence. While Alaviaa keeps throwing tantrums about her ‘box-like’ room, Alfia is stereotyped as the ‘victim card’ woman, who feels left out of the group.
Alfia focuses less on her cooking videos and keeps referring to her diabetes, panic attacks and divorce at a young age, making that her sole identity. After developing a camaraderie, she and Srushti get into an ugly fight – a segment that the show milks fully for the drama. The influencers are not quite happy about Alaviaa either primarily due to her insensitive gossiping and the lack of effort to fit into the group.
Aryaana, probably the least controversial person in the group, has a good time with her model boyfriend Kyle but gets a mouthful from Hardik late into the show for a ‘crappy’ music video. Alanna constantly tries to be the ice-breaker in the group – being friendly but reminding the women of the purpose behind the project. There are adventure activities, parties and fun photo shoots for some entertainment.
While The Tribe provides a good idea of the drama that goes into content creation, it isn’t interested in the finer details – the ideation, the filters, reacting to the feedback. It milks the interpersonal clashes, tiffs among the five women for the show. Yet, there’s an entertainment value that keeps you glued to it – who doesn’t like hot bods, good clothes and eye-candy drama after all?
The Tribe works as guilty pleasure-viewing, but there could’ve been a better, clearer purpose behind the concept. Have fun while it lasts, don’t expect any fireworks though!
Highlights?
The lavishness and the drama
Interesting concept
The effort to understand the lives of social media influencers
Drawbacks?
Doesn’t quite get going, loses steam mid-way
Unexpected ending
Not enough diversity among the participants
Did I Enjoy It?
No, but works as a time-pass fare
Will You Recommend It?
If you like watching good-looking women fighting it out in a house in LA, sure
The Tribe Series Review by Binged Bureau