Wednesday 24 April 2013

T & U = Television & Unlimited Regression


So, here I am, trying my best to return to my blogger self. I lost the steam since Q and only posted some cheat posts after that. Now as I had failed to write anything for T so thought of combining it with U.  
I am here talking about Daily serials of Indian Television industry.- ‘Kkkkkk soaps’. Those who are not able to make out its meaning, I am actually referring to mindless, gaudy, overtly melodramatic daily soaps of Indian Television. But why…Kkkkk soaps? Well, I am trying to name this horrible genre of TV soaps with its origin…. How can we forget that this all had been started by ‘so called’ TV soap queen – Kekta Madam (Don’t you dare to disintegrate the K from her name!!!).
I am not getting into the details that how & when this genre changed the face of the TV industry. No. I won’t say that I miss those weekly TV serials or old Series like Buniyaad, Humlog or anything else similar to that. Everything has transformed into glossier & more glamorous now a days so why only blame Television.
You surf through any Hindi entertainment channel ( why blame only Hindi, any other regional language channel are also same), and you would find almost cloned story plots, overdone faces, horrendously kitschy outfits, loud acting and loads of glycerin. Even though chronologically we are in 21st century but the trash kkk soaps which are aired actually compel you to go back to some 18th or 19th century. I observed few different channels which cemented my belief that they are somehow trying to give us a ride in time machine.
A young girl of in her twenties who was shown widow of the protagonist of the show is made to wear spotless white saree even though her spouse died months back. And this too when the story backdrop is not rural but the national capital of India.
Another channel is showing that how a couple who got married against their parent’s will &permission is trying hard to get the acceptance in the family. So, the videshi DIL has to pass certain tests set by the head of the family. The nature of those tests varies from wearing a saree, washing whole house after drawing water from the well, preparing food for the whole 56 member family, or singing devotional songs with correct pronunciation in the temple even before the sun rises. The dutiful DIL keeps on participating in those tests with a big smile plastered to her face and without even uttering a single protest.
An illiterate eve-teaser or to be precise a molester forcibly marries an educated girl and the next 1000 episodes are aired justifying his passionate love which forced him to own that woman without her consent. She was shown to fall in his love after some hundred episodes when she realizes he has a golden heart which contains obsessive love for her!!!
A contemporary girl gets married and a 360 degree makeover takes place. She is shown roaming around only in sarees, accessorized with big ‘Mangalsutra’ and the vermillion is somehow placed in her hair-parting with help of a ruler or scale which is generally found in a student’s geometry box!!
Any woman with a career in her mind and ambitions has to be vile & negative in character. She would soon realize her incompetence in front of the sacrificing housewife who eats her meal only after her family members have been fed and burped!
I can continue to write about these instances endlessly. These regressive tracks are surprisingly the biggest TRP puller. I know so many people including me who don’t watch this stuff but then this fact cannot be negated that a large chunk of population is hooked to these shows and follow them religiously. I know its impact on the literate class is limited only to the imitation of designer outfits & jewelry but the less educated strata are hugely affected in different way. I had discussed with my maid and concluded that somehow many of them believe that whatever shown in these serials are for real or closely connected to reality. Another thing which they believe is that if these serials are showing any regressive track on economically upper class background then it should be followed. As per her, when an English speaking couple is following these mindless track in the serials then it must have some logic and reason.
These regressive serials in all the channels are actually spamming our entertainment quota. Far away from reality, these monotonous & senseless shows keep on mushrooming through all the channels irrespective of language or religion.

15 comments:

  1. :D

    Nice post... I agree I simply hate these serials and hence have completely stopped watching TV. I only see movies / songs on it thats it.

    They are too disturbing to watch and I thought TV was for relaxation.

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  2. It sure is a crowd puller. More the melodrama more the pull

    PhenoMenon

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  3. Thanks for writing this !!
    I hate these holier than thou bahus and the crap all serials churn out
    Star world is my fav channel. Among hindi channels even if u watch one serial u can follow alll !
    I used to watch parvarish in sony but left it mid way
    every thing is dead boring

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  4. Ha Ha...I go back enlightened...The plots are just out of the world ;) - Kekta??? Rofl...

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  5. I agree with every word in this post. Where are the script writers who can write real stories?

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  6. I hate these tele-serials with a capital H. They are so regressive and I cant stand watching them. The last time I watched a serial was in 2004. That was Kasauti Zindagi Ki and when it became wierder by the day, I left watching it too. In fact at our home, Sony, Zee, Star Plus, Colors are NEVER watched!

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  7. I am completely out of the TV serial loop - I only watch the mythological shows - at least they have a story!

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  8. I am so glad I do not watch TV... Books and blogging take up all the time I have :) :)

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  9. This is not my forte...I don't like watching them.

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  10. I would rather read.I watch movies on cable TV.The soaps get written in the same format year after year because there are people who love them.

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  11. I hardly ever watch TV - let alone the TV serials - but when I put the TV on the other day, and flicked through the channels, I was shocked at the kind of rubbish that is being passed off as entertainment.

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  12. I know what you mean! I hate the whole concept of serials nowadays. Now, there's also Bold and Beautiful and Desperate Housewives with everyone sleeping with everyone to add to this! :D

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  13. God, I detest these serials. My mom watches a lot of those. You should see the incredibly tacky, loud western wear the villain wears. It's so unfair. And oh, these days they bring in movie songs to let the characters speak, it is pathetic!

    I agree totally. These are so far away from reality.

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  14. Lol. Nice post. I used to watch; but when they turn to those never ending thing it just broke my patience.

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  15. Agree, instead of spreading modern and progressive thoughts, our TV promotes regression, indirect violence against women, and nonsense values. Its really regressive. I just watch a Marathi serial, which is based in pre independence era. Its about a social reformer, Ramabai Ranade, how she fought all odds, got educated and worked towards upliftment of women and particularly widows

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