FlippED is an ED Original style wherein two bloggers come together to share their opposing or orthogonal perspectives on an interesting subject.
Indian TV serials are the beating heart of every home. There is still no family that does not dine together while watching Starplus or Zee TV on their televisions.
They have been a dose of entertainment for people of all ages for a long time! From ‘Tappu ke papa Muze sab pata hai, aap Kaha Gaye the kyu Gaye the’ to ‘Rasode main Kaun tha?’ dialogues of Indian Soaps have climbed everyone’s tongue.
But are Indian serials really worth watching? Are they wrapped up in insane drama and dialogues, or do they have a message for society?
So, here I am, along with a fellow blogging buddy, to express our opinions on it.
BLOGGER TINA’S OPINION
If someone would ask me the opposite of sanity, I would say Indian serials. From Gopi bahu washing laptop with soap and water to a sole girl fighting against terrorists, the absurdity is at the apex level. Plus, let’s not forget about the deep-rooted patriarchy in such daily soaps that make my mind boggle.
Indian Serials = Patriarchy
Patriarchy is synonymous with Indian daily soaps. There is always a mother-in-law who wants a mute (not literally) daughter-in-law for her raja beta who cannot lift a cup of tea without his mom’s permission. The daughter-in-law needs to wake up before sunrise, be laden in gold and a 1 kg saree, cook delicious food, and work all day long to be qualified as decent.
An independent tomboyish woman who speaks her mind is represented as the villain of the story. No one wants to marry her unless she overnight transitions like Anjali from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai transitioned from a tomboy to a long-haired saree-wearing woman.
Naagins and Witches and All Things Mystical
Could you possibly imagine an adult viewer enjoying a serial where a woman is also a snake? I mean, there is Harry Potter for children in which he talks to snakes and even that seems bizarre. So this is another level of absurdity altogether.
Then, the lead character will definitely die once trying to save humanity only to be brought back to life magically. The concept of reincarnation, rebirth, etc. is so commonly seen in Indian soaps that it is not even a plot twist anymore.
And of course, the mystical dousing of a diya, indicating that something unfortunate is going to happen. Lightning in the sky or a family photo falling on the ground are also bad omens.
No End To Absurdity
The longer the bindi, the more evil the woman is. There’s always one sister-in-law who has diabolical plans for the lead female character. 80% of the episode goes in crying and on redundant face zooms and reaction repeats.
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The girl from the middle-class family would fall in love with a boy from a rich family and then make him a good person. Their love story always starts with them hating each other in the beginning.
Women go to bed in proper makeup and heavy accessories every single night.
I can go on and on about how stupid and bizarre Indian serials are. They, in no way, represent true values and conditions of society and just portray women as some devi who takes the burden of the entire family on herself. Times have progressed, serials have not.
BLOGGER SOUNDARYA’S OPINION
Ever imagined how cool it would have been, had these soap operas aired content that depicted moral education in a desi and in a contemporary manner? Every other household in the neighborhood has some daily serials that unite all the family members during luncheons and dinners.
Growth of Indian Storylines and Plots
Nowadays, viewers of these aren’t only ladies and it won’t be apt if we draw an analogy between ladies and Indian TV Serials. We have a vast group of people viewing them irrespective of age and work.
For this reason, the content creators have left no stone unturned to showcase various aspects of life!
Times have gone when we used to watch the never-ending feud between in-laws or characters getting vanished out of nowhere in the pretext of a plot twist.
The popularity of these hypothetical, thrillers and supernatural serials stems from the fact that we either enjoy watching the insanity or are genuinely interested in it. But, in reality, we’re encouraging the makers to make them because we’ve been giving them what they want as well (i.e. views, popularity, hype, etc.).
People gradually realized the need of airing shows that depict real problems which can relate to the common folks watching it with such enthusiasm. It’s, therefore, we who decide whether a serial is a hit or a flop.
Embracing Realities
Gone are those days when people were hooked up to Naagin, and Yeh Jaadu hai Jinn Ka. Serials like Anupamaa, Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah, Ikkyavan, and Everest have topped the TRP ratings and this proves that they have started loving originality, humor, and genuinity.
Stories of courage, valor, humor, and plots that emphasize social issues and taboos cautiously so that people inculcate in themselves human values.
We do have a number of illiterate people too as the viewers of these TV Serials and the creators and directors have taken this into account and have started to develop and normalize content that is really close to their viewers’ real-life problems and situations.
Thus, they have found a method to make them aware of various circumstances and teach them basic human values keeping in mind not to lessen the entertainment part.
What are your views regarding Indian Soaps? Let us know in the comment section below.
Image Credits: Google Images
Find the blogger: @chiinniiiii & @TinaGarg18
This post is tagged under: TV Serial; Indian TV Channel; Anupamaa; yeh rishta kya kehlata hai; Naagin; Indian Soaps; Soap operas; Indian; Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah; Ikkyavan; Everest; Bizzare Hindi Serials; Drama; Romance; Hindi Drama; TRP; Starplus; Zee TV
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