TV Realism, Really?

A recent article in a daily provoked me to write on the new-genre absorbing TV serials that seemed to have taken the dinner table to the TV room. No longer do the stories narrate the saas-bahu soapiness that appeared a decade ago. So they say. Who? Well the producers, the writers and of course the viewers.

I for one have been against any form of these serials cause no matter what garb they wear they turn out to be the same formula serials- beautiful girl+handsome boy+suppressive parents+family feuds+disgusting love stories+aging complaining grand parents+generations and generations of repetition. One would think that I see all these serials to know their catchy stories but nah all I have to do is talk to my seven year old neighbor or watch a few commercial breaks.

A few days back I was taking to the same seven year old neighbor who now lives in Delhi but comes every summer break to visit her grandparents. I found her wearing spectacles this time. I joked and asked her if she was studying too much. Well as blunt as kids can be her prompt reply was, ‘No I’ve been watching a lot of TV.’ According to her she watches cartoons up till five of clock in the evening and all her mom’s serials after eight. When asked why she watches them she goes- ‘dinner wahin hota hai.’ (Dinner is in front of the TV.)

TV seems to be an inevitable part of daily life. Unfortunately rather than becoming a means of connecting people and spreading awareness it is just justifying its age old status of an idiot box. If the TV was on twitter I wonder what its status messages would be!

The article I read lashed out on the ‘we are addressing social issues to create awareness’ serials like Balika Vadhu and others which I haven’t heard of. Looks like the silver screen is producing at thrice the rate the big screen is. Not that the big screen is coming out with magnificent stuff all the time. Though these serials start out with the hope of addressing social evils like eve-teasing, child marriage, domestic violence, girl child education, female infanticide etc they turn paths and start running on the same old track of the above given formula. I was shocked to read that the serial addressing eve-teasing had actually got the girl who is supposed to be the ‘stand up against eve-teasing role model’ married to the eve-teaser! And they have been nominated for some best Jodi award! Moral of the story- go get married to your eve-teaser. But which one? Well I am sure the next serial will address this issue too- ‘how to chose from your eve-teasers.’ The story-line of these serials is appalling and what shocks me most is that the TRPs seem to be increasing with the number of love stories and twists in the serial. The writers claim that they only write what the viewers want. If this is what the viewers wish for I am going to start having nightmares.

Balika Vadhu apparently now shows the married children living happily ever after which has led to reactions like- ‘an early marriage helps in better adjustment’ from well educated men and women. I think an early marriage leads to killing of choice and reconciliation with the situation. Being young you can’t even voice your opinions. Is this the kind of adjustment we are trying to achieve- a passive no-other-way-out one!

Another thing that I find ironical in these ‘realistic’ serials is the costume. I am yet to see a woman sleep in an absolute bling, shiny saree with pokey things and abundant jewels. Not even multi-millionaires sleep in such attire. Its humanly uncomfortable!

I think I am just so sick of these serials I don’t even know what else to write. The cons I can write about them are endless and the pros, well, let’s just say they are RIP.