Regressive Indian Television

My family thinks I should have been born in a foreign land and that I have mistakenly born in India. The reason I watch too much of English movies and soaps. I don’t think I am responsible for that.

If anyone watches the Indian television soaps, one would come to a conclusion that men in India just don’t exist. All the soaps are aimed at women and the men are supposed to stick to sports, news, business (if they have stock investment) and yes of course discovery and national geographic channels if their interests lies in science and nature.

There is hardly any kind of show on the Indian television which caters to the need of the men. I don’t think that leaves me with much of a choice except to watch Hollywood movies and soaps which does not show any kind of bend towards gender.

Only one channel probably comes close that has been able to cater to the needs of the youth in form of reality shows, this does sound a bit of irony considering the fact that the highest percentage of age group population is the youth in India and there is nothing on the television that caters to their need.

I do consider myself lucky that when I was growing up, there were some great soaps on the Indian television with messages and everything shown in a positive way.

The Sundays have never been the same as they were back in the old days which started with Rangoli and ended up with watching Ramayan/Mahabharat which would have the whole family glued to the television set and streets would be empty. I don’t think that is a sight I will ever see again.

There were so many great shows like Giant Robot, Malgudi Days, Nukkad, Vikram aur Betaal, Bharat Ek Khoj, Rajani, Fauji, Param Vir Chakra, Byomkesh Bakshi, Circus, Surbhi and many more that I watched as a kid. Cable channels too had some good soaps in the beginning!

I am still clueless how the Indian television which had such a great start came to a point that regressive soaps replaced it and the only thing that one could imagine is that a women’s past time is to hatch plans against her family on flimsy grounds for personal gain.

As for the men they are reduced to side actors or helping the women in their plots. We are supposed to call ourselves a modern India yet the Indian television represents an orthodox, conservative mentality that should have been best left in the past. I am not really sure if people understand how powerful the television can be in influencing human minds.

Just consider this as an example; Nitish Bhardwaj who played the famous role of Krishna in Mahabharata was treated like God when he visited villages for campaigning elections this was at a time which the reach of the television was still limited to the cities. One could only imagine the kind of influence it would have on the thinking mentality today when these regressive serials reaches in the living rooms of the rural people with a belief that if its on TV then it must be true!!

Why is there such a gross misrepresentation of the modern society in the Indian television? What is funny that all this is done saying that the audience demands such content and that’s why they show it. Do they really think that one can make a fool out of the audience not knowing what kind of crap is being showed? The makers of such shows do seem to live in a different reality.

In a bid to garner the highest TRP’s for the show, they sometimes give the shock effect. Remember the character Mihir Virani (Remember the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi serial) coming back to life after a public outcry. I am still wondering what kind of audience that would be who would sit and watch crap serials like this.

Off late reality shows seems to be the new fad, with every channel coming out with its own reality show. Reality shows like KBC, Dus Ka Dum are good but some of the reality shows are shown with an attempt to show how low one contestant can fall with all the twisted kind of tasks put in.

To be honest, living life is nothing short of battle that we all go through and at the end of the day; I don’t think anyone would like to watch the same thing over and over again. Unless these reality shows have a point to prove they won’t have a future!!

Who decides to telecast such soaps? They are the guys who apparently have a master’s degree against their education qualification and approve such “narrow-minded” shows that are aired on the channels. For them, TRP’s seem to be more important than showing good content. What I don’t understand how good content can be considered overrated that regressive serials are favored over them?

Though there have been a few exceptions where certain shows have come out with a social motive. I hope that others (makers of the serials) too understand that nothing attracts the viewer’s attention than good content.

Yes, last but not the least, do make serials for the younger generation too and yes men do watch the idiot box when they are at home, so please if anyone is planning to make a show keep that in mind...

BTW, came across a trailer of a new reality show which is nothing short of sadism at its best. Its about couples taking care of a babies. Here is the clip. I think that this should be banned and wonder what kind of parents give away their child to strangers just to earn a few bucks?

This is what we call entertainment?

P.S. Doordarshan channel recently completed 50 years of telecast. I miss those old days!! Koi lauta to woh bete huiye din :((