Are these serials contemporary to the modern
I dare say that the roles depicted in the serials of the typical “saas’ and “bahu”, when taken not too seriously in their literal sense may be considered as worth watching, but the never ending pain and sheer nerve of the heroines is a bit too much. The saga continues mercilessly and the story becomes predictable (with a few serials of the same back-drop being telecasted in all the channels now). The core-story that these serials portray is mostly: politics within the family, about the mother-in-law’s harassing the daughter-in-law, about men sacrificing their “Oh, so called love” for their family, about parents forcing kids to marry according to their wishes, about the soon-to-be “saas” brain washing her son’s lover about the differences in their status, and the “so-called” lover moving out of the path owing to the ridicule they foresee … about marital rape, about sexual harassment, about benevolent relatives giving away their kids to the childless relatives, about wily sister-in-laws, about obscene relationships, about extra-marital relations, about ruthlessness, about inter-marrying between brother’s wives nad sister’s husbands, about sacrifices, about compromises, about love, about drugs and what not, you name it, you have it in your soap… and frankly the mixture is like a pigsty.
I am personally longing for serials which have more practicality than joint-family problems, and a house-wife holding the reins of the family-horse. I am tired of these typical house-wife persona portrayed in the serials, and am longing for serials like “friends” that portrays a simple day-to-day life of friends or “Full House”, a beauty which speaks volumes on family relations or to an extent “Left, Right left”, though I am darn sure army would never involve so much of drama and is way too neat, and the soldiers being way too professional and solid, but at least it gives a break from a typical house-wife routine or about serials where sacrifice is a life breath of it…
I am longing for sheer elegance and practicality and fun. I am looking forward to serials that portray a simple family that is built on shared responsibilities and values between its members, about a life of a typical family rather than a business tycoon and his saga with all the “Masala” of an Indian traditional Neanderthal concoction. Instead of loving every day of our progress towards our destiny, and making the most of the day in progress, why should we be bogged down by the problems which don’t have immediate, quick-fire solutions? Instead of treasuring our life, why are we portraying it as a tornado of problems, problems and problems? Life is not simple, I agree, but it is not a weight which we are dragging on our backs. It’s our life, and we can carry it with poise and elegance and take the happenings in the stride. Portray intellectuality, portray self-respect, portray confidence and attitude, portray logic and above all portray life to be beautiful and portray happiness. That is what I like to see in the media today, not a serial killer, or a half-baked story, or a public nudity portrayed as “high-class” style, hip and happening.
I guess the answer is in the deep-rooted culture, tainted by chauvinists of the then era. Time to grab the best of our values and welcome the changes that are taking place in the current society owing to the cross-cultural mingling. Time to take pride in self respect and start living a life, our life.
