Just the other day, I was flipping channels trying to find something sensible to watch. The Internet connection was down and I could not get my daily dose of House of Cards or snatches of Ellen’s show.
To my dismay though, most Hindi channels were filled with nothing but regressive nonsense. From a show where the protagonist forcefully marries the female lead because his bride ran away, to another where the matriarch of the family is against the women of the house working or stepping out without her permission. Her iron will is finally challenged by the entry of this ‘modern bahuriya’ and you think things might change, yet it’s only a matter of time till she too turns into a docile, obedient daughter-in-law. Then, there’s another where one girl is another’s Kaala Teeka . And, I gathered this within just a few minutes of browsing channels, watching trailers and reading synopses.
I am not even going to get into the absurd number of shows that deal with the supernatural.
What leaves me stumped is, these shows are very little like the society we live in. So, if art is an imitation of life or vice versa, Indian television today seems to be a very poor imitation. Most urban educated families today are so much more progressive, so is a lot of the rural population. So why reduce actors to playing trashy roles?
After all, how many vamps do we all have back home, spending the better part of their lives scheming and plotting, and how many of us spend our days finding ways to thwart these villains?
Remember the time when we had shows such as Byomkesh Bakshi, Tehkikaat, Shanti, Swabhimaan, Tara and Dekh Bhai Dekh ? Where we were immersed in the characters’ lives and cried and laughed — but not at anyone. Sure, they weren’t daily soaps, but their content was good. With great plots and actors, the shows were so much more progressive.
Take, for instance, Shanti . The show revolved around Shanti, a journalist (Mandira Bedi), who delves into the dark secrets of two powerful men from the film industry. Dealt with maturity, the show went on to gain cult status.
Exploring relationships was Swabhimaan , with its lead protagonist Svetlana (Kitu Gidwani) left to deal with the fall outs of her patron’s death. With a stellar cast boasting the likes of Anju Mahendru, Manoj Bajpai, Deepak Parashar, Achint Kaur and Sandhya Mridul, among others, the show dealt with succession rights and fights over property. Quite unlike the plotting and scheming we see going on in shows today.
For humour, one had shows such as Banegi Apni Baat, Tu Tu Main Main and Dekh Bhai Dekh , with humour that was clean and relatable. Not the crass material picked up by a Kapil Sharma or Comedy Nights, or cross-dressing actors to elicit laughs. There was just pure, simple humour and situational comedy.
If you wanted some edge-of-the-seat mystery, there was good old Byomkesh Bakshi and Tehkikaat . Not the over-the-top-drama provided by similar shows today. For high-schoolers there was Hip Hip Hurray , a show that dealt with the simplicity of school life and its associated triumphs and challenges.
Today, there’s just the aggression and unreal melodrama of shows such as Bigg Boss, Dare 2 Date and Splitsvilla .
Quite often, a show launches with the promise of being different or showcasing strong women, but soon succumbs to the drivel that is Indian television.
There’s always an exception, such as the more recent POW: Bandi Yuddh Ke , which takes you into the lives of two war heroes, their re-integration in society and ties with the families, minus the unnecessary melodrama and unrealism. But, when the multitude of shows continues to function on the same old formula, it clouds over what Indian television could really be.
Do we have an Udaan to look up to and reinforce faith in the system? A mellow hospital drama that was Jeevan Rekha ? A Rajni that will rouse consumers into fighting against the establishment? A Hasratein, Sailaab or Astitva that explored extra-marital relationships with finesse? Or, a Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai that threw the spotlight on love and loss in a family?
Television today needs to catch up; maybe, reflect the century we’re living in. So, will some sensible television shows please stand up?
