Monday, February 25, 2008

Kahaani Soap operas ki

Do you feel like detaching your brain from your head and feel "brainless"? Fret not then!
Tv soaps will help you !

For years now TV soap operas have done their bit in the emancipation of millions of womankind and also mankind (why leave them behind?) who needed that bit of thrill, fantasy, drama and glamour in their dull , boring drawing rooms.In came the soaps and there was perhaps nothing better.First it was the K - sagas started by Ektaa Kapoor. Her K - influenza of soaps churns out and hits the TV screens at regular intervals.Why blame Ektaa alone? What about the horde of Balaji telefilms inspired soaps on rival channels like Zee ,Sony ,Sahara etc etc.These k- soap cronies are no different.Its the same stale stuff dished out with new names.

There was a time when tv serials highlighted issues, told and depicted stories in a realistic manner.Then the budgets were small but originality and quality compensated for it.Today TV portrays a wide range of issues :ranging from the same old saas -bahu sagas....to the endless confrontations between the heroine with "sanskaar" (Indian values) taking on the devilish (ultra-modern ,un-sanskaari )vamp........to an "icchadhari nagin" seeking reveange..... to Re-incarnation a la "Om Shanti OM".And i thought icchadhari nagins , bhavishya- vanis and re-incarnations only happened in Chandrakantha! But who's complaining? All this stuff is greedily lapped up by millions of viewers.A new section of Pseudo celebrities have sprung up.Their claim to fame : mediocre acting skills in even more mediocre soaps or participation in some of the numerous reality shows on TV.

TV once held the torchlight to Bollywood when it came to quality entertainment.But now check the facts...Most of the TV soap plots are inspired from B-grade bollywood flicks.Not to mention the occassional film song that breaks out during the serial .

When satellite TV invaded our homes years ago, we took it as a boon as compared to old,boring Doordarshan.But old serials from DD like Malgudi days, Byomkesh Bakshi are still being watched ardently by people on the internet. Will there be any respite in the future? Hope so! So while Ektaa and her growing tribe make millions out of their soaps ...we in turn face the plight of engrossing ourselves into the "everyday problems"of imaginary khaandans ,bahus and betas on Indian TV! Whoever named TV as Idiot Box could not have been more correct.

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