Our Serials--Lets Introspect !

What our serials are showing and what are the latest trends, Aren't they responsible towards society and Nation? Lets analyse..

Published: 星期日,1月 25, 2009 11:45 上午 GMT-07:00

Nishtha Singh

After 58 years of being a Republic Nation, where has India reached and what are the areas where we need to work to achieve the glory of past??. They say media is a great way to bring awareness in people as it has the power to reach millions and bring about a new change in the society. TV often is termed as medium of women for they show women in a sorry state most often.

Let’s see whether our serials are aware of the fact that they are influencing people and their thought process. As a nation we are striving hard for self reliance and self sufficiency, education for all, equality among its citizens, free of all apartheid and respect for women. So how much have we achieved it and how much is left is for us to ponder upon after we got our Independence?

Lets see all areas of concern and their depiction by makers of small screen...

1.Self reliance/sufficient: Are we free from external control and constraint and are our shows are showing this or giving us hope in this regard? The answer is a simple NO! There are very less number of shows where women can take decisions on their own and in most of them if they can, then we know them by the name of Vamps! On the other hand, we have shows as Balika Vadhu, which talks about child marriage but it showing it at the same time and may be glamorizing it! Or the latest offering Bandini or Yeh Rishta.. where a girl can't even talk to a boy!2.Education: Education is our fundamental right and every citizen of has the right to be educated. Government is trying hard to achieve its goal by "Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan" and Teach movement. But have we achieved what we targeted, NO again, as our shows are more indulgent towards love, marriages and child marriages, dealing with plastic surgeries and most recently with Ghosts and black magic ! Many shows have taken up this trend and now the new show Shree on Zee is all about a Ghost and how it is behind a girl! They have never given studies and education a priority. They say Media is a face of society, so is this our society and if it is, then can't we change or influence people and their thinking ? If pen is termed as mightier than a sword, so TV should be mightier than all!3.Equality: Still a dream. Very often the rich treat the middle class as inferior, middle class treats the poor class as inferior, one group treats the other as inferior, and it goes down to even the poorest lot. Instead of ridiculing such practices, our serials in a way are encouraging such things and trying to tap the emotions to get the TRP’s. Uttaran a new show is showing a girl Iccha fighting for this only, she wants to get her destiny tattooed on her hand, as she fails to achieve it in real. The girl is helpless in the world of so called elders and educated people, so she takes her own route. Bandini again is against this very human rights as well, so as most of the shows.4.Color and Caste: We judge people by their qualities and not by their skin color - this is taught to us since childhood. But is it true ? In real with heavy heart again the answer is No, if we go by what our serials are showing these days. Take the example of Saath-Phere and Bidaai one of the most successful shows of recent times and you know what not the protagonist has gone through here, to get married in both the shows. Caste is another area of concern and we all know how Viraj in the show Jeevan Sathi, is facing the troubles, thanks to her own father. So here as well serials are not helping society in any way!5.Women liberation: Women are badly hit in all the areas mentioned above, and they are at receiving end of all. So talking of Women liberation looks like a distant dream, but even if you dare then it will be taken as “Women should hate Men”. In our shows if you are a working woman with ambitions and goals, then either you are an antagonist or your husband will have an extra-martial affair. This is what the show Grihasthi is all about while in Banon Main Teri Dulhann, Sindoora is after the property of her brother and she is also a business woman. Is anything left to be said?

Can we shrug off the responsibly from our shoulders by blaming the producers and channels for such shows?? No! !Just that as they have the medium of mass communication which they can use to bring a change for the betterment of society, we can also contribute by encouraging them. Let's all be more responsible and contribute in our own little way, as we are somewhat away from what we can be!.

So let’s introspect on this Republic day!

Concept & Author : Nishtha

Banner & Gif : Shagun

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Comments (52)

Sadi Patel @ArmaansGirl

+ 2 ⋮

i hve 2 say i agree w/ all dis! :D its kumkum n Dill mill gayye n MJHT n dose other cute hsows dat r gud n arent @ all lyk dis! thnx gawd...society n education should b reflected more in shows..n da owmen rights n liberation realli needs 2 b chnged yaar! :(
xoxo
sadi<3

15 years ago

TD @tsfme

+ 4 ⋮

Tv tries to tackle..real issues
But the main emphasis..Has always been
To entertain..the mass audience

Bidaai manages to tackle..Many issues well
Without being..Too patrionizing

All I want to say is..Most things in life
Are easier..Said then done

Par at least..Producers/channels are indirectly
Bringing relevant issues..To our attention

Please remember..Majority of the shows
Are catered for viewers..Who maybe uneducated
Which is why..Fictional characters
Subtly deal with..certain issues

Lets not be so harsh..Nothings perfect not even us
If you dislike anything..Just email them..They''ll listen

15 years ago

King Aragorn @-KingAragorn-

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Great article. I think everyone will have to share the blame -- the creators of such serials, the actors and audience!

What''s most shocking to me is the audience reaction I come across in the forums. There are some people who will fight with you if you tried to criticize the serials. Even worse, people often get banned from the forum if they put forth their sensible opinion. So, who is going to change it and where does it start?

15 years ago

vm_2009 @vm_2009

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very very true I agree 100%, and all of us do but yet we watch like addicts these serials to watch what happens next..........

15 years ago

NosVemos @NosVemos

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Very thought provoking. Mass media should be more responsible than this in a multi-faced, multi-layered country like India. I hope the serial producers and directors understand it.

15 years ago

JC @-JC-

+ 3 ⋮

A very excellent article and I agree with the POV. When Balika Vadhu started i think i was overjoyed at the subject being tackled.. the novelty and all.. thought things will finally change.. but where the show seems to be heading is shocking to say the least. It does seem almost like its glorifying the very things it was against.

15 years ago

gr8nvfan @gr8nvfan

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A very good article! I used to watch JeevanSaathi ,and i had to stop watching it after such a sensitive issue of Inter-Religion marriage was completely mishandled.The show got weird and weird.....and went off the track.The boy who was from a different religion is killed by the girl''s father and then story moved in a different direction.Do the serial makers even realize what they r doing????This show was a big Disappointment.

15 years ago

-shehzaadi- @-shehzaadi-

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The main reason why I hate Hindi serials is because of the way they portray women. The simple middle class girl always marries a rich man and then no matter how studious or ambitious she was before, after marriage she just becomes a housewife. And it''s so true that ambitious and working women are usually the villains. The women sacrifice everything for others but everyone still suspects them and they''re still always unhappy and spend 1000 episodes crying. It''s just plain annoying!

15 years ago

Nazneen @SiriuslySujal

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Excellent article!! A lot of those things really needed to be said - very well done for bringing them to all the members'' attention.

So many serials have attempted to tackle social issues, but pretty much all of them have failed miserably. Here''s hoping for some better quality, more sensible and less sexist/racist/backward entertainment in the future!

15 years ago