In recent times, I think I had concentrated much more Defence and Strategic affairs. Thought of writing something different for a change. What to write was the question. I had to look no further than the good old TV with one of the Malayalam channels in full blast streaming out a soap opera that perhaps was running for ever. This talks about some girl who was facing problems after problems in a never ending saga. It seems it has been running for the last four so years, with the girl acting the lead role changing three times. So is it ridiculous to watch such soaps, no will be the answer that the ladies who are the true followers will give.
So what is a soap opera? According to Newyork times, it is a story of continuous narrative with each episode ending with a promise of continuity in the next episode. India's tryst with soap operas began when live television made it's debut. Perhaps the first soap in Indian Television was "Hum Log" that ran in the Dooradarshan. That was the days of one channel and the viewers would religiously watch it. The era of soap operas has just begun.
Then with the rapid expansion of television in India with the advent of satellite television, there had been an explosion of channels in India. The likes of Bold and the Beautiful and Santa Barbara took over our screen and by this time Hindi Soups were also having a good run in new channels like Zee TV. But still the soups were in the verge of sanity and most had good story line. Malayalam also had it's tryst with soups with many such serials in Dooradharshan and Asianet, "Sthree" being notable. But then there were rapid expansion of channels and all the channels were dishing out soups like never before, fighting for the attention of their primary viewers, the house wife.
Now my viewers would think why would I write a blog for soap operas? Well the answer is simple. These days soups have reached ridiculous proportions with unbelievable story lines and in some cases beyond the scope of normal sanity. Now I am not against those people eking their livelihood. But what the writers should understand is that the people who are watching these serials are some what intelligent and finds it ridiculous to accept such serials. It would have been better if they stop the serials after the story has run out of it's intended life. When you start extending the story line with added characters which will take the story in another trajectory which may end up totally contradictory to the original story line.
But my real concern for these serials is what are the messages that they intend to convey to the general public? Now these days, almost all the serials especially in Malayalam propagate violence, characters scheming against one other and propagating violence including murder. What is happening to these serials? Are there so scarcity of stories for them all go only in a single path. Can't they be creative and write stories that is different and fells good for people to watch. Our writers should consider this option very seriously. Otherwise all the current crop of serials will one day become redundant with no followers at all for them.
Now I am not a viewer of these soaps. For me, after a day's work in the court, seeing up close various lives and the difficulties that they face daily, coming home and relaxing before the TV with nice and soothing movie or a song completes my day. But coming home and seeing all those serials with ridiculous stories irks one hell out of you. That is why I was constrained to write this blog. Writers take the clue. Change or perish. That is the message probably many viewers like me may be trying to give to all those creators. It is time they changed. Let us see how they can entertain us with viewable stories in the future. Wishing them the very best.
Now my viewers would think why would I write a blog for soap operas? Well the answer is simple. These days soups have reached ridiculous proportions with unbelievable story lines and in some cases beyond the scope of normal sanity. Now I am not against those people eking their livelihood. But what the writers should understand is that the people who are watching these serials are some what intelligent and finds it ridiculous to accept such serials. It would have been better if they stop the serials after the story has run out of it's intended life. When you start extending the story line with added characters which will take the story in another trajectory which may end up totally contradictory to the original story line.
But my real concern for these serials is what are the messages that they intend to convey to the general public? Now these days, almost all the serials especially in Malayalam propagate violence, characters scheming against one other and propagating violence including murder. What is happening to these serials? Are there so scarcity of stories for them all go only in a single path. Can't they be creative and write stories that is different and fells good for people to watch. Our writers should consider this option very seriously. Otherwise all the current crop of serials will one day become redundant with no followers at all for them.
Now I am not a viewer of these soaps. For me, after a day's work in the court, seeing up close various lives and the difficulties that they face daily, coming home and relaxing before the TV with nice and soothing movie or a song completes my day. But coming home and seeing all those serials with ridiculous stories irks one hell out of you. That is why I was constrained to write this blog. Writers take the clue. Change or perish. That is the message probably many viewers like me may be trying to give to all those creators. It is time they changed. Let us see how they can entertain us with viewable stories in the future. Wishing them the very best.
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