The Hilariousness of Hindi Serials

It has been more than 25 years that satellite television was introduced to us. And the journey has been one of a kind, so to speak. It all began with Nukkad and Buniyad which were aired on Doordarshan. These simple yet awe-inspiring shows are still fondly remembered. Then came the 90's which I would like to call as the golden era of Indian TV with shows like Dekh Bhai Dekh, Tu Tu Main Main, Shriman Shrimati, Hum Paanch or the more serious ones like Saans, Kora Kaagaz.

Do you remember the thrill of watching Zee Horror Show? Just its music gave us the creeps (or still does?). And Shows like Bournvita Quiz Contest that provided fodder to the brain. What has happened to our beloved Idiot box now. Why are we being fed nonsensical, delusional melodrama. Why has TV time that we all used to look forward to with so much excitement, suddenly become a chore to sit through. Allow me to explain :

• All the ladies in the house, no matter what time of the day it is are all dolled up. Even if you wake them up in the middle of the night, they wont have a hair out of place. Go figure!!

• The amount of makeup and the length of your bindi is directly proportional to how evil you are (kamolika, anyone?)

• At least one of the family of either protagonists has to be a multimillionaire. It doesn't work otherwise.

• During a dramatic scene, There has to be a loud background music (dhin ta na type) and the camera has to zoom in through 678865 different angles.

• Plastic surgery does magic. Did you meet with an accident? No worries! Get a plastic surgery done. Don't worry about scars or face distortions, just go under the knife and get a new face!

• The protagonist always has to be 'sarva gunn sampann'. She has to be the ideal, larger than life character with no flaws. Lets be honest, out in the real world we all make mistakes. No one is perfect.

• The male characters (husbands and fathers) are mere embellishments, its all about the ladies. They just have to stand in the background and speak a line or two.

• No one is ever happy. They are always crying or whining. No such thing as marital or familial bliss.

I think this list is endless. So you see, I have my reasons for disliking these shows. And one of the main reason is that they are dragged to no end. There had been a few shows addressing social issues but they took a major U-turn and headed the TRP-way (it is all about TRP's). The production houses churn episodes after episodes perhaps for financial reasons or they want a place in the Guinness Book of World Record. But I think it is time for us to move forward from fights between Naagins and Mongooses, leads turning into houseflies and enter a progressive era with entertainment that we all are proud of.

P.S I mean no disrespect to anyone who is a fan of these serials. These are just my thoughts and are to be taken in a light-hearted manner.