I have tried to be objective and put both sides of the issue. So please read and give your views without getting mad at one another.
It’s a never ending debate like egg came first or hen. There is this super divisive character of UmaShankar.
Some viewers are looking at him from front, some from back. The ones at back cannot see what ones in front see and ones in front can’t see what ones at back see. Or you can think of it as viewing his character from two sides right and left. Each view has some common ground but there some things that only get seen from one side.
One section of viewers have not lost focus of the fact that he forcibly lifted this girl and married her, when she ran she was chased like an animal and brought home, all gentleness was under the blanket of strict s*xist rules and at beginning it was quite threatening as if they were keeping an eye on her so she could not run away. She would be punished each time she broke a house rule. Very prisoner like in an ultra regressive environment. What UmaShankar did was definitely a crime by law and that set of viewers waited to see how he would get some lawful sentencing and punishment. Later after Kanak returned to Pushkar he still kept stalking her and was made a hero by showing that public shame and what society thinks is more important than the fact that the girl is not in love or attached with the man. Out of guilt, ( irrespective of Bhabho seeing love? in her eyes), Kanak came back with Uma amid promises of utmost care and what followed was her getting scolded for drinking tea and she vowing never to drink it. Some viewers were already unhappy with her coming back. This hurt them even more. But more torture followed with bal brahmachari and comparison to animal. This set of Viewers were set in the hate of Uma and when Kanak suddenly showed giggly love for Uma without any proper trigger viewers lost patience and hated Kanak too.
Now the other side of the story. The other set of viewers saw that Uma showed a helping, patient attitude to Kanak. He tried to care for her in spite of rigid rules. Learned to laugh with her. Even tried to pamper her and was always polite. In times when most tv male leads are super arrogant to female leads this soft spoken character was very appealing, at least before the Bal brahmachari track. Even through that time he tried to keep her out of trouble. This set of viewers desperately wanted the love story to start and were ecstatic when Kanak showed realization of love. Because this was a sweet fairytale romance for them. And they are happy that the two have left the past behind, learned to value the good part in each other, and are joined in a mission. This set is able to ignore the inconsistencies of storyline and characterization as it is just a few moments of relief and pleasant viewing.
No wonder such strong opinions on this show. It’s like east and west. The two opinions will always clash. They can never agree.
The question is, is forcing into marriage and relationship be forgiven if there is gentleness shown afterwards. Is it ok to show anything on TV because it is just entertainment? Is it necessary to take tv characters so Seriously and start connecting them with social issues? Or does tv affect the moral climate of a nation and the sensibilities of its public? What if Uma had forcibly consummated marriage? Is forced physical intimacy the only crime? And many other questions. Feel free to raise them in comments. Please try to keep it free of offensive language if possible.
My concerns: are days of HumLog, Buniyaad, Farmaan, Choti SI Aasha, Rajni, in more recent times Shanti, Zindagi Gulzaar Hai and other such content that showed variety, forever gone? Can a show that doesn’t have minor s*xual titillation of audience, that doesnt trap them in a constant whirlpool of supremely negative female characters, bizzarre Outlandish situations, over the top romantic gestures; and saas bahu drama, that doesn’t have naagin, chudail, evil makkhii(?) tracks, that doesn’t show stereotypical outdated portrayals of unconventional characters like effeminate, homos*xual men, can such shows survive the trp charts? If not, why? Why do we as audience reject such shows? Why does anything that is not romance bore us so much now? How come shows from 80s and 90s have more variety and depth than shows now. Should not the art of Television show making have gotten more uplifted and sophisticated with time? At least 50:50 ratio of light hearted romance and some serious, in depth exploration of relationships and societal issues? Can’t both survive side by side? Why do current shows depend on constant portrayal of women in the worst light?
Somehow the trend of tv shows shifted to saas bahu and romance format in the mid 90s. How will it shift to a different era again?
Where I stand on this show, I won’t say as enough is being said already. I am glad they are not showing western clothes wearing woman as evil and sari clad woman as picture of virtue. I am sad they showed wine drinking female as evil. I am baffled by story development in this show but I accept that I am completely wrong in thinking like that and I should rethink my own opinions on TV shows. I will question my opinion. Will you question yours?
22 Comments
I totally agree. In fact I’m constantly worried about the fact that our television industry just believes in money making. They don’t take up serious issues, and that is just a partial fault. The Audience is at a greater fault because it is the reason why series like POW and Everest have to be scrapped. It is the reason why Kya qusoor h Amala ka died as a mainstream responsible story. And Dhai kilo Prem just went out of its track because the foolish audience just wanted meaty romance and unnecessary drama. And not to hurt anybody, but I’ve always disliked TSMSP. It has a super retarded story, all being sanskaari and doing the most oppressive things in the name of culture. Such shows just destroy the credibility of Television. Just the take the case of Ishqbaaaz, the character of Annika, a self dependent confidant woman has been reduced to the character of a woman who just takes insult, has no self esteem and is a puppet of her husband. And I agree dear, the audience of India would never be able to go back to Malgudi days, as it is just busy in gulping in silly romance and worthless storylines. The Saas bahu dramas have killed the television industry, I don’t think it would ever be able to churn out shows like hum paanch. It has been crippled, and the audience has been reduced to a group of dumb idiots who just want love stories with no logic.
Thanks for raising this concern dear.
Thanks for your views Aditi.
Good that you wrote it navi .I used to watch this show first but I didn’t like the character of Uma.He punished Kanak for breaking his house rules but didn’t punish himself in many cases such as for marrying her forcibly, stopping Suman from studying further(after Kanak made him understand that girls share be educated),doubting on Kanak (when Palomi wearing Kanak’s cloths went and complained in police station )etc,He just apologized .
He forcefully married Kanak and wanted her to accept the marriage but when vansh married saras ,Uma was totally angry about it.How can one call Uma a gentleman when he himself wanted Kanak to be like his slave ,fulfill all duties of a dutiful wife and daughter-in-law,do all things ,never complain,please husband at night as if you are a thing and have no feelings.
I really hate the character of Uma,even though he is thought all the rules from childhood but their are some things which are not taught but are learnt as we grow up.Uma doesn’t have any of these qualities.I have read an article before about this.
Also the character of Kanak is distroyed by the writers ,She being the educated and modern and daughter of Sandhya Rathi ,a police officer herself bends before Uma instead of revolting,I don’t understand why she feel in love with the daku Singh .
If a person kidnaps you and marries you forcibly but doesn’t consummate the marriage with you doesn’t mean that he didn’t do anything wrong.Kanak was made to eat in the same plate as Uma,she was made to touch his feet and drink the water by which she washed his feet and many more .All these are domestic violence.
Why didn’t Kanak just went to her brother ved who is a policeman and complain to him about the shop papers.She could have easily got them . Instead like a stupid and shameless girl she seduced Uma and whatnot to get that papers .She too is an educated fool.
When Kanak finally returned to ladoo I was happy. But again Uma came and was to take her what he said for his so-called love and that once married ,they can’t be separated but he himself divorced Kanak afterwards.
And Kanak went with him and loved him -seriously how can she? I stopped watching the serial after that but my mother used to watch it but later she too quitted it because of this nonsense which it showed.
Although now the plot is changed still what he does with Kanak is a punishable offense by law.
About what you asked
No ,TV serials should show something positive , something good which carries a social message not that a girl should accept her force full marriage by a person.
Some shows like koi Laut ke aaya hai ,CID and others were hits even if there was not romance often . But I too don’t understand how the SaaS bahu serials get high trp and not the once that are out of the box.When the heroin suffers ,the trp charts go high but not when the leads are happily together.How shows like kumkum Bhagya which is kept dragging even more than 100 chewing gums gets 2nd position in trp charts.
Guys u are writing this but u really how many people are gonna to watch that kind of serial which u are suggesting. many people like u and me like to see that kind of serials but thay don’t get trp for such serial and people see serials and movies in India for entertainment purposes people who works at office and house wives and children who go to schools and colleges the whole day and come home to see serials and other entertainment for relaxation .not to debate on this issues so give people a break and cut them some slack.
Thanks for your views Sonakshi. I like many things about this show which is why I even bothered to write here. I don’t even visit other pages except a couple that I liked but they are ending because they did not have this content that gets trp.
Correction:
*what he did with Kanak is a punishable offense by law.
I also don’t like tsmsp.
Btw Navi can you please share this link (if you want) to the written episode of 22 Feb of tsmsp.It will be nice if everyone shares their opinion about this.
I tried to do it myself but I don’t know how to .
Those who read the update will see this too. I know that my posting this link will be seen as aggressive. I just want to present the idea that it’s ok to watch TV just for entertainment and relaxation but having conversations like this is also a way to entertain oneself and expand ones scope. But thanks for suggesting it Sonakshi. Hopefully more people will join in the conversation.
Guys u are writing this but u really how many people are gonna to watch that kind of serial which u are suggesting. many people like u and me like to see that kind of serials but thay don’t get trp for such serial and people see serials and movies in India for entertainment purposes people who works at office and house wives and children who go to schools and colleges the whole day and come home to see serials and other entertainment for relaxation .not to debate on this issues so give people a break and cut them some slack.it good to see some do care for that kind of issues. But frankly speaking there are some serials who speaks up for some issues in the society. thank u for them for telling us what we should do for ourselves when someone faces problems like that.
Thanks for your views Hiyori. Until mid 90s there were light hearted shows and more serious kind too with complex storyline and plots. People had jobs at that time too. Housewives enjoyed those too. Kids also watched many kinds of shows. And all got relaxation from it. I am not asking to raise social issues. Have you ever watched Malgudi Days. It was a series of very interesting and some very funny stories by RKLaxman. Farmaan was a great romantic story. Choti SI Aasha was about a widow raising her kids and finding love again. Another one of same theme. Hum Log and Buniyaad both had romantic themes mixed with others. Each show was unique in concept. Hum Paanch was a comedy. All of it was a mixed bag of entertainment. All did well. And each type of viewer found something. Now though there is predominance of a couple of themes. Whenever a different show comes, it is either forced to show same old same old to survive trp ratings chart or it gets cancelled. Those who like more variety land up having no shows to watch. My question is how come mixed shows did well until 90s when people still had jobs and relaxed with those shows and housewives enjoyed them too and now they don’t. Why does non romantic ( not serious, just content that does not use the overly repeated format) get totally rejected. I am cutting slack for people who enjoy current shows. Are you cutting slack for people who wish for more variety?
Also Hiyori, there is a difference between debate and conversation. I just want to start this conversation. I am not trying to win any argument. Just discuss the current status of tv as compared to where it was 15-20 years ago and try to understand the reason behind this change. It may interest some people and I hope they will join in the conversation.
Navi what I was trying to say I heard and read about and watched all the stuff u said. I am a big fangirl to that stuff to.that things interest me more that these silly shows where there is a hero and heroine and their problems and solutions. Just u know how many people are there who reads and watch stuff like that these days 30/100 in these they are old people, senior citizens and other kinds of people to say u the truth.in those days people use their common sense,their talents and instincts than thinking like this,will people will watch,see and read this stuff if I write many opinion in it . That time back 15-20years back writers and all crew of the show and novel writers doesn’t care about what they write and they just want to raise a point of the issue mix with some entertainment they may be comedy and even if they doesn’t having any romantic love in it and all that without any fear and they are keen to tell the people what is right and wrong and what they have aware the people about social issues even without caring if people will listen to them or not they didn’t care about the People they just did what they want without excepting anything in return. Those are people u are talking but today shows are different they only care about trp just trp.its not just them but whole telly industry is filled with such kind of people that is the difference I am talking about.u said true it is not a debate but u are just telling us whoever reads this your opinion to us I just don’t want your kind of people who are expecting more from these serial get hurt because some stupid people who think less.thats it it is not only u but other day I met a person like u people who is fully disappointed with they above issues ur talking about, I felt bad for him or her
Thanks for the response Hiyori. I understand your point much better now. And I see that you too understood my point. Thanks so much for that. Yes, I am not against this show per se, just this trend…leaves no space for the shows that another type of viewer might enjoy. But yes, trp wins and whatever majority people will watch will work. Thanks for your view. Really appreciate it.
Sry bt jst take it as a show n there won’t b any issues to say in reality such cases really happen n noone does anything I knw what uma did is right bt in reality also such things happen the difference is in reality I guess girls don’t fall in love they just accept the it as fate n live their life
Thanks for your view Manan. Yes, I understand this is a show and has many positives. I was just thinking why only one type of show works today and why whenever a new simple type comes it is forced to change into set formula to stay on air. So whatever I like either completely changes form or goes off air. I just wonder till when this trend will continue.
Thanks for the response Hiyori. I understand your point much better now. And I see that you too understood my point. Thanks so much for that. Yes, I am not against this show per se, just this trend…leaves no space for the shows that another type of viewer might enjoy. But yes, trp wins and whatever majority people will watch will work. Thanks for your view. Really appreciate it.
Thanks for your view Manan. Yes, I understand this is a show and has many positives. I was just thinking why only one type of show works today and why whenever a new simple type comes it is forced to change into set formula to stay on air. So whatever I like either completely changes form or goes off air. I just wonder till when this trend will continue.
I agreed with you navi .The shows which we like change track or go off air to survive trp.
Navi I am sorry if I hurt u before I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me and reading this blog I want to ask u a favour that is if u don’t mind.
I mean hurt ur feelings.
Hey, Sorry for late response. No problem, no hurt feelings:) it’s just a quest for some entertainment for all tastes. Did want to ask me something?
No problem i thought u won’t respond.but thanks, can u write a article about starplus nayi soch caption which they kept doesn’t suite the shows which they are showing. Not only this channels but also other hindi channel like sony,colors,zee keeping their channelcaption in a unique way but they don’t show that in their shows.how they care about only trp and how are they getting trps for the such shows in which violence,villanism,tortures on heroines and extramartial affairs,etc,and the shows run for a long time like kumkum bhagya,yhm etc are getting trp which only show repeat story all the time.