From progressive characters and plots to saas-bahu battles and regressive, never-ending storylines with dramatic sci-fi plot twists, Indian television has only gone downhill. Especially when it comes to portraying female characters. So Vitamin Stree took a closer look at this rishta between women and TV.
Today, with sky-rocketing TVTs, production houses have stopped paying attention to characters & plots, and instead focus more on the feuds between saas and bahus or sanskar vs western vichar. Critics emphasise that the audience will watch what they are shown, so why the high TVTs? Well, creators, directors and scriptwriters suggest that these characters and plots are actually relatable to the audience, which means if a room full of test audience want something, the production house will make it happen. Turning a character into a fly to have her spy on her own family plotting against her…quite relatable.
Moving on, daily soaps aren’t just an Indian thing. There are regressive plots and shows running everyday throughout the world. South American telenovelas have existed since the 50s and American soaps since the 80s. But this trend is changing slowly, enter OTT (Over The Top). With the rise of OTT platforms, audiences can demand, receive, and consume good content. Subscription based payment methods have created a sure-shot income channel for creators and hence they don’t need to put out regressive, never-ending, daily soaps.
The future of content is changing and television needs to catch-up, we need a revolution! Every saas, bahu and makkhi at a time. Let’s hope we get shows that pay attention to their characters, plots and their portrayals. Let’s hope that TV and women get back together and make the rishta ever more progressive.
Watch the entire video below.
Also read: The Evolution Of Hindi Television And Their Portrayal Of ‘Indian Values’
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