HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

What are the scenes and situations that get repeated in daily soaps time and again?



(L-R) Ali Asgar, Apara Mehta, Sumeet Raghavan and Karishma Tanna



WHILE watching a daily soap on the idiot box, have you ever thanked God for providing the remote control as a lifesaver? Possible, since many telly sagas recycle stuff that you have already seen before. Many, like Balika Vadhu, Na aana is des meri laado, Jyoti, Uttaran, Agle Janam mohe bitiya hi kijo, began on a promising note. But after sometime, the storylines started delivering the sort of clichés we are used to. The audience is no longer shocked when the protagonist or the lead of the particular daily soap dies. They are sure s/he will be back after some time. Hear Apara Mehta, television’s favourite saas, “Killing the lead actor and bringing them back is one scene which has been going on for long. Kyonki… started it, but now everyone is following the route. Leave alone the scenes, even the story tracks are repeated. All the shows have taken it a bit too far.” The entry and exit of the lead actors have a lot to do with the TRPs at times. On other occasions, it happens because the actor quits the show. The new entrant is mostly brought back with a plastic surgery scene, or the mujhe kuch yaad nahi aa raha one. “The coma sequence is very typical, and has been used many a time. Another sequence which has become clichéd is the plastic surgery, where the character not only gets a face makeover but everything changes- from the voice and the eye colour to the height and skin tone. It’s ridiculous how these scenes are stretched beyond belief. It’s the lack of imagination and creativity that has led to such scenes being scripted time and again,” feels Archana Puran Singh. 

But why is it that these scenes get repeated? “I remember this particular diya bujhne wala scene in which the beta of the serial is going to die. The diya in the mandir goes off, and Parvati would go running to prevent it. We laughed at it too, but these are the scenes that draw the audience. The impact of these scenes is high,” says Ali Asgar, from the Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki fame. The final goal of a serial is to get high TRP’s even if it means showing unrealistic stuff. TV Actress Karishma Tanna says, “Dying and coming back: does that ever happen in real life? It is a horrible plot. But, since it’s TV, the makers can take the liberty.” A break from the stereotypical world of saas-bahu saga leads to the world of comedy. Sarabhai VS S a rab h a i , FIR, Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasma are some of the c re ative and offbeat offerings from the tellyland. “Saas-bahu drama has become very predictable. At least comedy has an element of surprise to it. There is a need for some novel and fresh ideas,” feels actor Sumeet Ragavan from Sajan re jhooth mat bolo.

From Tulsi to present-day Anandi, nothing seems to have changed in tellyland. The small screen’s stereotypical situations will continue to be used in prime time shows to raise the sagging TRPs and grab more eyeballs.