"Where is the remote?" asked my friend's harried mother, "I don't want to miss the 11 o'clock serial". This, on a fine morning when my friend and I had decided to relax with a reality show, after a long time, was most unwelcome. "But amma", protested my friend, "it is a repeat telecast of what you saw yesterday." Amma turned a deaf ear to her protest call and smugly settled down on the sofa. Since we had nothing else to do, we decided to watch this one serial.
"Daily soaps make no sense to me and I always avoid watching them", said my friend, making a wry face. "It's so easy to get addicted to mindless and meaningless stuff in life. I am of the opinion that they never portray the real lives of people. The characters mouth dialogues that could make a sane person cringe in disgust. What I never understood was how could a villager possibly get hold of designer wear, jewellery and flaunt neatly ironed tresses. The good and the bad characters are clearly cut and dried. There are no shades of grey! The scheming men and women have a ball while the ever suffering ones do no wrong. They always suffer quietly and their heart is big enough to forgive even the most wicked ones!" said the agitated friend. Yeah, how true, I thought. Yet I was not able to let go off the remote after 9 pm.
"Tamil serials take the quest of conniving and vengeance to a new level so much so that there is a constant hostility and rivalry oozing from the word go", she continued with a passionate fervour that would put the grandest orator to shame. "The characters hardly ever smile, leave alone laugh, as though they know instinctively that laughing would attract some evil news. Women are constantly at each other's throats, screaming revenge, for some reason that is actually forgotten. The makers, it seems, are fascinated by the 'other woman' syndrome, as they seem to make their presence felt everywhere to create havoc in others' lives. The vamps get to wear the best clothes, best jewellery and also manage to steal the man from under the wife's nose. Whereas the good wife just becomes a mop of the house, even as she stays put with a gritty determination to win back the philandering husband! The nerves are made of steel!"
Phew!!! That was some speech, I thought. "Tell me, do you watch these nonsensical stuff?" she asked with fire in her eyes. "Me - nah! I don't think I'll be able to handle all those emotions", I said playing along with the mood of the moment.
"Emotions! There is only one emotion and that is of bitterness. See how they depict mothers? The not so well off are more often than not portrayed as this chest beating types, crying at the drop of the hat. The saree pallu comes in handy to wipe off the teary face. The rich ones do not have anything productive to do in life and their entire existence seems to be revolving in plotting murder or revenge. What a waste of resources! And the protagonist waits patiently for her moment of retribution, which comes in the form of divine justice." Okay, okay. Enough for today - I wanted to say, but could not gather enough courage. Amma and I quietly exchanged glances.
"Amma, do you know where audience like you fit in? You are left to face the retarded stuff and you enjoy lapping them up. They make so much money and what do you get in return? I think the audience should be paid as well", she said calming down a bit. I thought the storm had died. But the climax was yet to come. "And when the going gets tough, the makers spice it up with a rebirth, plastic surgery, fourth or fifth marriage, ghostly encounters, death etc. I'm sure children will now start complaining that the serials are corrupting their parents!"
After I returned home, I thought about her speech. Yes, I actually need to introspect whenever I get time. But as of now, it's time for the 9 O'clock serial to begin. The mother in law has just devised a new plan to ensnare the 2nd wife of her step-son...
"Daily soaps make no sense to me and I always avoid watching them", said my friend, making a wry face. "It's so easy to get addicted to mindless and meaningless stuff in life. I am of the opinion that they never portray the real lives of people. The characters mouth dialogues that could make a sane person cringe in disgust. What I never understood was how could a villager possibly get hold of designer wear, jewellery and flaunt neatly ironed tresses. The good and the bad characters are clearly cut and dried. There are no shades of grey! The scheming men and women have a ball while the ever suffering ones do no wrong. They always suffer quietly and their heart is big enough to forgive even the most wicked ones!" said the agitated friend. Yeah, how true, I thought. Yet I was not able to let go off the remote after 9 pm.
"Tamil serials take the quest of conniving and vengeance to a new level so much so that there is a constant hostility and rivalry oozing from the word go", she continued with a passionate fervour that would put the grandest orator to shame. "The characters hardly ever smile, leave alone laugh, as though they know instinctively that laughing would attract some evil news. Women are constantly at each other's throats, screaming revenge, for some reason that is actually forgotten. The makers, it seems, are fascinated by the 'other woman' syndrome, as they seem to make their presence felt everywhere to create havoc in others' lives. The vamps get to wear the best clothes, best jewellery and also manage to steal the man from under the wife's nose. Whereas the good wife just becomes a mop of the house, even as she stays put with a gritty determination to win back the philandering husband! The nerves are made of steel!"
Phew!!! That was some speech, I thought. "Tell me, do you watch these nonsensical stuff?" she asked with fire in her eyes. "Me - nah! I don't think I'll be able to handle all those emotions", I said playing along with the mood of the moment.
"Emotions! There is only one emotion and that is of bitterness. See how they depict mothers? The not so well off are more often than not portrayed as this chest beating types, crying at the drop of the hat. The saree pallu comes in handy to wipe off the teary face. The rich ones do not have anything productive to do in life and their entire existence seems to be revolving in plotting murder or revenge. What a waste of resources! And the protagonist waits patiently for her moment of retribution, which comes in the form of divine justice." Okay, okay. Enough for today - I wanted to say, but could not gather enough courage. Amma and I quietly exchanged glances.
"Amma, do you know where audience like you fit in? You are left to face the retarded stuff and you enjoy lapping them up. They make so much money and what do you get in return? I think the audience should be paid as well", she said calming down a bit. I thought the storm had died. But the climax was yet to come. "And when the going gets tough, the makers spice it up with a rebirth, plastic surgery, fourth or fifth marriage, ghostly encounters, death etc. I'm sure children will now start complaining that the serials are corrupting their parents!"
After I returned home, I thought about her speech. Yes, I actually need to introspect whenever I get time. But as of now, it's time for the 9 O'clock serial to begin. The mother in law has just devised a new plan to ensnare the 2nd wife of her step-son...
Why do they all depict the same same same mindlessness
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