All things good or bad don't last forever. The serial drama on small screen has its moments of glory and patches of ennui. lacklustre scripts and stretched out stories have often compromised many a dude of the soap dish. Sometimes, duds, too have reinvented themselves to make a splash. Deebashree Mohanty explores the duds-turned-dudes and the dudes-turned-duds of the Indian telly
It is difficult to sustain audience interest for over 800 episodes. There is bound to be a phase when the serial goes through a lean patch. When the characters and the show need an urgent uplift. With the concept of a seasonal break still eluding the Indian scheme of things, script writers and producers are in a tizzy — kare to kya karenIJ Where to introduce that new twist, when to go for that leap, whom to replace, are normal queries that every show faces after a 500 mark.
“You can’t show Iccha cooking at home all the time, can you. There is no story there. But if Iccha burns herself while cooking, that’s drama! Why else will someone want to watch a TV show,” asks Uttaran producer Rupali Guha. This show has suddenly peaked in the mystery quotient, making it the darling baby for Colors.
“last few week TRPs have soared like crazy making Colors the third watched channel in India (with 220 points the channel is just behind Sony Entertainment),” Guha tells you, adding that she hates to keep tab on numbers but insists on following the screenplay and script before it goes on air.
There is a lot happening in Uttaran nowadays and its viewers swear that the show is better with this sudden spurt of activities. “In the coming weeks, with Iccha dead, Tapasya will have to take care of Meethi and her problems. As for the mystery in Meethi’s haveli, we would like to go with that storyline for some more time,” Guha says. She adds that Mitali who has been the scriptwriter for the show ever since it’s inception, is the mastermind of all tweaks.
While Uttaran has become a dude after a not so great stint, Balika Vadhu seems to be sliding down the TRP ladder. The show is desperately wanting a change.
Ask Prashant Bhatt, fiction head of Colors, and he is quick to defend the inertia: “Even Tendulkar can’t score a century in every match. Why expect serials to be always as fascinatingIJ Even English GECs face this problem but they have the liberty to go for a seasonal break. We are only in an experimenting phase with this concept. Producers are still jittery about breaks working with the Indian mindset. We are still working on a format, if
everything goes as per plan, some shows on my channel will see a season break next year onwards,” Bhatt, who is responsible for all 7-11 pm shows on weekdays, says.
At present, he is concerned that BV sustains its top position after the replacement of Anandi. Toral Rasputra as the new Anandi is only just settling into the show but scriptwriters are going helter skelter. The TRPs are dipping, something needs to be done fast.
“We are not worried about a few weeks’ downslide. We are only worried how to pick it up from here. It doesn’t make sense to lose out on our audience,” Sanjay Wadhwa, show producer, says. He tells you that BV is going to unleash a few surprises for viewers at the end of this year.
But is it fair to suddenly introduce a twist without any basisIJ “No. We will go about it slowly. It won’t be a one night transformation. We believe in preparing our audience before going for a change,” he says, promising that Anandi will not suddenly meet an accident, nor will she ever go back to Jagya.
While TRP Gods have a mixed verdict on Colors, the story is the same for other popular channels. Sony Entertainment’s Bade Achhe lagte Hain has suddenly slipped into being a dud after a massive start sustaining a TRP for 3.2 for over 500 episodes. But going for the overkill is also not a great tactic, as its scriptwriter Rajendra Kaushal discovered recently.
“I won’t say we have reached a standstill in the show. We are building on the new characters and the new situation that our protagonists are in. That takes time. The show hasn’t taken a solid TRP beating, so we are not doing things wrongly. Of course, it will pick up pace and things will happen. Just wait and watch,” he promises.
But do we like to see a meek Ram sans the attitude and the moneyIJ “Not really. Ram was the main focus of BAlH because he was refreshingly different. He was a character we could all relate to. But now, he is just some other helpless main lead. Plus the romance between Ram and Priya has become jaded. This is a right time to take a season off,” 45-year-old Meenu Verma, an avid viewer of the show says.
So is Bade Achhe lagte Hain a dudIJ Not if go by the TRPs. At 3.0 average, the show has not moved from its original slot. So far so good for the producers but will they be able to sustain this is another question for another day.
Kya Huaa Tera Vaada, on the other hand, is fast creeping up the ladder. The new generation and the leap, seems to have worked for this soap.
“The leap was much criticised and faithful viewers wanted to quit watching the show. But four months later, they are unable to switch channels. KHTV has a good script and some brilliant acting working in its favour. Also, the fact that the show still revolves around Mona is a good thing,” Vasuman Dhawan, a TV blogger, says. According to him, this has now become the current frontrunner for Sony.
Not too far away is Anamika, a simple story simply told. “We have stuck to the basics. Just because ours is based on a folk tale doesn’t mean there is no scope to experiment with it. We are not here to run for 1,000 or more episodes. We will go till as long as our audience is interested,” Jainesh Ejardar, screenplay director of the show, says.
There are many other shows that looked promising to begin with but lost their way somewhere in between. Chhal Sheh Aur Maat on Colors, for instance, had an exciting plot but the serial lost out because it was over-pacy.
Says Dhawan: “Too many things were happening at one time. Not good for the show. It is sad that the makers couldn’t capitalise on a great script. They wanted to do a lot many things as fast as possible. So within six months, we saw the protagonist go through an accident, there was a mystery, some suspects, a murderer, a ghost, an evil mother and a loving family,” Dhawan points out.
Other critics feel that some new shows haven’t lived up to their expectations. “Nautanki — The Comedy Theatre is a damp squib. Even with the star power, the show is a big dud today.
So is Saraswatichandra on Star Plus which was successful in achieving an average TRP of 2.1 in its first week. This TRP is nice considering it is a new serial but it’s average as it was one of the most hyped serials by a renowned film director. The show lacks punch and could do with some more pace. The makers have been building on the theme a bit too long. Now it is time to move on or move out,” Dhanraj Basakia, another TV blogger, writes.