Family soap lathers best

The picture narrows further like a mountain peak. All the most popular shows come from Balaji Films on both Star Plus and Sony. In fact, there are only five other producers who even get a look in. There are those who question the reliability of the TRPs, challenge its system, its conclusions, its sample. However, in spite of such misgivings, some which might have a justification, the ratings do reflect viewership preferences because these preferences have been verified by other quantitative and qualitative studies — you have only to talk to the person next door.

In effect, therefore, the North Indian viewer of Hindi entertainment channels, watches family dramas with over-dressed, heavy duty females characters and soggy males who spend almost their entire TV lives thinking exclusively of their families — morning, afternoon and at night. It may be convincingly argued that this is pretty accurate reflection of our lives and attitudes, that this embodies, symbolises the deep-rooted strength of our cultural heritage. The concept of the parivar, of the community as an extension of the parivar is our life force, the bedrock of our survival despite the most inhuman, insupportable conditions of poverty, discrimination, etc. Looked at from such a perspective, the daily family soap is the one Western format which has been adapted to Indian conditions better than any other genre.

Certainly, the typical scene from the family soap — the gathering of the clan in the central room of the house — is symbolic of the village panchayat: last week’s news reports of the girl whose hand was burnt as a punishment by the panchayat for transgressing the laws of the community, resemble the strictures passed on TV characters: in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, every time Pallavi errs and she errs all the time, the entire family gathers in the central hall, and there is a face-off.

Is it a coincidence that the popularity of the daily Hindi soap and its emphasis on the joint or extended family and the authority vested in this institution, placing it above all else, comes at a time when there has been a definite windmill tilt to conservatism and right wing sentiments? You decide.

Any alternative reading of our society is disallowed like an offside goal in soccer. Anything which challenges our worship at the altar of the family is rejected, scorned. Take the case of Chhoti Maa…Ek Anokha Bandhan. Last week, it came to a rather hasty conclusion after a run of approximately 10 months (Kyunki… as you might know has completed 2 years and Kahani… will follow shortly). This Hindi version of the very popular Tamil Chhitti which ran for approximately three years was as different from the regular North Indian daily soaps as man is from woman.

Yes, the family was at the heart of the drama but its preoccupations were much more varied. Within the construct of the family, it dealt with caste and class, it challenged male and female stereotypes with Sharda, the main character, shown to be equally capable of running her home and office and her husband Raghu is a sensitive, ‘liberated’ man; it tackled physical and mental disabilities, it celebrated friendship and bonding and it was frightfully middle class. Sharda’s efficiency, her unrelenting goodness and kindness, her turn-the-other-cheek for Ratna (her arch enemy) to slap were unbelievable and oppressive. However, if you could forgive such excessive self-righteousness, the serial had much to offer. Obviously, viewers were not interested. The daily show has now been withdrawn. It did not wean viewers away from Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki which it was up against in the 10 p.m. slot. Would it have received more attention at an earlier time? Maybe at 8 p.m. when Balaji does not have a daily soap!

It’s an awful pity that Chhoti Maa… did not work in North India. Its failure and the failure of other attempts to get away from what has now become a Balaji formula, means television entertainment is being reduced to a one-point agenda and is the monopoly of one producer. In any other industry, this was would have been extremely worrisome. It is equally worrisome here. Nobody grudges Balaji its successes because it has worked at getting them. What is of concern is that the medium does not seem capable of growing beyond it. That is why Sony’s challenge to Star Plus comes in the form of Madhuri Dixit and a marriage show which involves… Who else but the family?