Naach Basanti!

We are all familiar with overkill. This, people, is the overkill of overkill. Just when we thought we8217;d had enough of reality bites, crooning glories and jumping Jacks and Jills, SaharaOne TV whips out Saas vs Bahu: Kaun Kisse Nachayega. 8220;Fictionalised reality8221;, the show8217;s all set to make hooked-to-tele homemakers thirsty for more blood, this time, on the dance floor with the 8216;belan queens8217; ready for some latka-jhatka and tez tadka. In town to promote this whole-new sindoor-saree charade, we quiz the ladies, also the participants; onscreen saas Krutika Desai and Jayati Bhatia, and bahu Manava Naik on this national 8216;phenomenon8217; which, ironically, has turned out to be a befitting answer to cricket-obsessed husbands for 8 pm to 10 pm, the remote control rests with the wives.

8220;It8217;s an interesting concept for it involves elements of a dance show and the characters of saas-bahu,8221; Manava stays on the politically correct track. We move our questioning gaze to the veterans, Krutika and Jayati. 8220;To begin with, it8217;s not easy to dance Bollywood style,8221; says Jayati, who, by the way, has learnt the Odissi dance form. Calling them grilling sessions, Krutika says she8217;s in it 8216;for a change8217;. But why only saas-bahu, why not a sasur-jawai? 8220;Because any relationship with a woman is complicated. Get two of them, and you have your answer!8221; reflects Krutika, while Jayati feels that 8220;in our country, sons-in-law are a pampered lot,8221; she points out to a demi-godly status men enjoy. 8220;Of course, we want to do different stories and varied characters. But the tele space right now is limiting, and unfortunately, this is what the audiences want. They are hooked to it,8221; adds Jayati. 8220;See, it8217;s not that the channels don8217;t experiment, look at Balika Vadhu or Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, but the fact is that they struggle with TRPs, and the producers have no choice but to bring in a commercially viable saas-bahu angle. Bass, the story changes tracks and derails,8221; Krutika chips in with plausible reason.

If not anything else, it8217;s the biggest success formula in the history of television. Sample this: there8217;s a film round the corner, Saas-Bahu aur Sensex, Star has an online store selling saas-bahu stuff, there are kitty parties on the concept and what8217;s more, middle-aged homemakers who couldn8217;t copy Kareenas and Katrinas have saas-bahu as walking talking fashion divas! Seriously, if we take a closer, scientific look, then Dolly was just a teaser, Saas-Bahu is perhaps the most successful cloning experiment so far. 8220;You know, everyday we walk in thinking our roles will be better, meatier today, but everyday we return disappointed,8221; says Jayati, who along with Krutika and Manava carry on their theatre acts, for that8217;s 8220;the true art.8221; 8220;Once upon a time, television too was much like that. We had A-class directors giving us top-bracket programming. Television was treated as an art form, it had a seriousness, an impressive aura about it, which today films enjoy. Meanwhile, what we are doing on the tube is mere time pass masala, there8217;s no room for a message,8221; Krutika hands it out, let down by 8220;how the television has been robbed of its IQ8230;it8217;s mediocre in every department.8221;

On a positive note, the actors feel this vicious circle will break, the bubble will burst. 8220;But we need channels and producers to work towards it, as actors, we can only walk out or refuse a role.8221; Anyone listening?