Archive for the ‘Ads’ Category
Two for the price of one – New Trend developed in Television Industry !
On February 10, 2010 in Ads, Channels, Hindi Serial, Popular, TV, Trend
Of late serials have developed the trend of either doing overlapping episodes where the story of two different serials are brought to a common point or where popular characters from one serial do special appearances. A few days back, Star Plus’s prime time serials, Bidaai and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai had one such common journey where Naitik and Akshara (lead pair of Yeh Rishta…) and Alekh and Sadhna (Bidai) had an interesting run in. But why do channels and producers indulge in such gimmicks? Where is the need to bring two divergent story lines on to a similar track?
The obvious advantage is that of time. The extended time limit (normally daily serials run for half an hour) helps to heighten the drama and gives more freedom to the writers to play around with different ideas. It helps to build a buzz around both the serials and thus increase audience interest quotient. Then again it brings in combined viewership, meaning, that those who watch only Yeh Rishta…and those who watch only Bidaai will have to watch both for that special episode in order to stay abreast with developments. And one might never know a non-viewer might be tempted to follow the serial that he/she had not been following because of the parallel track. So it helps to increase or supplement TRPs. Thus it turns out to be a win-win situation for the makers of the respective shows- as it helps to add more drama and generate more eyeballs.
Diverse settings help to bring in spice and character to serials
On January 30, 2010 in Ads, Channels, Culture, Diverse, Hindi Serial
As the popularity and mass appeal of Hindi serials keep growing through the length and breadth of the country, there is a marked attempt by the makers of shows to depict different regions of India and its distinctness via these programmes. Thus we see that not only significant characters but entire settings are now being determined and shaped around regional flavours. Right from the architectural style most common to a particular area, to eating habits, dialect, fashion, sense of style-in short everything that is peculiar to a certain region is being reflected through Hindi serials.
The very first example that comes to mind is Colors’ Bhagyavidhata. Set in semi urban Bihar, the entire look and feel of the serial has been designed keeping in mind the region it is portraying. Thus from the dialogues that the actors are mouthing, to their sense of style, the rituals being observed, in fact right down to the colour of the vermilion being used-everything gives you a feel of the state. The elaborate and in-depth celebration of “Chchat” witnessed in this serial must have been a first for television. Such detailing not only helps to add to the drama behind the story but also helps to build regional awareness and tolerance.
Zee TV’s 12/24 Karol Bagh helps to capture the essence of a very niche area of Delhi-one that is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and its ostentations. The dilemmas and situations faced by the characters of the serial are intrinsic and characteristic of the area it is set in.
Pavitra Rishta talks of a social milieu that is typical of Mumbai-the ‘chawls’. It depicts middle class Maharashtrian families and stays true to the setting of the story. The values and morals eschewed and upheld by the lead characters are those that you normally associate with “Maharashtrians”- polite, hard working, proud of their customs and traditions and passionate. Sabki Laadli Bebo on the other hand depicts life in a Punjabi household. Right from the large hearted characters, to their colourful attire, their irrepressible joie die vivre, and their customs and traditions-all of it is beautifully captured in this serial.
Recently there has also been a trend to set shows in the smaller cities and towns of India. Thus while Bidaai is set in Agra, Laagi Tuhse Lagan is set in Lucknow, Jyoti is set in Udaipur and Do Hanso Ka Joda in Vrindavan. This move away from using Mumbai or Delhi as the given setting of a prime time show is indeed not only reflective of the widening popularity of Hindi serials but also Hindi serials’ way of acknowledging the support of their real fan base; the fan base that is not just restricted to Metropolitan cities only.
Jyoti – Time to make up your mind, strong woman or weak one.
On January 29, 2010 in Ads, Drama, Family, Hindi Serial, Jyoti, Marriage, Middle Class, NDTV Imagine, TV
The makers of NDTV Imagine’s Jyoti ought to make up their mind and that too pretty quickly. It seems that the powers that be are undecided about the way they want to position their lead character-Jyoti. It seems they want to project her as a strong independent woman who has a mind of her own and yet for some inexplicable reason they are forever limiting her horizon. Initially when the show was in its nascent stage, Jyoti was projected as the sole bread earner of her family and as such she was fiercely independent, self reliant, practical and dutiful.
Jyoti was conscious of the burden (she never termed it that) of managing a family consisting of an invalid father, an ageing grand mother, an unemployed slightly flighty younger brother and two unmarried sisters. But this did not stop her from dreaming of her own house, her own family, her private love nest (while she was romancing Brij). While in most other serials it is sacrilege to harbour personal dreams and ambitions; Jyoti had no such hang ups or pretensions. She was not selfish just because she had her private dream goals and aspirations. Just as we were getting ready to applaud a very ‘real’ character, the makers changed their positioning of Jyoti.
Manav and Archana-The magic of indefinable chemistry
On January 29, 2010 in Ads, Drama, Family, Hindi Serial, Marriage, Pavitra Rishta, Popular, TV, Zee
How do you define chemistry? And by that I do not mean the kind taught in school text books. Chemistry is that indefinable, intangible quality that creates magic between two individuals. Pavitra Rishta’s Manav and Archana have chemistry-oodles and oodles of it. In fact such is their pull that they are today undeniably one of the most successful on-screen pairs of Hindi serials. Their love story is so different from what one normally gets to see on television. It is real, down-to-earth, to a certain extent unspoken and endowed with a certain magical charm.
Things have not been too good for the couple for the last few months. In fact things have turned so bad that they even wanted to snap off all ties. Matters were heading for a divorce much to the disappointment of a lot of loyal “Manav-Archana” fans. However at the last moment Archana changed her mind and as a result the judge has ordered them to live together for three months and give their marriage a second chance. He has ordered Archana and Manav to live together as husband and wife much to the dismay of Manav’s mother.
