Jodha Akbar: analysis of a show I love

I know this blog is dedicated to current shows, but Zee TV has started airing Jodha Akbar again. And I am not going to let go of any chance to discuss one of my favorite Indian serial!

Jodha Akbar too had it's share of cliche plots. There is this forced marriage to begin with, where Jodha marries Jalal to save her kingdom. Jalal himself begins as the valiant warrior with no heart and Jodha would ignite love in him. While Jalal's real mother loves Jodha, there is Maham Anga to fill the role of evil mother-in-law. Jealous of her reducing impact in her son's life, Maham Anga hatches every conceivable plot to separate these too. Misunderstandings abound in Jodha and Jalal's married life. Jodha is even asked to leave her husband's house. Ruqaiya Begum, Jalal's first wife too conspires to insult Jodha at every opportunity she gets.

Yet, the show ruled the hearts of millions. And not without reason.

The lead actors

Paridhia Sharma as Jodha and Rajat Tokas as Akbar/Jalal are examples of excellent casting, setting a benchmark by their portrayal of the historical characters. Jalal's evil eyes, arrogant smirk and intense stares were depicted with much conviction. Despite this, when Jalal listened to reason or traveled the path of greatness, it never seemed out of character for him. Even when he softened up, he still could look ferocious in the blink of an eye, roaring like a lion against his enemies. Seeing Jalal walk on screen, it never felt as if an actor was portraying a character. Instead, it was as if a royal person has descended on the screen to give us a piece of his life. Same goes for Jodha. She is a Rajwanshi princess, always standing up for what she believes to be right, fearlessly countering all arguments and conspiracies. And yet, she has a soft side, always respecting her elders, finding the strength in herself to forgive all wrongs done against her. The elan and grace with which she conducts herself just calls for respect from viewers. And when Jodha and Jalal come onscreen together, it sets the scene on fire. Be it their fights, arguments or intense passion and bonding, their chemistry is unmatchable.

Complex characters and excellent acting

This was a show blessed with very strong actors portraying complex characters. Maham anga plotted against Jodha and even Jalal when she thought the policies were going against Mughal traditions. But she never stopped loving Jalal. Despite all her evilness, the scene where she loses her real son Adham Khan or the scenes when she is about to die, makes her side of the story also believable, forcing viewers to shed tears for her. Ruqaiya Begum was another complex character. She was always insecure and power hungry, but she still recognized Jodha's goodness when she didn't herself felt threatened. That changed significantly in the later years, but she portrayed all that meanness beautifully. (and by that I mean I wanted to throttle her occasionally.) The various other characters too acted well, transferring us to an era in the past, giving a glimpse of the royalty of that time.

Cliches done well

Cliches become so for a reason. They touch the viewers heart and, when done well, can forge strong connection with the audience. Unwilling marriages might be prevalent in serials of today. But when you think of the context, of Mughals and Rajwanshis entering into a marriage alliance for political gains and the repercussions it might have on the individuals involved, it is true that the show portrayed it believably. Jodha and Jalal's journey towards love and Jalal becoming Akbar through his good deeds had the viewers hooked. And even when Jodha and Jalal separated, temporarily, it was believable. Jodha was a woman of immense self-respect. When Jalal asks her to leave due to a misunderstanding, not only does she goes away, she refuses to return when Jalal comes to take her back. She makes it clear that she will return only when she herself desires to. So taking a regressive plot line where the woman is shown at the mercy of her husband's command, the show gave it a feminist twist, empowering the female lead again.

Another separation between them occurred because of the loss of their children and their own guilt. It was a painful sequence portrayed beautifully and with a lot of care. There are several such examples which made the show a treat to watch.

Fast moving pace

The child deaths that I talked about above and the subsequent separation - how long did that last? Maybe three episodes. While there were several overarching plots, what with Maham Anga and Adham Khan getting their comeuppance after more than 200 episodes, Sarifuddin lasting even longer and Ruqaiya's doings continuing till the end. Still, there was no "dragging", a common complaint today. Mysteries that cropped up were dealt with soon or given some closure before moving on, the misunderstandings that arose were resolved early. (Jalal accuses Jodha of an illicit relationship but realizes the truth the next morning itself.) Something important is happening always, with wars, conspiracies, alliances, new policies and new entries. And when nothing happens, judicious use of voice-over is employed to indicate passage of time.

Progressive messages

Though set in the sixteenth century B.C., the show had messages relevant till today. Though Jodha and Jalal had numerous differences and arguments over the course of the show leading often to the exchange of sharp words, domestic violence was conspicuously absent. Not even slaps. While wars were fought along enemy lines, differences in home were often resolved through lengthy dialogues. The entire family (well not the thousands of women in the haram) took part in these arguments often, setting an example of how to go about strife in home. The show also talked about a lot of social issues, talking against child marriage, slavery, favoring widow remarriage and had strong, independent female characters. With the leads belonging to different religion and culture, it showed a harmonious co-existence of both. Jodha and Jalal both learnt and appreciated the teachings and life-styles of the other, while remaining true to their own origin. 

The show could breathe such a fresh air in our hate filled lives! It is telling how social issues present back then could be still relevant.

Creating the right atmosphere

Be it the sets, costumes, dialogues, the attention to detail or the demeanor of the actors, when you watch the show, you really believe you are witnessing a piece of history. Things that we had read about in books, the Diwan-e-Khas and the Diwan-e-Aam, the navaratnas of Akbar's court, Akbar's haram, talks of Humayun nama, historical figures like Tansen and Birbal - the show was much more than just the love story of Jodha and Akbar. Though it was repeatedly stated that creative liberties have been taken and the show was not an accurate portrayal of history, yet it did an excellent job of immersing the viewers in a whole other world. The music and tunes developed for the show were also very soulful and touching. After watching the show, the movie of the same name seems grossly inadequate in comparison.

This is not the say that the show was perfect. Towards the end witches and ghosts found their way into the story. Seeing that it is based in a time where superstition was widely prevalent in the Indian society, it is acceptable to watch characters like Shakuni bai making predictions and believed by the royal queen. It also adds to the feel of destined love. But a character actually dying and then possessing Jodha as a ghost is pushing the limits of storytelling too far!

Besides, I felt the ending of the show was also a little weak and abrupt. After the introduction of the British, Ruqaiya was sent to Kabul where she would look after the Mughal business affairs and return only after proving herself equal to Jodha. Jodha and Akbar seemingly have a happy ending. But the story of their son Saleem and his love Anarkali was neither explored nor given a proper closure. Ruqaiya's brainwashing of Saleem was also not revealed. In fact, the whole arc of Saleem was ignored towards the end.

All things considered, the show still remains one of my favorites and I am glad it ended when it did. Over 500 episodes of a historical piece is long enough. With writers running out of ideas and ghosts getting screen time, I am happy there weren't further pointless tracks. Maybe one day we will get a separate story of Saleem and Anarkali. Until then, lets enjoy the rerun on Zee TV!

Kumkum Bhagya: entire plot in a nutshell

Zee TV's popular show Kumkum Bhagya first aired in April, 2014 and soon became one of the top TRP grabbers of Indian television. The viewers were initially drawn to the amazing chemistry of the leads, Pragya (Sriti Jha) and Abhi (Shabir Ahluwalia), eager to see how these two get together and fall in love with each other. Now, more than four years later, Abhi is married to Tanu, and Pragya is... well Pragya never divorced Abhi but she is not living with him anymore. So, what happened?

Well, nothing much.

Kumkum Bhagya's plot till now can be summed up as:
Pragya: Someone is trying to harm my husband. I have to protect him.
Abhi: Let's romance/ I am not talking to you.
Tanu: Abhi is mine, I will send Pragya away from him anyhow.
Aliya: This Pragya has snatched my brother from me. I will throw her out of the house.
Entire Mehra family: What is happening, cry, cry.
Pragya: I think Aliya and Tanu are involved, but I need proof.
Mehra family: We agree, but proof for Abhi? Cry, cry.
Abhi: Romance/Angry. Also, am a rockstar.
Aliya/Tanu: Let's kill/kidnap Pragya.
Pragya: My kumkum is strong... but I need proof.
Abhi: Let's throw a party, because I have so much money.
Tanu: I will kill Pragya and get Abhi.
Aliya: I will kill Pragya and get property from Abhi.
Pragya: proof, proof!
Function happens. Pragya gets kidnapped. Weeks of trying to save Pragya. Someone gets admitted to hospital. Everyone goes back and repeat from step one.

Of course, new villains come and go, helped by Tanu/Aliya. In fact, Tanu/Aliya are the only members in the family to become aware of new dangers or plot-lines and take advantage of it while the rest stew in their oblivious selves. But the main plot never changes. Abhi and Pragya can never be together. Other characters are either forgotten or killed. Or they standby in mute mode. Pragya's mom is there somewhere... but she now has new daughters in Kundali Bhagya. And you see, Kumkum Bhagya took a seven years leap and Kundali Bhagya didn't. Which essentially means Pragya's mom is still stuck in the past and Pragya and the Mehras have entered the future!

The only new factor is Pragya and Abhi's daughter, Kiara. Another "rockstar", King, has also made entry but nobody has much hope for his character in this Bermuda triangle of Aliya/Tanu/Abhi-Pragya. Mind you, Abhi doesn't know about it yet and we can never be sure how many "proofs" will be needed before Abhi finally realizes the truth of his daughter. Of course, Tanu has already started making the connection and harm Kiara.

Books can be written on the problems in this show's non-existent plot. Abhi, a grown man, has no awareness of what is happening in his own house. Aliya and Tanu, despite committing various crimes, are never arrested. In fact, Tanu was not even related to the Mehras. Still she stayed in Mehra house. The entire Mehra family knows everything but never speaks up. Most awkward moments are chosen to showcase Ahbi and Pragya's romance. Like when a snake enters their bedroom and they are trying to capture it. Or the numerous times Pragya gets kidnapped. Pragya takes abuses again and again in the name of saving her husband and his family... and after four years of this, Abhi marries Tanu!

The only thing that still draws users attention is the chemistry between the leads. And a sliver of hope that one day they might have an happy ending. But how thin can that hope be stretched?

The love formula of Indian TV

Who doesn't like a good love story? Millions of viewers tune in everyday with the hope of seeing their favorite couples finally getting together. But sadly, the landscape of romance in Indian TV has been filled with cliches, frustrating the audience to no end. Today, we talk about some of the trite tropes in our shows currently. Feel free to discuss your opinion in the comments section!

Getting lost in forests

And if a tiger follows you, even better! Every relationship requires some alone time with your partner, where you get to know each other and have a deeper understanding of their personalities. But the one way show writers repeatedly resort to is abandoning the fated couple in a jungle. They will spend the night. The female lead will worry, the male lead will take care indirectly. If it is winter or raining, the hero will give the heroine his coat or jacket. (Of course he has a jacket. Which idiot gets lost in a jungle without a jacket?) The heroine will doubt the hero's intentions in the night, but our hero, all noble and honorable, will stay away. And once they escape from the forest, viola! The heroine has now new respect for the hero and isn't angry at him any more.

The third wheel

The couples haven't realized their love yet? No, problem. Just introduce another guy/girl who will flirt with one of them making the other one insanely jealous. Oh, why am I having such thoughts? Oh, what are these feelings? I don't care, I don't care - hey! take your hands off her!

Bonus point, of course, if the third wheel is a villain in disguise. Then our protagonist gets to bring out his true face after suffering humiliation and hardship, and finally wins the trust and affection of his love.

Scheduled wedding that won't take place

This is taking the third wheel drama to the next level. Here the third person is not satisfied with simple flirting. S/he wants to marry. Maybe for property? For revenge? It doesn't matter. We know the marriage won't happen. The heroine (say) will gather evidences against the villain, will proclaim her own love, and on the day of marriage will utter the words - "Ye shaadi nahi ho sakti" (This wedding can't happen.) The villain is given an unceremonious exit and the couples unite. Yay!

Forced marriages

According to TV serials, nothing makes a relationship stronger than a forced marriage. The greater the betrayal, the deeper the passion of romance! Hardly any wedding takes place where the couples already want to marry each other and spend their life with each other. After the wedding, long periods of misunderstanding and courtship takes place, where the female lead and the new daughter-in-law goes through various humiliation in her new house. The male lead does or does not support the female initially, but it has no effect on the final status of their relationship. It doesn't even matter if they loved someone else before marriage. Once the wedding takes place, they will surely fall in love with each other. Eventually.

The curse of the ever falling heroine

She is standing on a chair, searching something in a cupboard. She loses balance. She falls.

She is walking. She trips on the carpet. She falls.

She is fighting with the hero. She goes towards him angrily. She falls.

Every single time, the hero will catch her. And they will have an eye-lock. Cue romantic songs in the background. Sigh... Just once I want someone to scold the female lead for falling all over the place!

The villainous parents

How much easier the life of the couples would be if the parents just accepted them as they are. But no! Based on various reasons, mostly "prestige", the in-laws will refuse to accept the new bride. Worse, the mother-in-law will make plots to creates misunderstanding between her son and the bride, hoping to separate them and throw the daughter-in-law out of the house. Usually, the villainous plans succeed and the female lead has to fight numerous battles to keep her love intact.

 

Endless separation

This is one trope that I hate the most. Even if the couples get married, one thing or the other will keep them separated. In fact, marriage seldom means physical intimacy or emotional bonding and trust in Indian TV land. If it was an unwilling marriage, the bride will ask the husband to stay away. By the time they do develop feelings for each other, everyone starting from the elder sister-in-law to the father-in-law's friend has managed to create misunderstanding between them. And heaven forbid if they do get intimate, one mistake will lead to the death of a family member and the heroine will get thrown out of their lives again.

These are some of the most common cliched plot lines present right now. Let us know in the comments section if you can think of something more.

The mess that is Ishq Mein Marjwan

Who doesn't like a good suspense thriller, right? Top it with a strong, spunky antagonist and we have the recipe for a sure shot hit. If you have any doubt, look no beyond than Sony TV's Beyhadh and the popular character Maya.

Colors show Ishq Mein Marjawan started as a suspense thriller with a murder in its very first episode. The serial pulled in viewers from inception with the mystery of a serial killer, an honest police inspector investigating the crimes, a cunning man with his own agenda and an innocent girl having the exact face of the murderer. With the excellent casting of Alisha Panwar in the double role of Arohi and Tara, and Arjun Bijlani as Deep who wanted to trap Arohi but fell in love with her in the process, the show promised an exciting ride.

With interesting twists and turns at every corner and every character having secrets of their own, the viewers were often at the edges of their seats, worried how Arohi would protect herself. But when did the twists become a little too much? When did the show changed from being exciting to confusing?

Story till now

Tara is a serial killer, her anger bursting when she sees people cheating each other. The only solution she has for betrayal is murder and from each of her victim she takes a memento, the victim's ring. Lakshya is an inspector who starts investigating the crimes through his unique ways, fully determined to catch the serial killer in Shimla. Seemingly separate from this all, Deep Raichand, a big businessman, enters Shimla one day, sees Arohi Kashyap, an innocent girl who shares Tara's face, and is immediately attracted to her. Deep sends his mother to Arohi's house with a marriage proposal. Arohi at first refuses because she wants to marry her boyfriend, but when she thinks her boyfriend has cheated her, she ends up marrying Deep.

On the marriage day, it is revealed that Deep is actually Tara's husband and has trapped Arohi in a fake marriage so that he can put the blame of all of Tara's crimes on Arohi. To force Arohi into marriage, Tara had even murdered Arohi's boyfriend. Soon it is revealed that the entire Raichand family is a bunch of actors hired by Deep to fool Arohi. Arohi slowly falls in love with Deep, not realizing that behind her back Deep is planting false evidences in front of Lakshya. While Lakshya begins doubting Arohi, Arohi herself senses that everything is not as it seems in the Raichand house. By the time the she learns the secret, it is too late. Tara kills Arohi's brother and Arohi lands up in jail for all of Tara's crimes. 

Arohi's sister-in-law vows to get her released and inspector Lakshya also realizes that justice hasn't been served. But days pass and nothing happens. In jail, Arohi faces torture, changes from a weak, scared woman to a fearless one and, three years later, fakes her own death and escapes to exact her revenge.

She locates Deep, Tara and their family, now living in Mumbai. Through cunning and the help of a poor child Chawanni, she manages to kidnap Tara and herself enters Raichand Mansion as Tara. Lakshya is revealed to be Virat Lakshya Raichand, Tara's brother, and slowly Arohi realizes the full extent of the conspiracy to trap her. One plan follows another, as a race starts between Arohi and the entire Raichand family. Arohi looses her sister-in-law and nephew in the process, while many of the Raichands too die. 

With time, it seems Deep isn't the real mastermind and might be a victim himself. Deep and Arohi reconcile, trying to find out Deep's past and the reality of his parents. When it appears that Arohi might finally be getting her revenge and that there is a chance for a happy life between Deep and Arohi, another betrayal happens. On the night of their third marriage, Deep cheats Arohi again. He first sets fire to their room, then takes Arohi to a doctor, gets her face changed and plans to send her across border while he himself starts a new life with Tara. 

Why did Deep do this? Does his loyalty really lie with Tara? Whose face did Deep give Arohi? Are Arohi's parents, who were thought to be dead, alive and held captive? These are some of the new mysteries that have now cropped up in the show. But the viewers have started to lose interest. The reasons for this are many, but the foremost is...

Inconsistencies in Deep's characterization

Who is Deep? What does he want? Does he love Arohi? Does he love Tara? Has he been Arohi's supporter all along? Is he a mastermind or just a loyal follower of Roma's (Tara's mother) orders? These are some of the questions that had often intrigued viewers. But after repeated 180 degree turns in Deep's behavior, the questions have now become frustrating.

The first sign of Deep falling for Arohi happened before Arohi went to jail. It seemed he was really drawn to Arohi's innocence and purity of heart. But suddenly one day, he declares to Tara that he is still trapping Arohi and in that moment all of Deep's previous realization of love vanishes. He sends Arohi to jail and even visits her there, taunting her and slapping her. When Arohi escapes from jail, she finds Deep living comfortably with Tara and handling Raichand business (Deep real name turns out to be Deep Raj Singh). When Arohi (in Tara's guise) stays at Raichand Mansion, we find Deep loyal to Roma following all her orders. He even tries his best to find out Arohi's truth and repeatedly leaves her to be tortured by Roma. He even shoots Tara once, thinking her to be Arohi, on Roma's command. 

Still, after Arohi shoots Deep in London, it is revealed that Deep had a good heart all along and always loved Arohi. He even saved Arohi's nephew, Nikku. It was the Raichand's who had brainwashed Deep into his crimes. At this point, Deep returns from London and his character does another 180 degree turn. Till then he had been Roma's loyal follower, worshiping her as a goddess and following all her orders without question. But now he grows up a spine and refuses to follow Roma anymore. This happens without any provocation from Roma, but since Deep now appears to be at Arohi's side, the viewers accept it.

Deep and Arohi, now together, reveal the Raichand's true face to the world and it seems we finally know who Deep is. But again, Deep does an 180 degree turn. After proclaiming love for Arohi repeatedly, he changes her face and seems to be with Tara again. And he also has developed a violent streak, manhandling both Tara and Arohi.

This repeated change in Deep's motivations and characters has now turned irritating. The viewers still can't be sure what Deep will do next. The last betrayal seems not only to Arohi but to the viewers themselves. His character now appears fickle, loyal neither to Arohi nor Tara, but a selfish, cruel person. Certainly not someone we enjoy watching anymore.

Too many deaths

Vishaal, Aniket, Nikku, Ridhi, Prithvi, Roma, Kalyani, Vedika, Maya, Dr. Bhandari, Maharaj, Sudha, Sushant, Sanaya, Danny, Nisha... These are the many characters who have died in this show. Many of them were killed by Tara, but Virat and Roma also had their share of murders. Arohi's enemies, interestingly, only die by accident and not at Arohi's hands. Many of the characters in Arohi's support and those Arohi vows to protect, always end up dead. Characters like Kalyani and Vedika were introduced with exciting backstories but were killed abruptly, the secrets attached to them never revisited. Random characters like Sudha and Nisha are introduced and then killed within weeks or days. Viewers want some positivity and also persons who remain alive and support Arohi. But when that doesn't happen and when Arohi always ends up lonely and helpless, it is disheartening.

Too many twists

There are just too many twists in this show! Every single character is hiding some secret or making some plan of their own. Anyone can betray anyone without any foreshadowing. Dilip, who was shown wheelchair bound since the beginning and supporting Arohi, suddenly turns out to be healthy and a villain without any logic whatsoever. Lakshya, the honest police officer who tried to capture Tara, was later shown to be Tara's brother Virat. Sometimes, hints are given about a secret but the reveal is dragged for days. With shocking twists happening in almost every episode, it seems more like a cheap gimmick than a coherent story.

Plots left incomplete

There are so many things happening in the show at the same time, that it seems even the writers forget what plot they had started. For quite sometime, it was shown that there might be someone in Raichand Mansion who knew Arohi was staying as Tara and even sent kidnappers to capture her from temple. But who that person was, was never revealed. There was also someone who was helping Tara, informing her about Nikku and Arohi's steps, but that person was also not revealed.

When Kalayani entered, it was shown that there was some secret related to property that only Roma and Prithvi knew that even Tara and Virat were not aware of. But when Kalyani died, that secret was not talked of ever again.

Vedika's death was not shown onscreen and hints were given that Vedika might still be alive. That maybe Deep had saved her from Roma. But that was also not given a proper closure.

Dilip, who for a long time was shown as having a soft corner for Deep and trying to help Deep, was suddenly turned into a villain without any logic or proper explanation.

Even Deep's past, which a month back seemed at the point of being revealed, has been completely sidetracked for now.

Inconsistency in story

Quite early in the show it was established that Tara's murder tendencies arose because her father betrayed her mother and left them for another woman. Tara's first victim was that other woman. Later, when it was revealed that Dilip was Tara's father, it was never cleared whether Dilip was their biological father and if it was so, how he came to stay with them again.

At first, it was mentioned that Deep was picked from the road by Roma and given a comfortable life. That was the reason why Deep always stayed loyal to Roma's command. Then suddenly, it was revealed one day that Deep had in fact come to the Raichand Mansion as an adult with amnesia and has no memories of his childhood.

For long it was shown that only Roma knew about Deep's past. Then it was told that only Dilip knew. It was clearly portrayed that Tara had no idea about it and when Arohi (as Tara) asked Roma about it, Roma didn't find 'Tara's' ignorance strange. Then suddenly one day, Virat and Tara were shown to know everything about Deep's past and were actively preventing Deep from knowing about it. 

Arohi's parents, who were often mentioned to have died in Arohi's childhood, are now suddenly revealed to have died in an accident only 6 months ago. In fact, they were not even dead but kidnapped by someone for six years!

All these back-tracking of established backstories in the name of new secrets becomes frustrating.

Misuse of Double Role

The switch between Arohi and Tara was used too many times. Often, to create suspense, Tara and Arohi were given the exact same dress and make up. Scenes were cut to confuse the viewers. Of course, it could be interesting if done correctly. But the writers took it too far ahead. And then, as if that was not enough, Arohi was given a new face leading to another double role!

 

Protagonist always losing

Arohi, the main protagonist of the show, has lost almost everything in her life and still keeps losing. Her brother was killed quite early. The show was at its best when Arohi escaped from prison and through sheer intelligence and cunning was able to fool the Raichands and break their unity. She was able to get Virat arrested, develop a strife between Virat and Tara, make Roma lose her chance at a political career and generally create chaos in her enemies' life. But soon that changed and Arohi lost all her well-wishers and close ones. For months she tried to save her nephew and sister-in-law but they ended up dead nonetheless. She brought in characters like Vedika for her own revenge and indirectly caused their death. Even Nikku, her nephew, could have been alive if she had left him alone. The Raichands kept escaping from prison and though police were looking for them everywhere, Roma still managed to kill Danny right in front of Deep and Arohi.

But the worst offender was Arohi losing her face, literally. The fact that after everything, when it seemed the story was moving towards a happy ending, Arohi would be again betrayed and lose her identity became too much for the viewers. Nia Sharma's entry as the new Arohi was widely criticized and people are still begging for the old Arohi to be brought back. After everything the character has gone through, she need some closure before being thrown into another drama.

In fact, for a show created on such a premise, the serial should have been finite one with a tight story. It could have prevented many of the problems that show is currently facing. Let us know in the comments section what you think!

The curse of Indian TV writers

We are all familiar with the curse, aren't we? The story starts with an amazing cast, an interesting premise and a promising pace. But one thing leads to another and out of nowhere we realize somehow ghosts have become involved and... and did the lead female just turn into a FLY??

I am not talking about fantasy shows. I swear.

Till date, one of my biggest complaint is the introduction of ghosts in Zee TV's Jodhaa Akbar. I just loved that show, but towards the end I found myself wishing it to finish soon. And that is not the only show I got fed up of with time.

So what is it that turn favorite serials into most hated ones? Yeh hai Mohabbatein, Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya, Ishq Mein Marjawan... all such current shows once enjoyed huge fan following but are now filled with disgruntled viewers. Is the reason lack of originality? Repeated plot points? Or is it the combination of those?

Lack of Originality

Amnesia? Brought back from dead? Double role out of nowhere? Plastic surgery? Leaps? Love triangles? Marriage swaps? Evil mother-in-law? Violent husband changed after marriage? Seen all of it a hundred times. Recently, it seems surrogacy and extra marital affairs are also joining the long line of been-there-done-that. Every show seems to be copying from every other one. Things have reached to such a point that viewers seldom believe any character to be really dead. Mani (Yeh Hai Mohabbatein), Shagun's husband and Ishita's close friend was shown murdered in his home. A few sequence later, the dead body was revealed to be Mani's lookalike who has never been mentioned before. The real Mani was kept kidnapped somewhere... and the viewers believed it. Because it was not the first time that such a convoluted plot was used in a show. And it certainly wont be the last. Earlier, the sign of a damaged face on a dead body signified possibility of return of the character. Now even undamaged faces are no guaranty that the character is really dead. Applicable to all shows.

Lack of variety

There is a frequent complaint that the youth prefers American shows to Indian ones. One look at the variety on offer and you wont need to fathom after the cause. A high school chemistry teacher who starts producing meth? A serial killer who kills other murderers while working in police department? Two brothers fighting demons and ghosts while figuring out the cause of their own mother's death years ago? A show filled with dragons and ice zombies but also intense political intrigue? Medical dramas, detective dramas, comedies with different premises, fantasies... and what does Indian shows offer in comparison?

Looking at the current lot of shows. 

Savitri Devi (Colors) started out as a medical drama where the main lead was also supposed to right the wrongs done to her dead father. That soon changed into a romance drama, kitchen politics, marriage plots and currently features some ghost plot. That's right. Ghosts. In a medical drama. 

Naagin (Colors) is the most popular fantasy show in Indian television. While the first season was all right and had a plot with real twist, intrigue and amazing lead actors, the subsequent seasons kept deteriorating in quality. And the plots (if existing) are nowhere near complex.

Ishq Mein Marjawan (Colors) started as psychological crime thriller. Today the plot is over convoluted, half the mysteries are forgotten, chracters are being introduced and killed randomly and we even got a plastic surgery. Phew!

Shakti (Colors) was supposed to deal with the plight of transgenders. But the plot dealt with repeated separation of Harman and Soumya while sometimes making a statement. And now both leads are suffering from amnesia!

Aap Ke Ajane Se (Zee TV) was supposed to deal with love between persons of huge age differences. Yeh Teri Galiyaan (Zee TV) started on the premise of lives of people born and brought in red light areas. Many other shows had interesting premises but stuck in the same rut of leaps, amnesia, misunderstanding or completely giving up the premise. Dil Se Dil Tak (Colors) was about a surrogate and her relation with the couple. But the wife died, the surrogate married the husband and everyone kept referring to the surrogate as the real mother. 

Some supernatural shows have now appeared on the horizon. Qayamat ki Raat (Star Plus), Nazar (Star Plus), Kaun hai? (Colors) and Mayavi Maling (Star Bharat) have joined the Naagin bandwagon. But its too soon to pass a verdict on them. Historical dramas were a rage at one point with Prithviraj Chuahan, Jodhaa Akbar, Chandragupta, Ashoka and Chandra Nandini all enjoying huge popularity. (essentially building up Rajat Tokas's career!). But for some reason cliches like separation of leads, forced marriages, lookalikes and ghosts abound here too. The comedy genre fairs a little better. There are a few shows dealing with Hindu mythology and shows with Muslim characters in lead are also coming up. But the scene still lacks fresh ideas and variety doing little justice to the diverse Indian society.

Lack of realism

In a fictional show, there is always some creative liberty and suspension of disbelief. I am not even talking of fantasy genre here. But the police being incompetent in every damn show? The main leads, usually the female, solves everything from kidnapping to fraud. The leads even argue cases in courts while the lawyer sits mute. 

And the female lead is some all forgiving, all understanding, loving, caring superwoman! No matter how many times she is accused by her in-laws, not supported by her husband or thrown out of the house, she will still come back willingly despite having a job (or so it says) and being independent. I am still waiting for the day when a daughter-in-law will prove herself right and then ask all the in-laws to go to hell! And how stupid the in-laws have to be to keep doubting the one daughter-in-law who saves them from danger single-handed on numerous occasions? 

Then there are the super evil characters. Sisters turning on sisters for some minor reason (Imli on Chakor and Ragini on Swara). Sisters ruining the lives of their brothers (Simmi against Raman and Aliya against Abhi). Close relations and values that humans generally regard all thrown to the wind for plot convenience. Characters sometimes using there mind or being outspoken, sometimes stupid and meek as and when required.

Lack of logic

One common sentence that is often heard - "this is TV show, don't apply logic". Well, I am not going to apply the laws of physics. But what about common sense? A recent episode of Kumkum Bhagya featured a chandelier falling on Pragya, hurting her grievously. That incident had everyone wondering who might have done it, while the entire family knows that Aliya and Tanu had tried killing Pragya a number of times before. But no one doubts them. In Udaan, Chakor foolishly decides to trust Imli every time and Imli always back stabs her. And the less said about logic in the show Ishq Mein Marjawan, the better. Even Bepnnah, a show appreciated for the organic handling of mature themes, had viewers puzzling over the obsessiveness with which a CBI officer pursued Zoya and Aditya despite not having any concrete proof. And the scene from Saath Nibhana Sathiya where Gopi Bahu washes a laptop with water and then hangs it to dry is quite viral by now!

While the protagonists are fighting all odds, the villains seem to have unlimited resources. How easy it is for a normal person to hire kidnapper repeatedly, or get poison, or change DNA reports, or hide evidences, or always kidnap the doctor's young daughter in the nick of time in order to blackmail her into lying? Ever. Damn. Single. Time.

Viewing such scenes again and again where the viewer screams at the screen for the chracters to use their brains are nothing but frustrating.

Some positives

The over dramatization of certain scenes, loud music, focusing on faces repeatedly during 'shocking' revelations and villains always having an upper hand have been mocked enough.Yet Indian TV soaps continue to enjoy wide viewership with even overseas fans. There must be some reason right?

After giving this topic a good thought, that why do we go back to stale stories again and again, I think I have finally found the reason. It's the amazing casting that producers always manage to land upon! Be it the famed chemistry of Rittik-Shivanya (Naagin Season 1), Pragya-Abhishek (Kumkum Bhagya) or Ishita-Raman (Yeh Hai Mohabbatein), viewers always tune into their favorite shows with the hope that today maybe the pairs will finally have some respite.

Also, while the writers and producers keep bungling up repeatedly, the actors usually do a fabulous job. Even if the overall story doesn't sell, they make individual scenes believable and their hard work shows. If only they got the creative team their skills deserve!

The crazy case of leaps in Indian serials

Leaps of months, years or even decades... Indian TV Land is filled with them all. Almost every serial in every mainstream channel has taken leaps of some kind. There was a time when leaps used to bring a freshness to the story and was used to create new plots that were revealed gently over episodes. But too much even chocolate will make you sick! No wonder viewers groan at the thought of a leap in their favorite TV shows now. Because, more often than not, leaps simply spoil the stories leaving too many past storylines unresolved that is never dealt with again.
Lets go through some of the classic characteristics of leaps that viewers dread.

Separation of Leads

Scientifically proven, the probability of leads separating after a leap is 99.99%. (Just kidding!) Sometimes, the separation is foreshadowed. The wife, usually, is accused of some crime against the in laws, or death in the family and is thrown out of the house or sent to jail (for FOURTEEN years always! But is usually pardoned after ten years for good behavior). And then, years later, when the story starts again, for some reason the male lead is often paired up with another female.

Hence begins the continuous struggle for the leads to get together again, fighting obstacles and their own stubbornness. Finally they get together and now... another leap! 

Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, a popular Star Plus show, should get an award for following this plot line with utmost loyalty. Raman and Ishita must have spent more time away from each other than together.

New children and Misunderstanding

In this scenario, the female lead now has a child which belongs to the male lead, of course. But the male lead doesn't know, because how else will misunderstanding arise? Quite conveniently, the female lead also acquires an attractive male boss in these years who lets her stay in his own house as a personal assistant and is very much attached to the child. Well, everyone knows how that plot proceeds.

Kasam, the recently concluded Colors show, as well as Kumkum Bhagya, the Zee Tv serial, both have this plot line. The only difference is... is...the actors?

Vanished characters

Remember the side character that didn't have many lines but was a brother or uncle or someone doing something in the many many rooms of the house? Yeah, he is gone after the leap. Along with five other characters that never get mentioned by anyone in the house. Soon you will forget them too. 

Examples are hard to give, because you know, I forgot. But lets see, some family member or friend in Yeh hai Mohabbatein are definitely missing (they brought back Roshni but wish they hadn't). Then Dilip is missing in Ishq mein Marjawan (Colors) after three months leap. In Udaan (Colors), host of minor characters are missing (or are they dead already?). In Bepannah (again Colors), Mahi and Zoya's mother in law simply have vanished without mention.

Unresolved plot points

Remember that one minor lie that started the whole misunderstanding and you were waiting eagerly for it to get resolved so that everyone can be happy again? Yeah, fat chance of that happening after fifteen years. Or remember the daughter had a huge fight with her parents and you were waiting for a apologizing track or realizing mistake scene? Gone. After leap, they are either happy or sad or don't care about it.

Yeh Hai Mohabbatein with fifty leaps of course provides most examples. Ruhi has a huge fight with her parents over her wish to marry Nikhil. HUGE. Things are heading towards a dramatic wedding sequence and... Two years later, Raman has lost his memory, Ruhi isn't with Nikhil anymore and Ishita has not only gotten out of jail (for murder) but even managed to become a business investigator. Really.

All this begs the question, if the writers do not have ideas to take the present story forward, why not end the serial at a high point? Why keep on dragging till the viewers literally want to get inside the idiot box and slap the characters? There is a thing called finite series too.

What is the deal with crazy wedding plots?

Indian TV shows have often used weddings of lead as well as minor characters as big plot points. Often, weeks and months of showtime is dedicated to preparation of wedding day and hardly ever a wedding goes as planned. Some big drama always ensures. Lack of originality has led to some cliche plot points where the viewer can almost guess how the story will evolve in the future, often accompanied by hair-pulling frustration.
Here are some of the worst of wedding plots in Indian serials.

Marriage swap

Classic plot. Or should I say the most abused plot? So here is how marriage swaps go... bride/groom comes with face completely covered (first sign she is not the one supposed to be getting married). Also, miraculously, everyone goes blind during these rituals. No one notices change in height, body shape or even the different face (groom's face is almost always recognizable). Then comes one critical moment when groom has to fill sindoor in bride's hairline. Now everyone will know that the bride is different, right? WRONG! Every wedding function in Indian TV land always hire the same electrician who just know the precise moment when to switch off the lights! The one moment when face might be seen, lights go off. And when the ritual is complete, finally, finally its time for everyone to be shocked with the devastating truth.

Bonus point: the real bride/groom is just at the point of stopping the wedding but gets pulled away at the last moment and no one in the entire functions notices him/her.

Double bonus point: there are two weddings going on and both the couples get interchanged!!

Culprits: Thapki pyar ki (happens twice!), Swaragini, Naagin season 1, Udaan (Imli decides to take Tina's place and marry Suraj. Suraj realizes and does another swap so that Imli ends up marrying Vivaan, and Chakor, Vivan's bride, ends up marrying Suraj. Suraj's orginal bride Tina is just gone. Whew!), Ishq Mein Marjawan (although Arohi did look like Tara), Ishqbaaz, KumKum Bhagya (though Aliya was stopped from marrying Purab in Bulbul's place).

Revenge wedding

How many plots have been dedicated to this? Interestingly, it is most often the men who decide to forcefully marry a woman so that he can 'teach her a lesson' or 'make her life a hell.'  The woman is often outspoken and fearless while the man is... what do you say about a man who marries for punishment? Surprisingly, these plots almost always end with the spouses falling in love with each other, after the woman has 'changed the husband into a better person'.

culprits: Udaan, Naagin (all seasons! although revenge plot is completely different and involves lots of murder), Ishq Mein Marjawan, Madhubala, Yeh hai Mohabbatein (Param's second marriage with Simmi), Laado Season 2, Ishqbaaz.

Majburi wala wedding

Oh the problems forcing marriage in Indian TV Land. Well, financial problems mainly. The one with the obsessive lover and threats of "marry me or I will ruin your family", "marry me or I shall bankrupt your family" or "marry me and I shall help your family". Again, it is often the men playing the roles of obsessive lovers.

There are of course other 'majburis' leading to marriage. Child custody, 'honor', pregnancy (often false), some promise given by elders, or even health problems faced by elders all lead to a fated wedding. 

culprits: Kulfi Kumar Bajewala (here Sikander is forced to marry Lovely), Aap ke ajane se, Kumkum Bhagya (Disha and Purab's marriage), Yeh hai Mohabbatein, Savitri Devi, Jodha Akbar, Kumkum Bhagya (thankfully Abhi never marries Tanu... Oh wait, he does).

Stubborn/Angry Wedding

Remember the sequence in Tanu weds Manu returns where Tanu prepares for the wedding of her own husband and in the end Manu realizes he still loves his wife? Yeah, Indian TV writers have done a PhD in such sequences. The hero/heroine is in love with someone else but decides to marry a third person, because of anger, stubborness or yet to be realized love. Cue for the other lead to claim he will make the hero/heroine fall for her/him in seven days (or less) before the wedding. When does the realization occur? Just one step away from completing the seventh phera! 

No one ever cares for the decked up other person who has to return home without the promised spouse. Of course, he is more often than not an over the top villain, so who cares, right?

Sometimes, both hero heroine are angry and decide to marry someone else, but true love wins at the end (or doesn't).

culprits: Bepannah, Savitri Devi, Ishqbaaz, Kumkum Bhagya (Abhi did have amnesia while decing to marry Tanu), Kundali Bhagya, Aap ke ajane se.

Sigh. I am sure I have still missed some or the other cliched plot. Where are the wedding sequences where two people, having agreed to marry each other without any lie involved, do end up getting married on wedding day? Well they do exist... in dream sequences!