Are Daily Soaps serving any Public Interest?

The date 15^th September, 1959 has been the red- lettered day in India’s history as on this very day the country attained another milestone with the launch of Television. With its entrance hatched the vogue of daily soaps and serials in India too. Before the historic economic policy of LPG, there was only one channel, viz, Doordarshan, the public broadcaster shouldering the responsibility of informing, educating and entertaining people all alone. However, post 1991; the coming of myriad of private channels transformed the entire scenario of TV industry. This transformation was heavily witnessed in the content of the programs also.

These channels gave way to the idea of never- ending daily soaps with the sure shot success formula of family drama where women held the center stage but their portrayal was very orthodox, narrow minded, regressive and controversial. Almost all of them have only two extreme characters of women, one is the timid, very fearful, ever obliging and fully devoted to the husband and in- laws, no matter how badly they treat her.  Second character that got pride of place in these soaps were negative shades where women staying in the same home bribes ‘bhais’ to destroy her own family members. The reason for such acts are also so common and clichéd.

Today also things remain largely unchanged. It is so ironical and matter for serious rumination, given, the present scenario. On the one hand there is a widespread pandemonium throughout the nation over gender equality and women empowerment. The mass media seems so active and instrumental in voicing and broadcasting these issues as main lead. And, on the other hand, same mass media in the form of daily soaps are replete with old fashioned and rigidity encouraging the narrow- mindedness and ill- treatment towards women prevailing in the society.

The general conviction says that variety offers quality. But, in this context, it does not hold true.  It calls for observation that when there was only Doordarshan we had some very powerful women characters in the serials like Hum Log, Buniyad, Shanti and Aarohan.  Same and much more were expected when there embarked a deluge of private channels in the TV arena. However, leaving some of them, none of the today’s soaps showcases the courageous, intelligent and independent lead women characters throughout the serial. In other words, none of them portrays the characters for which the activists and protesters are fighting in reality. They all succumb to the changing times turning into sobbing wife and helpless women.

Thus, this article invokes greater responsibility from the producers and makers of the stereotypical daily soaps which, in a great way, supports the dual and ill- treatment meted out to women.  It’s a humble request to them that from now before zeroing down on any script on the similar lines do think of something more than just profits, TRPs and humungous buffs for fashionable attires, appearance and opulence.