Originally posted by: HawasKaPujari
Indian TV is regressive, no defending that, period. However since you asked why there is no outrage-
1) Women, or rather girls, have been playing older characters since time immemorial. IIRC actresses like Sridevi, Rambha etc played adults at 14 or so. Unfortunately, this practise has become normalised.
2) PPK had a pre-teen child, playing a child character marrying an adult. Heard this happened in Gulaal too but people here defend that it was a good show idk 😕 Anyway the show was really blatant with the child-marrying-adult aspect and their suhagraat promos made many uncomfortable as it looked like it's crossing the line to paedophilia which probably didn't happen with the other shows.
I have never watched gulal but my mother said this is what happened.
Gulal was married to basant, however he was killed by his cousin brother. The the same cousin brother used to lust after gulal and after her husband was murdered she had to marry his brother as per the custom. but how can she marry her husband's killer? she knew he murdered basant but had no proof, so she had to no choice but to marry her devar who was 14 I think in order to stay in the house. Even though the story was set in a old remote village, the villagers were disgusted that gulal married a child. some level of discomfort was shown and even his parents were angry. however, gulal promised his parents that she will take care of him and get him married to another girl when he is older. later, Gulal sent him to boarding school to keep him away from her and give him some semblance of a normal life.
Gulal was actually his bhabi before so even after marriage, they had a devar-bhabi relationship., there was no talk of honeymoon, suhaag rat, sindoor scene or trip fall catch sequences or muh dikhayi. the boy actually behaved like a child and not like a 20 year old, with mature dialogues. The difference between gulal and PPK is execution.according to my mother, the subject was handled tastefully with as much sensitivity as possible, Whereas, everything about PPK was a tasteless TRP gimmick, the honeymoon or suhag raat talks were only used for shock value even though nothing sexual happened. The villains actually instigated those things but it is obvious that the makers used them as a plot device show muh dikhayi or the decorated suhaag raat room. the last episode I watched, ratan skipped school to help deeya buy groceries😆 the child marriage aspect was not even needed because the show was usual kitchen politics.
IMO, any taboo or controversial subject can be brought to the screen but makers have to be responsible. execution is the key, and shashi sumeet productions failed.
Edited by pomegranate - 8 years ago