Why we watch DKDM

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whatthewhat

@whatthewhat

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

Hi all,

Yesterday someone asked why we watch DKDM (for writing up a press statement). Many people suggested that the answer was obvious - people watch for spiritual reasons, to gain spiritual knowledge etc. I accept that, but beg to differ in that I don't feel that way.

I for one I wouldn't describe my reasons for watching as spiritual at all. (After all, "Spiritual" might mean different things to different people.)

I watch for the simple reason that these stories are familiar to me - I have heard them, I have read them - in comic books, in scholarly translations, in devotional translations. Our generation is a visual one and I like being able to see my favorite stories enacted. Actually that's not just the present generation. We have always had visual representations, in the form of dance, folk-theater, you name it. Here the medium is modern, the tv, but the idea is the same.

The visual representation of familiar and much-loved and much-revered stories.

That's why I was looking forward to seeing what I am already familiar with...sati's immolation, the first meeting between Shiva and Parvati, the angry destruction of Kama, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, the birth of Kartikeya and Ganesha, the samudra-manthan scene...etc.

However open-minded I am about "creative liberties" when there is a gap in the narratives (and I believe I am open-minded about that)...I find it hard to accept the total distortion of familiar and loved episodes from the myths.

I don't watch to see "new and ingenious twists" that are common place in typical soap-operas.

To many of us, mythological shows are not about "suspense". We do not need the story to be "spun" in a new way. We want to see what we already know. That's the uniqueness of Hindu mythology. That these stories have survived for thousands of years (yes, with variations) and continue to grip people in the same way. We don't tire of them. We don't need them to be new and different. (Although new versions continue to be created too).

This is why perhaps many of us are upset with the turn this show has taken after the entry of Parvati.

I began to watch this show knowing that the TV version would alter/distort/ whatever but I was prepared to accept it as a modern tv verison ... but I am backing away from that position as they tamper with episodes for which there is NO reason to get "creative"...

Would love to hear your thoughts!

P.S.

I realize that I haven't addressed people for whom these stories are unfamiliar. I can't speak to that.

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Frequent Posters

.Reshama.

@.Reshama.

Sparkler

Posted: 13 years ago

i love watch and hear the story about Shivji and Adi Shakti/Parvati. Specially their divine lovetrack.Cant forget MR afcourse.😛.This is ma short comment later i will give a long comment dear.😉

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Shubhika

@shubhika124

Sparkler

+ 5

Posted: 13 years ago

Music , Effects , Cast , Costumes. Its an incredible show.

Im too sleepy right now. Will comment achche se tomorrow morning 😳

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246851

Hibernated

Posted: 13 years ago

Nice Post Mira.

We watch it mostly coz the reason u said. Reconnecting with roots, the stories which we have seen, heard, learnt since childhood. A lot of us are living outside India, it gives us a way to reconnect to our precious heritage, show our children where our roots lie.

Also there is added attraction of seeing the thing we have imagined coming allive, the out of the world sets and stories where people have superpowers good or evil. The usually pretty looking heroes and heroines who mostly justify their roles looks wise. once a while we get people like MOHit, who actually live their part. Its an unique experience watching them

Once we get hooked on to such shows, because of connection, nostalgia whatever, it becomes a habit. Then unless the story is made totally incomprehensible, people stay on, inspite of the creative liberties bordering on extremity.

Spiritual reason might be one of the causes. During the old ramayan, actors were openly worshipped as Gods and Goddesses. Now offcourse they mystery has been removed a lot, still people might find a reconenction with their favorite God when their leela is shown. Its like the effect of satsang and pravachan. I never really cared much for Ram but ramayan gave me a reconnection with Ram. This is speaking my personal experience. I am not sure if we would label this as spiritual or not, but anyways.

As for creative liberty, it is total Wurst as in local german dialect. Why do we need to make up stories when we have some 100 versions floating around in different part of the country. Also as mira said again, we know the start, we know the end, we know all the twists. We donot want to see unnecessary twists. Give us the pure unadulterated version. Some small things, yes okay you might need to modfiy accroding to time and age and representing medium. But gross abuse of your creative power is a total no no. I mean many people watching such shows teach their kids from them. Just keep up with the brilliant Audio-visual representation of our rich culture. that will be enough.

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Krishna

@kkr531

Explorer

Posted: 13 years ago

I never watch daily serials, when i was kid i used to watch mythos sitting along with my parents.
i caught with this show by randomly searching youtube about mahadev as i always tend to watch
some video song on mahadev or devi parvati whenever i am relaxing.

the first episode completely bowled me over i caught up by seeing non stop for next 4 to 5 days.
i was completely mesmerized by the following

1) Casting has been superb especially mahadev. this is the best shiv i had seen on television. sati was also cast perfectly

2)production values are very high, except some lame graphics in asur scenes

3) Music is absolutely wonderful

4) first few episodes were divine, expecially upto the point shiv and sati dance. although drama was there, devotion and spirituality were more dominant

on the whole i watch this show mainly for mahadev , as he is the only character that has not been subjected to drama. although there have been blemishes they have managed mahadev well.

although i like shakti also equally,sorry to say but portrayal of shakti has been consistently childish emotional and even at times drama queen

i don't know why but women in all Indian daily serials cry loads of tears. do audience like them that way? other experienced forum members should answer.

as for the blemishes

Mira had spoke for me summarizing all the important thoughts most of which i concur.

i hope they stop this rona dhona and also hope parvati stands up to shivji and replies him back
confidently

regards
Krishna

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Subha

@Life_Is_Dutiful

Stunner

+ 40

Posted: 13 years ago

My reason 4 watching dis show is different as well as weird.😆

I knew abt dis show and wanted 2 watch it but i was so busy working at home as well as in office so i had no time 2 even switch on da tv.

2 months back i came to USA and here i hv lot of free time(at present i am not working anywhere) so i started watching all da episodes frm da beginning on youtube.Why i watched only dis show?dat's bcoz i always wanted 2 know abt Lord Shiva's life.Till now we only had most of da serials on Lord Vishnu's avatars,Ram,Krishna but after a long time we had a serial on Lord Shiva so i was excited 2 watch it.

I loved it's 1st episode and all da initial episodes.I had not much info abt sati's life so i enjoyed watching dem.Da writers have taken full advantage or use of creative liberties.Dey hv brought lot of fictional tracks like Daksh cursing Shiv,Involvement of Sati in Shiv getting rid of da curse,Tarakasur coming in form of Narad and letting Sati know of Daksh's yagya,Parvati meeting Daksh,Prasuti and all her oder sisters.I don't mind fiction but i always object when fiction takes over reality and tries 2 change da truth

Everything shd be within a limit,Fiction too.Shiv,Parvati,Sati r not fictional characters,dey r Gods.I cldn't tolerate how da cvs completely ruined Sati's character and showed her kiddish and immatured.She is a Godess,how can she be ayogya 2 Shiv?If she had been ayogya den it would hv never been possible 4 her 2 marry Shiv.Anoder thing which irritated me is Sati not being able 2 complete da Nanda vrat.According 2 puranas,she had completed it but 4 da sake of creative liberty,dey changed da story.

What da cvs r showing since last 2 days is even more ridiculous.Everybody knows Kamdev's arrow had hit Shiv and Shiv had fallen in luv wid Parvati.But again dey completely changed everything in da name of creative liberty.Creative Liberty doesn't mean dey shd change da truth/reality.Rati cursing Parvati is again fictional and daily soap type.

It's sad 2 see DKDM turning into a typical daily rona dhona soap 4 da sake of trps.

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whatthewhat

@whatthewhat

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

Thanks for your replies guys!

I agree that the "presentation" of this show has been one of the main reasons for its success. By that I mean, the very (ahem ahem 😆) attractive actors, the sets, the vastly improved VFX, the music etc...

But if we think of the earlier mythological shows that didn't necessarily have these things, people still watched avidly (even more avidly, as Tanni pointed out in the case of the first Ramayana/Mahabharata days) to see their favorite & familiar stories in a new medium...

So I guess I wanted to focus on the content.

So let me quote something Tanni said:

Originally posted by: tannipartner
we know the start, we know the end, we know all the twists. We do not want to see unnecessary twists. Give us the pure unadulterated version.

Even allowing for the fact that there might not be ONE pure unadulterated version, I concur entirely with the sentiment. I don't want a NEW version. I want to see what I already know. If there are variations and if they are showing variations that I am not familiar with, that's great! I learn something I didn't know.

But that's not what they are doing.

What they are doing reminds me of some recent tv versions of famous novels that make changes in order to appeal to their audience...BOGUS! Why not then write / film an original story?

I feel the same way here...I tune in to see a visual representation of a story with which I am familiar! But I don't want new "dhamakas" or "twist"...that's not what it's about for me at all! If that's what I wanted, I'd watch some regular soap-opera...

I am not even going to go near what Tanni mentioned about people teaching their kids from these TV shows...😕 I might say something I regret 😆

Edited by narangi_77 - 13 years ago

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whatthewhat

@whatthewhat

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

Originally posted by: tannipartner
Nice Post Mira.

As for creative liberty, it is total Wurst as in local german dialect.

Thanks Tanni!

@ bold: that cracked me up! 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

German is so perfect for the expression of certain emotions!

Edited by narangi_77 - 13 years ago

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whatthewhat

@whatthewhat

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

Originally posted by: kkr531

i don't know why but women in all Indian daily serials cry loads of tears. do audience like them that way? other experienced forum members should answer.

thanks for your response Krishna 😊

@bold:

Oh man! I could write pages and pages about that! and how angry and frustrated that makes me feel! 😆

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246851

Hibernated

Posted: 13 years ago

#10

Originally posted by: narangi_77

thanks for your response Krishna 😊
@bold:
Oh man! I could write pages and pages about that! and how angry and frustrated that makes me feel! 😆

soon my friend. You saw one reason why women cry buckets in sati episode, now you will see why bahus cry buckets to pacify their cold, emotionless heroes too.😆

Women in Indian daily cries buckets because nothing else defines Indian femininity more than bucket full of tears, after all we are all abalas.🤢