Posted:
Hi Star Plus executives.
By now we do realise that some of you or your staff visit these television serial discussion forums. Therefore I am writing my feedback here. I have also written on your star.plus feedback page.
The topic I wish to bring to your attention is "Why Gulaal serial needs to stay on air and at the 9.00PM slot"
a) Technical aspects
The makers of Gulaal have presented us with a unique story, that of a girl with certain special powers and her trials and travails. The story line is different and its execution is excellent.
Screenplay - This serial has one of the best screenplays on Indian television. The way the scenes are written, including the pauses that the characters take, make up for a compelling and profound story. Each scene seamlessly moves to another one, with not many disjointed portions.
Cinematography - Star Plus should be proud to have a daily serial, that is shot on location and with a powerful cinematography.
Be it capturing the undulating sand dunes or the serene estate of Motabha's family, or even the expansive outdoor shots...they all go to make a visually superlative show. I am a television viewer for at least the last decade and I cannot remember when a mango orchard or a site to dig for water was so magnificently shot!!
Sound effects - Each central character has a unique theme song that plays in the background...
Especially noteworthy are the variations of the lead song "Pihu Maare" picturised on various states of Gulaal's life...The song is melancholic and portrays a yearning for love at the same time...The principal track is melodious and one can sense the pain or emotion the characters are facing just by a wonderful placement and play of the theme song.
Costumes - For those from India and who have any association with the Gujarat-Rajasthan region, the costumes are very well researched and fabulous.
Also, quite a lot of characters repeat the clothing...to demonstrate the everday live in villages effect rather than a crude display of fashion outfits we see on television.
Dialogues - The serial has some of the best dialogues that convey the emotions effectively. There are no long winding speeches or melodramatic turns.
Simple language is used to convey the storyline. The diction that the writers use is also very in line with the Gujarat-Rajasthan Kutch region.
Art direction - No part of the property shown to us looks as a artifical set. The rooms the characters inhabit have a lived in feeling, as though you were actually in someone's haveli.
The content - As a viever I have had some reservations with some parts of the story. But I guess it is natural and much desirable that viewers react to a story and have their two cents worth. That counts for healthy debate and should make the serial makers and you proud of the product that your serial is being discussed.
I do not want to slander the competition Gulaal is facing. But as an educated, mature viewer I rather watch a complex portrayal of a woman's emotions, than extended stories of kitchen politics with characters aging well beyond natural human life years or sleazy voyeuristic reality televison.
The actors - What would Gulaal be without its magnificent cast of actors!! For me personally not a single actor seems out of line or ineffective.
Be it the understated but spot on Manasi Parekh with her controlled reactions and expressive eyes, or the charismatic and suave Raahil Azim, or the mercurial Sushant Singh with his excellent dialogue delivery or the vulnerable Neil Bhatt whose body language makes you feel he is right there in front of you, or the fresh faced and pain eyes filled Hally Shah...the lead actors bring out the story loud any clear and make you crave for more. Even the supporting cast has put in a lot of efforts to stay in line.
b) Responsibility for content
Last year at an award function, Star Plus launced the "Rishtaa wohi soch nayi" with a lot of fanfare...Surely Star Plus recognises that with time it needs to change and bring good content to televison and have the guts to stick with it...
Because at the end of the day, ... few years from now audiences will remember only content and not the riff raff that gets passed around...This is the reason why people still respect serials like Saans or Hum Log or Buniyaad or the original Mahabharat...because they all had a compelling story to tell...
It is your call whether Star Plus wants to be known for good content...or for just a crazy game led by a few TRP tagged households ...whose choice of serials may not be the voice of a larger audience
If Gulaal goes off air...then I am sorry to say ...that you still have the "Soch wahi"...and you might well loose the respect of the few "Rishta wohi" viewers
Regards
