Posted:
I am not really in the mood of making posts amidst all the sickening rumors but just thought of sharing this with the forum to stay positive!
Yesterday, I read that a certain actor is making a comeback with a finite series on Sony. Incidentally, this actor's debut show that began airing in 2003 was the only show that I had followed in my college days with some regularity and it struck me yesterday that there are striking similarities between that show and our Humsafars. That was a story of two men who grew up in the same household as brothers and fell in love with the same girl. When due to a stupid reason the girl got married to the other guy, the ML turned negative (the first soap hero to have this shade I think) and tried every trick in his book to separate the newly married couple. He chased her like a devil after marriage and even when she was pregnant with the other man's child. Things went to the point where he was accused of murdering the other guy. Conventional for an Indian audience in 2003? Definitely NO!
Now why am I saying all this? Because it proves that as far as ten years back, an antihero worked very fine with the audience at a time when saas-bahu shows were completely ruling the Indian television! This particular show aired late night ( I think around 11 pm) and was a craze among the audience for four long years. It declined only when the ML was replaced and the show lost its intensity that had come with the antihero. Agreed that that ML was not as twisted or "bad" as our Sahir was portrayed at one time on HS but then what he did ten years back was very, very unconventional for the time and the kind of shows on air then. The only difference was that the portrayal was consistent and the makers managed to keep the audience's sympathy with him all the time with their narration. The time slot fitted perfectly and promotions were done appropriately. Therefore, it is definitely not a problem with the theme of HS and we cannot really say that the low trps are because of the antihero who is already married (which point would surely be tackled convincingly if time is there). Sahir is on his way to redemption too now. Better treatment of the plot can make all the difference here.
So, I have said this before and will say it again - it all depends on how you tell your story and how you sell it. Many things have worked on tv before and many things will! HS would also have definitely done much better if the PH had told their story well and the channel had sold it well to the viewers. It is not fair on the show now if everything depends on the current trps. We cannot expect miracles to happen without any change of strategies! Ideally, the channel should give an extension to the show now and release them of the trp pressure for this period. It would be great if the timing is changed too. Most importantly, it should be promoted well! The channel cannot assess the success of this show with the same yardstick as it does for other conventional shows. The PH should tighten the story and execution on their part. They should tie the loose ends, complete their dangling tracks, bring consistency, detailing and logic to the screenplay, and keep their focus on the main leads. They seem to be coming back on track to some extent now - only if they could get rid of the voodoo and the inconsistencies!
Our show has SO many things working in its favor - Harshad Chopda, an interesting storyline, superb chemistry between the leads, an enthusiastic crew working on the show with people like Gorky behind it, and the global reach (did Sony ever get such visibility worldwide with any other show? NO) - then why shouldn't it work? It should and it WILL! Let's keep the faith and keep supporting our great show! Hopefully, both the channel and the PH will realize the worth of HS and come back to their senses and give the show its due...👍🏼
Anupamaa
Debate Mansion
