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Last week IB had started delivering social messages?
Seriously?
My first reaction was a Tamil saying " Muzhankallukum mottai thalaikkum edhuku muduchi podranga " which roughly translates to " why are they trying to tie the knees to a shaved head"!!
So for me after watching all 500+ episodes, IB and social messages were two different things no connection whatsoever. It's a three brothers story and a beautiful Shivika journey. With constant villains turning up from every where and that too exactly three in numbers.
Yes some might say they talked about women empowerment/independence in Malika track. And it was blended in the story unlike the current ones. True. (This reminds me we all should tweet Gulneet to get a moonke peeche reboot. :))
Before I digress from the current topic let me say it first I like these social awareness topics. I don't mind the preaching or the moral science classes like one of my friend calls it. We all have to remember execution of tracks is not strong point in IB.
Well I will share two cents on these social messages track.
Social Cause 1:
Sharing your personal details in social media including PDA.
They handled it beautifully.
There are few who would like to share anything and everything in SM (Rudy character IMO), few others very selective memorable moments (Omkara again my opinion)
Doesn't want to share anything in SM (Shivaay IMO) (Please don't ask why he allowed Tia to post in SM. I think it was because it didn't make a difference to him and really didn't care much. Only with Anika it became jo bhi hai it's between me and Anika equation)
So it's totally depends on the individual how and what they want to share in SM. And also be ready to face the roses/likes or the bricks/trolls.
Social cause 2: HMT type
HMT - Hindi medium type. We can come up with another twenty variations for this in India like TMT - Tamil/Telugu medium types. Given that each state speaks different language.
This track was close to my heart because I was a TMT ;)
I could relate with it being a TMT school student who faced lot of flak in initial days of college. I could totally relate to Anika stuttering because I can easily read Shakespeare but never could speak in English in confidence. Because the environment was such that if you don't speak English people literally look down at you as if you have come from a different planet. And that kind of made you more nervous.
And I am sure there were thousands like me could relate to her. We still don't understand the basic concept of languages I feel. That it is there to communicate and not to judge or show off!
Social Cause 3: Taking care of your parents
The intro could have been better. Instead of a random nani they could have picked someone really related from Oberoi's friends circle. Would have had a better impact. The issue is very relevant today, it was relevant 10 years before and will be relevant 10 years down the lane as well.
There is always pros and cons in both nuclear and joint family. And IMO we all will be debating on this topic for a long while.
Though I didn't like the way track introduced the Nani but I absolutely loved the way it ended. There was no white washing of the nani's children or any MAHAN advice to her children how to keep their mother happy.
Shivaay in typical SSO style wanted to expose them in media and take them to task. But nani played the mother card. I loved the fact she was not sent back with her children instead was asked to live in a home with dignity.
Now Aanth Vishwas track with Mayi is going on. If I have to write about this track it will take another 2 paragraphs for me to complete!! And if its true Meetoo campaign is going to be one of the messages I will need a separate post for it!
And my best friends don't really appreciate me writing big essays. So I am going to stop with just these three social causes here.
Finally the reason why I like the social message tracks.
The reach of hindi serials and Bollywood is tremendous in our diverse country. And taking up some social issues is really appreciated instead of typical kitchen politics. And it's one of the reason I watch IB.
I can give an example from SPA awards 10 years before I think not sure of the time line though, where a family came from a remote part of UP to attend the ceremony and thanked the YRKKH team for teaching them through Akshara character that wearing gunghat in head is not equivalent to respecting elders. And they stopped forcing their daughter in laws to wear gunghat. If I remember correctly it wasn't just one family there were many who did that and wrote to SP.
My point is we all come from different backgrounds and with different set of beliefs. So if someone is trying to spread social awareness let's not discourage them. With the diverse population and the kind of intolerance we have for each other;) it's really need of the hour and if it's coming from a Hindi serial well and good. And even if it making a difference only in few families it's great!
Oh of course I miss Shivika and really don't like the OOC to fit the track. But for me it's for a good cause. So I will wait for my Shivika to grace the screen again. Until then let me enjoy the OOC, OTT in these episodes and troll with my friends.
And time again Gulneet have proved its all worth it even though sometimes logic goes to the Bermuda triangle in IB land.
If someone is going to come and tell me Gul is not capable of giving social messages I am going to borrow the words from Gul and suggest to them, please go and watch other 800 serials that is available and leave IB alone.
I am going to sit and cheer Gulneet in the first row with my friends and wait for Shivika and Obros to grace the screen in the IB land.
And finish my looong essay quoting the lady herself " The idea of touching social issues in the show is not to make a judgment but to spark a debate. You can have your ideas but one must be very aware of the meaning and repercussions of that idea."
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