WHAT is the hallmark of a successful soap?
From Dynasty to Days Of Our Lives, the secret of success has proven to be a delicate mix - a vast and varied cast, complicated plots sure to boggle any mind, lots of love and even more hatred, manipulative aunts, uncles, girlfriends, and, of course, the quintessential good guy or gal who is often betrayed and sometimes emerges the winner.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Every Mother-in-law Was Once A Daughter-in-law) has all these ingredients.
And the very fact that it has gone on for five years and is currently into its fourth generation of characters proves its capacity for survival.
The ratings champion has soldiered on where many other promising Hindi soaps have fallen by the wayside.
Queen of soaps producer Ekta Kapoor may ascribe it to the magical K in the title (all the serials created by her production house Balaji Telefilms, which saw post-tax profits increase a few years ago by 566 per cent in one year, begin with the letter K).
But it doesn't explain why a whole sub-continent dissolved into tears at the 'death' of one of the characters, Mihir (Amar Updhyay), who was really suffering from amnesia and recovered in time - as another actor - to stop his wife Tulsi (Smriti Irani) from getting married again.
There have been innumerable saas-bahu (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) battles, which women everywhere can relate to. Well, almost.
We are rarely seen dressed in the finest of silks and wearing enough jewellery to put Liz Taylor to shame, crying buckets at harsh mothers-in-law, straying husbands, ungrateful sons or thankless friends.
Kyunki's surfeit of tears may have flooded the sets, but it did not really drive me to pick up the box of tissues. The aspirin, perhaps.
Even though Star Plus has only recently entered the Singapore market, you won't be lost if you start watching now.
After all, the characters would've gone through so many changes by now that even old viewers will be fumbling as much as you.
And with the pace at which soap operas move - 20-year-old bicycles move faster - you'll find your place pretty fast.
So go ahead. Tune into Kyunki and laugh, cry or watch in breathless wonder, while Ekta laughs all the way to the bank.
Anupamaa
Current Affairs
