It's ironic that I wholeheartedly believe writers and producers should be arrogant. They should tell us the story they want to tell us regardless of what demands audiences make. I know two people who absolutely loved RK Madhu jodi while Sultan track was happening. Although they were completely glued to the screen, they always rooted for RK. But then their wishes came true. Sultan really was evil, RK was good by default. And they got bored and stopped watching.
People make demands all the time. Writers should not be bothered by the noise. But what to do when the noise is actively sought (via "feelers") in order to figure out what would get ratings? This will almost always mislead, because the average audience member doesn't know why they like what they like, they just do. The average TRP aunty doesn't sit on IF and analyse the inconsequential to death. That's for us young (youngish in my case lol) people who have time on our hands. And there's a difference between those who like the story and those who just want to see a particular person on screen.
Plus, opinion changes. What once appealed to us won't necessarily appeal always. What makes AS think that VD as RK will have the same impact he did during the beginning of Madhubala? What is there to say the impact was solely his doing? The very idea that Madhubala can draw the kind of ratings it did during its premier is preposterous. It's a show in its second season, it will always be in the shadow of its predecessor. The most they can hope to achieve is one more year of steady viewership.
This is a contradiction I know. That I feel writers should stick to their guns (and tell me the story they want to tell me), but when they start switching course, I get critical and stop watching. In my defence, I stop watching because I lose interest, not as a boycott. Also, I just hate NF's insistence on undoing work that they've done. They double-guess themselves all the bloody time. Over two years into the show and I can honestly say that there has yet to be one large arc. You know the one arc that spans at least the first year? The one that a show is premised on? The one after which PHs start throwing in illegitimate siblings, leaps, etc? Yeah, that arc never happened. We never got an inside look into Bollywood. We never even got the RK Madhu romance promised. We got a cheap imitation.
Do you remember that scene where RK made a bust of Madhu? He promised her pain but while creating the bust he only repeatedly cut himself? No follow through with that foreshadowing. Instead they crippled his character growth to deliver a fake marriage that felt fake even when it was real. Madhu 1.0 was just a non-entity. But then Sultan came, and everything just fell into place. Here was a chance to redeem the quality of the show and create something cult classic worthy. It bloody well worked in a way things hadn't since month 2 of this show. Madhu showed growth and she was relatable. But once again, nada. NF starts on a course, and but then does everything possible to take it back. It's a never-ending game of snakes and ladders.
What say all of you? I can't stop bashing, but I can encourage some good debate đđ
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Mangal Lakshmi
