Dear Zindagi

I am putting up this post because I strongly suspect the Zindagi people are checking out I-F.

This appreciation post was long-overdue. When my TV started getting the test signal of Zindagi channel in 2014, little did I know this would be the best thing to happen to Indian TV viewership in this decade.

It started with a Pakistani show I had heard my friends praise"Zindagi Gulzar Hai. After a long time, here was a story many girls"including me"could relate to. We were introduced to actors like Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed and Sameena Pirzada. More importantly, we got to know that our neighbours were normal people like us, who struggled for college admissions, had family problems and were perplexed about love. Our politicians would have us believe they are all fanatics and terrorists. But stories know no nationality. Humans, the world over, have to confront the same questions over and over again.

For two years, I devoured the best of Pakistani television"Maat, Aunn Zaara, Aaina Dulhan Ka, Talkhiyan, Shehr-e-zaat, Jackson Heights, the Baaraat series, Daam, Kankar, besides many which I might have forgotten to mention. Then hostilities broke out between our countries, leading to the telecast of Pak dramas being stopped. I won't like to go into that topic again, because so much had been debated already. But I stick to my belief that humans are more similar than different to each other, and that divisions based on caste, religion, nationality and gender are deliberately fanned by powerful people to maintain their hold over society.

This has been proved yet again by the popularity of Turkish dramas in India. Fatmagul, Feriha, Little Lord and others have made us chuckle at oh-so-familiar social situations we encounter in our own lives. Like us, the Turkish people also have to confront class differences, generation gaps, and rural-urban migration. Thanks to these shows, we have had people from Pakistan and Turkey join India-forums, enriching our discussions by the insider's take. Special mention to @SaraFatma and @AydaFawad. Moreover, the hunger to watch Turkish shows exposed us to a wider online fandom which takes great pains to translate these dramas into English besides many other languages. Who says you can make people work hard only if you pay them for it? Our friends, the translators, have shown us the meaning of the phrase labour of love.

Sometimes a small step can grow into a big movement. I believe that TV has the power to grow beyond mere entertainment. It has the potential to bring about friendship between our countries. Thank you, Zee Network, for widening this circle of friendship further by shows from Ukraine and Korea. But there are a few suggestions from my side"

1. Spreading your net is a great thing, but our romance with Turkish shows has only just started! So please focus on those, and bring us high-rated stuff like Kara Para Ask, Ask-i-Memnu, Bir Bulut Olsam and many others.

2. It would be great to air subtitled/ dubbed interviews and offscreen segments featuring stars like Beren Saat, Engin Akyurek, Hazal Kaya, Bugra Gulsoy and others.

3. Do consider adding subtitles as well. This will help people with hearing challenges.

4. While your new Indian shows are fresh and appealing, the people who watch Zindagi, do so for the charm of foreign shows. As such, the Indian shows are not getting the platform they need. How about airing them on your sister channels like &TV?

...and to my friends reading this post, let our friendship remain even if our favourite shows end. This could be the start of something beautiful.

Amazingly written post, Anjali. 👏⭐️

Great post Anjali 👏 Zindagi finally got us back to TV after many of us had given up on it altogether. I remember being excited seeing the promos of ZGH on TV. I had seen that show a long time ago & had wanted my mom to see it. Finally here was the chance to show her & just like me she fell in love with it. We became loyal viewers of Zindagi till finally we stopped watching once again because even the Pakistani shows became repetitive. But then we were back for Feriha which though I left midway still was enjoyable if for nothing else then for seeing Turkey 😆

Beautifully written...Thanks to Zindagi we have something worthwhile to watch. Our our desi entertainment is rife with absurdities and they blow things to such ridiculous levels that one feels like banging their head in the wall...

yes they can show actors interviews dubbed in hindi for better. small segments and their message for we Indian fans. 😳

Beautifully Written Post Anjali. ⭐️

Lovely post.
So true u said., I too loved all turkish show zindagi channel aired, specialy FG.
That was the best.
Hopefully zindagi keeps bringing shows like this from all around the world.

Love u Zindagi.

i am waiting for Ask a Para , Ask a memu and Ask a yeniden.