Not without a daughter!

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A still from Sapnaa Babul Ka — Bidaai More pics

Finally, something new's happening in television's family dramas.

While our sobbing bahus and scheming ma-in-laws continue to add to the tearjerking moments, there's a brand new face on the anvil too.

The daughters seem to have taken over prime time on national television and how! At last count there are 15 family sagas (think Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi, Annu Ki Ho Gayee Waah Bhai Waah, Sapnaa Babul Ka — Bidaai, Dahhej, Kahe Na Kahe, Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na ... the list goes on) — all of which have a devoted, dutiful daughter as the centre of attraction.

So what makes a daughter grab eyeballs in a medium that has been dominated by kanjeevaram-clad women involved in kitchen politics and ensuring their three-hankie presence in our boudoirs?

Channel heads and production houses claim that the focus hasn't changed overnight, but gradually. With the average age of a lead star in a TV show ranging between 16-20 years, sometimes, it doesn't seem practical to drape a teenager into a married woman's garb right away.

And hopefully, some of them also keep in mind that the remote control also rests in the hand of the urban Indian woman who can also be a decision-maker and a breadwinner. We asked people in the trade, about the change and came up with interesting answers.

Vivek Bahl, senior creative head of a leading channel points out, "Young women are huge drivers of TRPs on channels today. So, television needs to connect to younger audiences. That's where a young protagonist comes in and peps up the storyline. Young girls today want choices, a say in their marriage and career. We needed to offer them a glimpse of a world beyond the saas-bahu shows." Sreejita De of Annu Ki Ho Gayee Waah Bhai Waah , feels the audience is "bored of watching the same kind of shows and needs a change."

Most in the television industry feel, long-running saas-bahu serials have reached a saturation point. "Saas-bahu dramas are artificial and sometimes the audience can't relate to them. A daughter's relationship with her parents is beautiful and makes for a refreshing change," says, Rajan Shahi, producer and series director of Sapnaa Babul Ka — Bidaai . Agrees debutante Aastha Chaudhary who's acting in Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na , "Most people say that saas-bahu soaps are too unreal and overdone.

On the other hand not too many shows have been made on daughters and their parents, and even the audience connects to them." Ragini Khanna of Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi , feels, "The audience wants something new everyday and production houses have to cater to popular demand."

As long as the telly daughters whip up enough TRPs in their frothy trek to your homes every night, they'll continue to reign.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/TV_Buzz/Not _without_a_daughter_/articleshow/2840086.cms