A few glimpses of earlier days' serials---
These earlier shows dealt with the culture, values and norms of the Indian family which forms up the society and had an element of feminism, seemingly progressive shows for their time, where women were given equal importance on screen.

Hum Log
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Hasratein
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Shanti — the iconic woman character from DD's 1994 series ...


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Then comes the era of the ‘K’ serials in the 2000’s like Kyunki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, wherein the main characters Tulsi and Parvati symbolised ‘Indian values’ and the show shot to the top of the viewership charts. Balaji Telefilms’ K formula matched the growth of a Hindu consciousness. These were the typical daily soaps where family is given utmost importance and the viewers want their families to be as perfect as shown in the fiction show.
Television preserved the Indian culture, but it also reflected the aspirations of young Indians in the era of economic growth. Reality and talent hunt was the television response with shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, the singing reality show which gave India some of its finest singers, Boogie Woogie the dance reality show and finally, it was personified in Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000, inspired by the hit British show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, marking an era of subsequent ‘remakes’ of western TV shows. In current times, the shows portray a lavish lifestyle of the actors and seem to appeal to the elite masses of India as they show the different struggles that they have to go through. In doing so the struggles of the common people have lost their meaning and importance!
