Marriage in ITV serials: A criminal motif or a shifted perspective?

Indian TV serials with marriage-related criminal themes

The majority of ITV shows revolve around love, marriage, divorce, and the unexpected turns in various relationships.

Usually, Indian serials feature dramatic plot lines involving betrayal, love triangles, and even contract marriages, with a heavy emphasis on melodrama and heightened emotions.

Since long, with the entry of Ekta, Indian TV serials depict a very different definition of marriage. Take the show Kkusum as an example. In this serial, the character Abhay has four wives; Kumud, who was married to Garv, had affections for Kshitij, and now that she is married to Kshitij, she has feelings for Garv. Kali is marrying Nakul solely for the purpose of taking revenge against Kumud. (very confusing) Not only Kusum, but numerous serials in many languages are playing with the concept of marriage. They are simply portraying marriage as a tool for taking revenge on someone !!??

Some critics argue that TV serials can sometimes oversimplify or sensationalise marriage, potentially impacting viewers' perceptions of family relationships.

Others believe that TV shows should be viewed as entertainment and not necessarily reflective of real-life situations.

The portrayal of marriage on television can also spark discussions about cultural values, societal norms, and the evolving dynamics of relationships.

Recently, we have seen ITV serials (esp, EK serials) with horrific schemes against their own family members, such as murders, doing harm to Bahus or Saas, and even little children.

How would such criminal tendencies depicted on television serials impact the viewer in particular, as well as society as a whole, in the long run??

Honestly weddings are treated as a joke in tv shows all thanks to EK

This has spread to regional TV as well

Shows depict heinous crimes like kidnapping the bride on the day of the wedding , killing the groom on his wedding day (Vanshaj) and much more.

Plus youngsters (teenagers) with their yet to fully form brains get warped perceptions of marriage from these kinds of shows.....not just marriages they equate toxicity and abusive behaviour with love (IPKKND and many more shows). Some fans even defend the criminal protagonists (Katha Ankahee).

Honestly these shows should shift their focus from saas bahu and kitchen politics and bring shows with finite episodes so that the storylines are not screwed up.

Shows like 9 malabar hill , Mrithyudand, Nukkad , Aarohan , Hum paanch , Hum log , Buniyaad , ek shunya shunya , yeh jo hai zindagi.....TV used to be filled with such gems of shows.....now everything is about "proving her worth to her inlaws so that they would let her cook in the kitchen" , two women fighting for the same guy , sister in law being obsessed with her brother in law , victim being paired with her assaulter and the assaulter is put on a pedestal and worshipped as God himself

So people do get influenced by ITV and there needs to be a change in the way shows are made.

the answer is both.ITV serials often exploit marriage as a source of drama, sometimes in troubling or regressive ways.

Honestly, I doubt that anyone is really influenced by watching ITV serials... especially EK serials. Everyone knows they're dramatic and far from reality. If it were a serial with social commentary (eg. Balika Badhu), then it might have a little more influence perhaps 🤔.

Also, crime shows like Crime Patrol or CID have been known to influence people once in a while... making them pick up certain criminal tactics / MO from the show and think they can get away with it. But even so, we can't blame these shows for what people do after watching them... because the shows are about fighting crime and are not encouraging anyone to commit them.

At the end of the day, I believe in artistic liberty. If we start gatekeeping morals / ethics in ITV shows, where will we draw the line about what's allowed and what's not? It is not practical. Instead, it should be the viewer's responsibility to know what their personal values are and learn to take fictional stories with a grain of salt (or maybe the whole salt shaker ).

Interesting topic though @Viswasruti... and a good write-up

Today, unfortunately, a lot of mainstream TV has shifted toward repetitive tropes — glorifying regressive mindsets, melodrama for the sake of TRPs, and twisted relationships that often border on disturbing. It's heartbreaking to see strong narratives replaced with kitchen politics and toxic dynamics wrapped in glittery sets.

But it's not that good content doesn't exist anymore — it's just that most of it has moved to OTT platforms or gets overshadowed by high-TRP soap operas. Maybe it's time we as audiences start demanding better again — the kind of shows that made us think, feel, and remember them for decades.

TV once made legends out of ordinary characters. Now it's time we ask: where did all the storytelling go?

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Indian TV serials with marriage-related criminal themes

The majority of ITV shows revolve around love, marriage, divorce, and the unexpected turns in various relationships.

Usually, Indian serials feature dramatic plot lines involving betrayal, love triangles, and even contract marriages, with a heavy emphasis on melodrama and heightened emotions.

Since long, with the entry of Ekta, Indian TV serials depict a very different definition of marriage. Take the show Kkusum as an example. In this serial, the character Abhay has four wives; Kumud, who was married to Garv, had affections for Kshitij, and now that she is married to Kshitij, she has feelings for Garv. Kali is marrying Nakul solely for the purpose of taking revenge against Kumud. (very confusing) Not only Kusum, but numerous serials in many languages are playing with the concept of marriage. They are simply portraying marriage as a tool for taking revenge on someone !!??

Some critics argue that TV serials can sometimes oversimplify or sensationalise marriage, potentially impacting viewers' perceptions of family relationships.

Others believe that TV shows should be viewed as entertainment and not necessarily reflective of real-life situations.

The portrayal of marriage on television can also spark discussions about cultural values, societal norms, and the evolving dynamics of relationships.

Recently, we have seen ITV serials (esp, EK serials) with horrific schemes against their own family members, such as murders, doing harm to Bahus or Saas, and even little children.

How would such criminal tendencies depicted on television serials impact the viewer in particular, as well as society as a whole, in the long run??

I believe as per current trend ITV is making fun of sacred institution like marriage...every show has EMAs...two sisters loving one man. Having kids outside marriage .the worst thing is many shows show vamps winning after doing all crimes in marriage...they don't call out wrong practices. Don't know how much it can affect some individual but it's very shameful how these shows make fun of all institutions and get away with it with disclaimer running at bottom ..it's lowest point in ITV as per me

Originally posted by: ssttuuttii

Honestly, I doubt that anyone is really influenced by watching ITV serials... especially EK serials. Everyone knows they're dramatic and far from reality. If it were a serial with social commentary (eg. Balika Badhu), then it might have a little more influence perhaps 🤔.

Also, crime shows like Crime Patrol or CID have been known to influence people once in a while... making them pick up certain criminal tactics / MO from the show and think they can get away with it. But even so, we can't blame these shows for what people do after watching them... because the shows are about fighting crime and are not encouraging anyone to commit them.

At the end of the day, I believe in artistic liberty. If we start gatekeeping morals / ethics in ITV shows, where will we draw the line about what's allowed and what's not? It is not practical. Instead, it should be the viewer's responsibility to know what their personal values are and learn to take fictional stories with a grain of salt (or maybe the whole salt shaker ).

Interesting topic though @Viswasruti... and a good write-up

Gender inequality, poverty, social norms, and insecurity, how all these things contribute to its destructive effects over the young lives.

I was there in that forum very active in those days! In fact, I joined IF because of that serial! It is not merely the narrative of one Anandi; it is the narrative of numerous young girls from rural areas.

Thank you Stuti for the good words.

In many Indian television (ITV) serials, marriage has evolved from being a sacred bond to a dramatic narrative device filled with betrayal, power plays, and even criminal twists. These storylines often raise eyebrows and spark debate: is marriage being used as a criminal motif, or does it reflect a shifted perspective in how society views relationships? Interestingly, just like how the Texas Roadhouse menu offers a bold, flavorful variety meant to cater to different tastes, ITV serials serve up intense storylines tailored to keep viewers emotionally invested. Both mix traditional elements with modern twists be it comfort food or cultural drama revealing how evolving expectations can reshape familiar experiences.

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Oh, what an incredible serial it was. The creators took great care to convey a message through the serial, which serves as a societal commentary on certain anachronistic traditions and norms such as child marriage, adolescent motherhood, infidelity, and financial inequities, and many other things.

Gender inequality, poverty, social norms, and insecurity, how all these things contribute to its destructive effects over the young lives.

I was there in that forum very active in those days! In fact, I joined IF because of that serial! It is not merely the narrative of one Anandi; it is the narrative of numerous young girls from rural areas.

Thank you Stuti for the good words.

I haven't watched Balika Vadhu... but I'm aware that it did have a great influence on the audience (especially in rural areas). If a show like that had tried to normalize child marriage or trivialize the effects of adolescent motherhood, the outcry would have been more justified. But for shows like those, the makers are aware of their impact on society and try their best to follow a more ethical narrative.

However, it is wrong to expect a good social commentary from every run of the mill show... especially when the makers aren't claiming so. I believe the audience is mature enough to understand the difference between reality and fiction. Censorship or Banning are not good solutions... especially with the advent of internet and OTT platforms. If we are really afraid of teenagers or youth getting influenced in the wrong way, the chances of that happening are more so from games, internet or social media rather than from ITV.

ITV doesn’t just entertain—it educates and conditions. When storytelling becomes formulaic and regressive, it reinforces harmful beliefs about love, gender, and marriage.

What We Need:

• More realistic, healthy portrayals of marriage.
• Couples who communicate, not just fight or suffer in silence.
• Women who choose themselves over toxic endurance.
• Men who grow not just out of guilt, but out of love and equality.
• Divorce, abuse, and mental health portrayed responsibly, not as plot devices.

Until ITV moves in that direction, its influence on Indian marriages will continue to be a double-edged sword—offering dreams with one hand, and outdated chains with the other.