It's really ironic. A medium that derives its largest viewership chunk from women also airs shows that are predominantly anti-women. Don't believe it?
In 'Punar Vivaah', a newly married bahu is chided by her stern ma-in-law for giving too much attention to her young son and not attending a ritual on time, besides being ticked off for answering back etc ; in 'Kya Hua Tera Vada', an attractive CEO of a million buck company is forced to babysit her beloved's brattish children and the until recently lovestuck man is now giving her brownie points based on her domestic skills (this when the recently discarded first wife is plotting with her MIL to show the world that a working woman can't be a good mom)
In 'Diya Aur Baati Hum', currently the TRP-tripper among soaps in general entertainment channels (GEC), the protagonist Sandhya takes part in a cookery competition and churns out an unappetizing sweet dish. In 'Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai', an attractive young NRI girl falls from grace because she can't cook and loses her fiance, while the female lead is cloyingly coy and a devoted haus frau for whom her in-laws' words are the last ones. Predictably, she's publicly ridiculed while her husband simply stands and watches. He reportedly wants to set her free from the shackles of marriage, hence his indifferent behaviour.
In 'Kairi - Rishta Khatti Meethi', the dominating MIL counts the number of dry fruits to be added to sweets before handing them to her bahu, and also twists the shocked bahu's fingers for chatting with her hubby when she's supposed to cook. In 'Saas Bina Sasural', a happy family splits because a working woman employs a domestic help to ease the work burden of her stay-at-home sis-in-law. The old school father-in-law refuses to see reason and after a verbal volley, the family falls apart with the not so dutiful working woman walking out with her hubby.
In 'Sasural Simar Ka', the female leads' capabilities as good bahus depend solely on how they can look after the household and accompany their husbands to parties/trips etc. In 'Shubh Vivaah', a newly married girl has to grovel at her manipulative ma-in-law's feet to keep her husband happy.
The kitchen drama formula aimed primarily at female viewers seem to follow a simple formula - torment the female protagonist and make her into a tear-jerking presence on screen. This formula had once been pioneered to maximum effect a decade ago and production houses have raked in hefty profits out of these kind of shows since then. Most showmakers tend to depict women characters as either throwing dramatic parties, arranging family weddings, cooking elaborate dishes, taking care of huge families and bringing up their children.
Granted the majority of Indian women TV viewers are familiar with the world of married women and the turmoil of adjusting in a new household - but do they really only identify with long suffering bahus? In urban India, whose viewership chunk is also significant, do these sad and oppressed lot strike any connect?
Every female protagonist who has a dream for herself as an independent, career woman ('Afsar Bitiya', 'Ruk Jana Nahin' or 'Diya Aur Baati Hum') needs a man to support her and help her live her dreams! Independent women (who aren't the main protagonists) are bitchy, vampish and inevitably husband snatchers ( 'Tum Dena Saath Mera', 'Kya Hua Tera Vada') The ideal tellybahu/beti must necessarily pray a lot, keep her head suitably draped in a neat ghunghat which has no mind of its own, (like the one wearing it) and knows how to tow the line and keep her head down (sometimes literally). And you thought the soap-box banked heavily on women viewers?
In the 80s, you had powerpuff women in 'Rajni' and even an IPS officer in 'Udaan' or even a woman who could question her cheating husband ( 'Saans', 'Kora Kagaz'). Liberal and liberated women are rare finds on prime time/evening/afternoon bands of GECs.
Independent, role models in TV women? The closest to them are 'Anandi' of Balika Vadhu, 'Khushi' of 'Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?', 'Sandhya' of 'Diya Aur Baati Hum', 'Krishna' in 'Afsar Bitiya', 'Priya' of 'Bade Achche Laggte Hai' and 'Nidhi' of 'Kuch Toh Log Kahenge'.
Of course they are pretty flawed too. 'Nidhi', a bright intern of Kuch Toh Log Kahenge devotes her entire attention on keeping her much older boyfriend happy, rather than picking up the scalpel for a surgery, Anandi ( Balika Vadhu) whose husband is in a bigamous relationship, found it remarkably easy to stay with her in-laws and had many anxious moments while signing the divorce paper; the spunky and independent Khushi of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?plays childish pranks on her arrogant tycoon husband (who's blackmailed her into marriage) and lets him call the shots in her life, Sandhya of Diya...is happier making sweets than remembering her goals, Priya of Bade Achche Laggte Hai is caught up in proving her worth as a wife and Afsar Bitiya's Krishna is caught in a dilemma of choosing her ideals versus her love.
A pity that most of these shows need to infuse anti-women tracks in them to ensure their place in the top 10 charts in GECs. With viewership of GECs becoming so fragmented now, (and IPL 5 cannibalising eyeballs further) even 'anti-women', melodramatic tracks in shows will not necessarily pull the heartstrings of viewers.
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