TOI: Jailbirds in ur living room-Viv

Sample this — 12 television shows on the prime time band are airing jail track to add masala to their storyline. Bhairavi Raichura who's producing Chaal — Sheh Aur Maat says, "When a character is introduced in the jail, it builds a certain image for him/her, helps create drama and takes the story forward. Aamir Dalvi's entry scene on my show is in a jail. It brings in high drama. These kind of tracks help building up the story. But the track needs to be relevant to the story."

A twist in the track not only holds the existing audiences' attention, but also gets new audience. Producer Asit Modi of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah says, "Jail sequences create fresh viewers since we had dramatized it a lot. For us, it was a good negative base. Dilip Joshi's character went to jail but everybody sympathized with him. In fact any jail sequence with a protagonist, if dealt properly with a good hype, always works for a show. Secondly, it should not looked 'forced' in the story."
Some show-makers maintain that sending actors to the jail in shows is nothing new. "If the story demands, then a jail track has to be incorporated. Sometimes a character goes to jail if he has committed a crime, and sometimes when they are innocent, we try to gain sympathy. In late 70's, Hindi films had a scene where the hero entered from the central jail gate. In this show, Anirudh Dave goes to jail as student elections are going on in the college and the way he behaves with the journalist, adds much masala," says producer Hemal Thakkar of Ruk Jana Nahi.

Producer Sumeet Mittal of Diya Aur Baati Hum says, "Jail sequence is a part of the track. Why would viewers watch such a sequence or any other track for the heck of it? Only if it is a part of the story line, it generates curiosity. Neelu Vaghela aka Bhabo's jail sequence had more of pathos than negativity. We have received a lot of sympathetic letters."

If these jail birds can whip up public sympathy and garner lots of TRPs, then the purpose of the track would have been served.

ACTORSHOW Sakshi Tanwar Bade Achhe Laggte Hai Keerti Nagpure Parichay — Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka Neelu Vaghela Diya Aur Baati Hum Dilip Joshi Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Vivian D'sena Madhubala — Ek Ishq Ek Junoon Harshad Chopra Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava? Aniruddh Dave Ruk Jana Nahi Deepika Samson Sasural Simar Ka Navi Bhangu ? & Amardeep Jha Amrit Manthan Ashwini Kalsekar Afsar Bitiya Aamir Dalvi Chhal — Sheh Aur Maat Pooja Gor, Arhaan Behl Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya & Anupam Shyam