TOI- Second shaadis not a taboo on TV Jun 26, 2012

Second shaadis not a taboo on TV

Several Indian TV shows are broaching the topic of divorce and remarriage
Of late, our small screen is trying to break stereotypes. Be it showing a middle-aged couple making love on-screen or depicting the love story of a 24-year-old girl and a 42-year-old man, Indian telly is becoming mature in its treatment of various issues. And, what substantiates this statement further is the fact that TV shows are incorporating the concept of second marriages in their storylines. Take a trip through various GECs and you will see the various examples.
The show "Punar Vivah", revolves around the marriage of a divorcee woman and a widower for the sake of their children. In "Na Bole Tum Na Maine KuchKaha", a young guy falls in love with a widow, who is the mother of two kids. In "Kyaa Hua Tera Waada", Mona's in-laws are trying to convince her to marry Hiten Tejwani aka Jatin because her husband Pradeep deserted her for another woman. In "Balika Vadhu", Dadisa is trying to bring Anandi and Shiv together.
Why is this happening? "TV's first phase was all about saas-bahu sagas. Now, we have entered the second phase where storytelling is becoming mature. Five years back, none of the broadcasters would've put their money in a TV show which revolved around remarriage," says Sudhir Sharma, producer of "Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha".
Real inspired reel Shashi Mittal, producer of "Punar Vivah" reveals that a real-life incident was the basis for her show. "In our family, a similar sort of marriage happened. In such a marriage, love takes time to blossom. For two mature individuals, it is difficult to adjust to the demands of a new relationship." Even the inspiration for "Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha" was similar. "One of my close relatives in my hometown in Rajasthan was in love with a widowed mother of two kids. Even though it was a pure relationship, there were several social repercussions at that time. After several difficulties, they got married and are living with their three kids. That incident was the trigger for the show," Sharma says.
Is this a new trend? But, remarriages were a vital part of the K-serials. In fact, viewers had lost count of the times Prerna got married to Mr Bajaj and Anurag in "KasautiiZindagi Kay". Even in "Kahiin To Hoga", Kashish got married to different men during the show. "It's true that remarriages have happened in various shows. But, the way they were portrayed has changed. Today, with shows like "Punar Vivah" and "Balika Vadhu", our storylines are acquiring a fair bit of legitimacy," opines Gajra Kottary, writer of "Balika Vadhu".
Social message "We don't intend to give any social message, but if we can impact a certain section of the viewers in a subtle way, it'll be good," says Sharma. On the other hand, Kottary says, "We have always tried to show that child marriages can never be successful. The present track where Dadisa is looking for a good match for Anandi is a natural progression for the storyline."
Mittal says that they want to break the stereotypes surrounding a divorcee. "In our country, there are still taboos associated with a divorcee's remarriage. While widow remarriage has gained acceptance, people have a narrow outlook towards a divorcee's remarriage. They need to understand that a woman can't be blamed if her marriage didn't work," Mittal opines.