TOI: Hospital scenes in the primetime band

Stuti Agrawal, TNN | Jul 16, 2012, 11.15AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tv/Hospital-scenes-in-the-primetime-band/articleshow/14987655.cms

Your favourite television actors are all in hospital! Before you press the panic button,let us tell you that its on reel and not real.Yes,more than 10 serials in the primetime band have shown hospital sequences in the past one month.

Bade Achche Lagte Hai,Kya Hua Tera Vaada and Pavitra Rishta,all produced by Balaji Telefilms,have shown the sick bay in the last two weeks.If Priya Ram Kapoor (Sakshi Tanwar) was admitted to hospital in Bade Achche Lagte Hai only to find out she was pregnant,in Kya Hua Tera Vaada,the Singh family went to the infirmary following Taanis miscarriage.In Pavitra Rishta,protagonist Archana (Ankita Lokhande) rushed to the hospital after her mother got admitted.Mumbaibased screenplay writer Nidhi Singh says,If a production house hires a hospital,it becomes easier for them to shoot the scenes for all the soaps at one go.It helps in reducing the cost.But then,no one can introduce such scenes randomly;it has to go with the story flow.

Shweta Bhardwaj,a scriptwriter with Ekta Kapoors production house,who is currently working on the screenplay for Parichay Nayee Zindagi Ke Sapno Ka,says it is pure coincidence,When I am writing the story for a particular show,I am not aware of what the others are writing for other soaps.The spurt of hospital sequences is pure coincidence.In Parichay too,we showed a hospital sequence around two months ago,but the story demanded it.In Bade Achche LagteHai,the story took a leap forward because of the revelation that the protagonist is pregnant.But such sequences are a favourite with scriptwriters as they lead to the play of emotions.

Saurabh Tewari,producer of Madhubala Ek Ishq Ek Junoon,concurs.Now I understand why we had problems getting hospitals for shoot! he wisecracks,adding,But I think it is pure coincidence.Sometime back,we saw serials showing a prison sequence together.We,as producers,prefer such sequences as they add a lot of emotions.But it all depends on the broader story.If I am producing two soaps at one go,I would not have such sequences in both as that would divide the audience. Saurabh adds that in Madhubala,they introduced the hospital sequence to bring the protagonists together.

Are hospitals a favourite destination for producers because of easy availability Yes,they are readymade sets,but I wouldnt call them shoot-friendly.In order to get the OT free,we would shoot at all odd hours, he adds. Muzammil Desai,director of Kya Hua Tera Vaada,however,begs to be different.Such a sequence was integral to the storyline.We,however,want to avoid hospitals as the audience wants to see happy moments, he says.

In Colors,apart from Madhubala,Balika Vadhu too is airing a similar sequence as two of the lead characters Jagat and Gauri are doctors.Another show on the channel,Chhal Sheh Aur Maat,had protagonist Kabir recuperating on the hospital bed after being injured by a bullet.

Prashaant Bhatt,the week-day programming head of Colors,justifies the sequences.Hospitals give us a premise for raw emotions.People connect during tragedy and when you live with the characters for five days a week,the distinction between reel and real is blurred.You start imagining the characters as your hero,brother,daughter and start identifying with them.We want this kind of bonding with the audience, he says,adding that such sequences also lure new viewers.

Soaps Airing Hospital Sequences


SONY

Bade Ache Lagte Hai

Kya Hua Tera Vaada

Parvarish

Kuchh Khattee Kuchh Meethi

Byaah Humari Bahoo Ka C.I.D.

STAR PLUS

Pyar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara

Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

Diya Aur Baati Hum

COLORS

Madhubala Ek Ishq Ek Junoon

ZEE TV

Pavitra Rishta

SAB TV

F.I.R

Don't get angry, Niruba! Calm down! 😊

I guess the writer of the article just wanted to highlight that many shows have had scenes that take place in a hospital/clinic. And that's fair enough, because they certainly do, like Meena's doctor visit (if that's what they are referring to - I thought so as its the only recent such scene, but they could be referring to the fact that other scenes have taken place in a hospital in DABH, as in almost every other show in existence at some point or other!). And there is nothing weird about people visiting the hospital in a show - it happens in real life, too! I don't watch many other shows, so I don't know if perhaps there have been a lot more scenes in hospitals collectively in recent times than there were previously. Maybe that is what the article author is hinting at.

Whatever the case, don't read too much in to it - like I said, just sharing the article because DABH is mentioned in it. 😊

Even I was wondering which hospital scene in DABH...

😛 ...AAS, thanks, and sorry, shouldnt have put the angry sign there...what I find in most of the articles, (also mentioned by some of our friends here) that some reporters don't really watch the serial but they are bold enough to write about the particular show and end up misleading the audience... this one is not a serious one though...if you did not tell about the meena-babho scene, I would be cracking my head about the hospital scene in DABH 😆

Niruba, no worries! I understand your reasoning and this has certainly been true of DABH articles in the past. I especially remember one that very clearly said that SurYa had confessed their love to one another in the rain, when quite clearly to anyone who actually watched the show, this never happened! That article was supposed to be about the CVs of shows tweaking their show's storylines to bring in new twists to keep people hooked. It also mentioned several other shows and who knows if what they wrote about the other shows was actually correct or not! I remember posting the article here with a disclaimer form my end that what was in the article is not actually correct - we ended up joking on the thread that it was TOI and not the CVs who were tweaking the shows storylines! You can have a read of that article/thread and have a good laugh: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/diya-aur-baati-hum/3013261/toi-prime-time-shows-tweaked-their-content

I hope you don't mind me saying this - when I saw the angry face in your first post, the first thing I thought of was that if you got any angrier, you might end up visiting a hospital yourself! I hope you don't mind - my sense of humour is a bit weird... 😊