Saas-bahus to the rescue?:IC

Saas-bahus to the rescue?

Serials which began with different storylines return to the family fold to snag higher TRPs

Ranjib Mazumder

They say, promises are made to be broken. Although serials like India Calling, Risshton Ki Dor and Suno Har Dil Kuch Kehta Hai tried to lure the audience with their different plots initially, the tracks eventually underwent a transformation and are now family dramas. Take for instance, India Calling on Star One. The serial started at the back drop of a call centre, but ended up as a clichd love triangle. Producer Shrishti Arya of India Calling says, "Initially we thought that a call centre set-up would be good idea and something different from the regular stuff being catered to the audience. We were amazed at the way these call centre guys work under so much of pressure. But for how long can you show people talking to foreigners? So, we introduced a new phase in the girl's life."

However, Arya is confident that the show will still appeal to the youth. "I don't think our target audience has changed. It is more about the journey of the lead protagonist Chandni and the ups and downs in her life and the younger generation has connected so well with new theme," she adds.

Risshton Ki Dor on Sony is following suit, drifting from its original track. The plot that harped on a brother-sister relationship, will now showcase serious stuff like a rape and a murder sequence. There will be some court-room drama too. Gautam Adhikari, producer of Risshton Ki Dor says, "We are not planning to deviate from the brother-sister plot, but are definitely adding new tracks for more drama element. Besides, stretching a single track often stagnates the storyline."

Recently, Suno Har Dil Kuch Kehta Hai on Sahara One underwent a metamorphosis too. The serial revolving on Ambika, a girl who can read the minds of men. But this too failed to maintain the track undiluted.

"The show is doing well after we turned it into a family drama. I believe unique concepts do well, only on weekends. But that's the advantage of working for television. One can experiment and dish out what the audience likes," explains producer Aditya Singh.