Posted:
Ek Doosre Se Karte Hai Pyar Hum
started off as a light-hearted soap
and within a few weeks, changed
into an intense family drama. The
intriguingly titled Byaah Hamari
Bahu Ka was supposed to be about
the female protagonist's remarriage after her husband falls in
love with another girl. However,
that track was forgotten when the
viewers didn't tune in and it was
transformed into a dark, edgy soap.
Amrit Manthan kicked off as a love
story and the rivalry between two
sisters. Now, the protagonist has
turned into a vamp, an actress was
replaced, then brought back and
the story was modified — all within a few of weeks. While it's not uncommon to see long-running soaps
changing story tracks with leaps,
what makes the above mentioned
serials stand out is that they are all
relatively new.
JD Majethia, producer, Ek
Doosre Se... and Byaah Hamari...
admits to making massive changes.
"The title of Byaah... was a giveaway. People said they knew that
the bahu will get remarried and
our reasearch showed that they
would only tune in when that
happens! Plus, we had to compete with other
shows like Mahadev,
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya
Naam doon and Balika Vadhu. Mahadev had gained
momentum and Balika was doing well when we launched. So,
we had to do something drastic
and break the predictability in
Byaah..," confesses JD.
A rift was created between
the husband and wife and currently, she is trying to take revenge on him because he ditched
her elder sister! JD says that ratings have increased and the serial, which was in danger of being
axed has been given an extension.
Ek Doosre Se's problem was
unique. "Viewers liked the lighthearted show but since it was between Saathiya.. and Ek
Hazaaron Mein Meri
Behna Hai — two intense
dramas — they wanted
something on similar lines, which
is why we changed it. And now the
show is the slot leader."
Ditto with Amrit Manthan. Producer Rajan Shahi confesses that
whenever there was drama, the ratings spiked. "The texture of the
show in its originality was not
working so we decided to change
the storyline and now it is like a
whodunit thriller," says Rajan.
Several factors contribute to serials changing tracks including actors opting out or being replaced
and lack of chemistry between the
lead pair. As JD says, "You can't be
rigid. TV is the only place which
gives you the chance to experiment
and offer solutions unlike in films
where nothing can be done if it
doesn't work. It's important to be
flexible and adapt smartly." .
Tum Se Tum Tak
Cricket
