Disclaimer: Sarun as Arhi fan..always😳
The Difference between a Viewer and a Fan..
According to the dictionary,
Viewer=a person who looks at or inspects something.
Fan=a person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form, or famous person
Simple enough.
So basically a viewer= pair of eyeballs (and TRP audience preferably), while fan= largely all heart.
The mistake of this channel/PH was to go after viewers disproportionately.
Now this isn't necessarily illogical. Number wise, viewers will always outnumber fans. And profit drives this industry just like any other business. Moreover, viewers are much more easier to understand. They are just looking for entertainment, plain and simple.
A fan however is much more tricky to handle. They look not just for entertainment, but also for progression of the story. They ask for answers when the characters they love and recognize behave differently suddenly. They demand improvement because they see the potential in the product. They notice inconsistencies, bloopers, and the like.
But..I wouldn't overlook fans so easily..
Because guess who actually cares about the show?
Guess who first notices problems, many times before the makers themselves do?
That's right, fans.
A viewer is characteristically aloof. If one show does not entertain them, they simply change the channel. It's that simple.
How many hours have been spent making the show, how many people are employed by the show, how much the trp will rise or fall is not their concern. If they did care, all TV shows would last forever and everyone would taste success. But just like in the real world of consumerism, they pick and choose. And so shows flop and shut down. This is how the world works. A viewer has every right to change the channel. Period.
But the world is not so dark. There are people out there, millions of them, who genuinely care for the shows on TV and those they employ. Who wish nothing but the best for their favorites..
And they're called FANS.
Yes those pesky, interfering people who are always demanding better of the PH and CVs, who many times the makers wish would just go away..
Those people that are repeatedly, time after time, taken for granted, often times insulted and demeaned.
Which is easy to do.
After all who would analyze every episode of a TV show, noting its nuances, highs and lows?
Who would skip studying or being with family and friends for a show?
Who would spend their time discussing a show at the end of a long, tiring day?
Who would spend their time writing fanfiction and making VMs when they will never make a cent off it? When others are likely to forget about their creations sooner or later..
Who would send emails and tweets till their fingers hurt, till their eyes ached from staring at a bright computer screen?
Who would call when there is a high likelihood of being hung up on, ignored, or outright disrespected?
Who would go on forums and blogs and every medium available to fight for a show they have no real investment in?
Definitely not the viewers.
But fans will..and happily.
Why??
Because they are all heart. They are emotionally tied to the show and its characters. So even though they may be bashed, laughed at, or ignored, they continue to fight for what they believe in.
And overlooking them and their power would be a mistake, or at the very least, a sizeable risk.
Why do movie stars acknowledge their fans so much? Why do they mention them in every award speech, in almost every interview?
Of course part of the reason is to be gracious (and hopefully it's genuine) but it is also to consolidate and expand their fanbase.
After all, fans can guarantee a good movie opening even if the product is mediocre. They can keep a show afloat even when the track veers off course and viewers turn elsewhere. They can even act as mini-representatives, defending a show, actor, or PH. Even though they know chances are slim they will ever meet or know said person or production.
But fans like I said are all heart, they'll get into a fight with their friends even over their favorites.
This is not to say fans are blind and will follow wherever they are led.
In fact, often times fans are the most vocal in criticizing a show and its plot.
Why? Why criticize something you love?
Because it's close to their hearts. They have a vested interest in the show. They are the first to notice its cracks, its faltering storyline. And so they speak out. They demand adjustments. They suggest ideas no matter how big or small, like: Can the actors get better costumes? Can the bathroom set be improved? Can the story progress and the comedy end?
A smart PH/channel would incorporate or at the very least listen to these concerns.
Even a small step would go a long way with fans.
Remember, fans love the show dearly. And so, they are easily pleased when their adopted baby does something right.
They clap. They encourage. They rabba ve.
A viewer like I said could care less.
So yes it is certainly not easy to work with fans. They appear never to be satisfied.
But guess who tunes in regularly no matter what?
Guess who sticks to the show even when the story turns from bad to worse (aka kidnapping track, Babli track, Sheetal track, etc)?
Guess who pulls more viewers in?
Guess who fights for the betterment of the show?
Of course it's the fans!
So before ignoring or being rude to fans, keep in mind their power.
Understand their concerns or at least attempt to.
How is a fan to be blamed for fighting for a once-beautiful love story? Especially after the makers have themselves admitted to having no story left to tell. Why is it wrong for fans to ask for a new, professional PH, one that actually cares for the show? How is it fair to blame fans for caring about characters and wishing nothing but the best for the actors? Is that not the point of any show? To gain fans?
But, I guess not with this channel/PH. They've shown time and time again, they could care less about fans.
I think whatever side of the issue we fall under, whoever we believe or don't believe, we can agree that this whole episode was mismanaged.
Fans, after all they'd done for 1.5 years, deserved honesty.
They deserved a formal announcement.
Instead, they got gray statements and uncertainty. Which only caused panic and division. Is anyone honestly surprised by the uproar? Did anyone think fans would happily accept the changes being forcefully pushed down their throats? The PH/channel can't act innocent.
They are at fault. For caring about short-term profits over long-term gains.
Yes, the number of fans is below viewers but their passion and dedication is 1000x stronger.
So even though every door shuts in their face, every call and petition goes unanswered, many will keep going..till the very last minute.
To some this may seem a waste of time and energy and most fans know this too. But at least they'll know that when all is said and done, that they did everything they could.
And even if nothing happens, this isn't the end. Oh no. A percentage of these fans will hang on (Good luck to them!), but a much bigger chunk will revert back to being viewers. But this time they'll be much more smarter, much more difficult to convert from viewer to fan.
And this is a failure for any PH, any channel..
Veer Hanuman
Kumkum Bhagya
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