</>Tele-serial track gettin' boring? TRP's dwindling? All you need is a marriage twist. At least, that's been the mantra for our TV serial makers. The latest is Jassi's wedding drama in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin. Recently, the Hansa-Praful hilarious wedding ceremony in Instant Khichdi was screened. Earlier, there was Tulsi's wedding hype in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (remember when her husband Mihir Virani returns just in time?)
While Tulsi's second marriage didn't actually take place, in many other shows one person has been married four to five times and life (oops, the show) goes on happily!
In Kyunki itself Sumeet Sachdev (Gautam Virani) has been married thrice. The height of it all was that the first wife later marries his cousin in the show and they all live together.
Then there's Anuj Saxena, who plays Abhay Kapoor, in Kkusum. He's considered the 'much married' man on TV because he's been married a good five times!
In Astitva Varun Badola and Niki Aneja Walia (who play Abhi and Dr Simran) recently tied the knot for the second time. Basically, they came back together after years of living apart. Just that, during that time, Abhi got married to two other women!
The marriage plot always works, explains Purnendu Shekhar, writer of Astitva. "Marriage's an important institution for us. It's the ultimate bonding, a culmination of a relationship," he says. That apart, it also gives plenty of scope to writers to provide their serials with the necessary twists and turns.
That's probably why Kasauti Zindagi Kay, Kahin To Hoga and quite a few shows always have the 'shaadi' twist from where the plot usually thickens.
Viewers certainly find this ridiculous. "The hype they create for a wedding is funny. And the number of times they get married on a show is ridiculous," says a viewer, Mitushi Raichura. "C'mon a person can't keep getting married...give us a break yaar," she says exasperated. "It may be unrealistic but it's not out of this world," defends Shekhar, "Look at Liz Taylor."