Har Ek Character Zaroori Hota Hai; Recipe for a Daily Soap!-A Forum32

Har Ek Character Zaroori Hota Hai; Recipe for a Daily Soap! - A Forum 32 Discussion!

We at Forum 32 are folks who love food. So, all our conversations revolve around it and of course our analogies are all related to that. Having lunch one afternoon, we all got around to talking about the fare we all get in our tiffin. And yeah, one of us talked about how he missed a full meal vis-a-vis sections filled with Paratha and Veggies/Non-veg Curries.

Hence, the discussion ensued. How romance novels are usually centered around two people and their journey, while other characters in them are just a support system and why that kind of a story would not work for a long period on Indian Television. After all, every conversation boils down to what should happen in Television Shows for that is our usual gripe.

Now, why don't the fairytale romances, boy meets girl, boy hates girl, boy woos girl, boy gets girl and lives happily ever after work for us? And the discussion headed in the direction that had many a forks. From seasons, to short length series to how the long sustaining series manage to keep the audiences hooked for years together.

Of course, then walks in Bunny with all fluffy ears (we think what lies between them is all wool anyway) and announces that now the new shows coming up are like seasons. 24 is of course a 24 episode series. Then there is Buddha which will be 54 and third one is Mahabharat which will run for 6 months. We shut Bunny up and told him the topic was not seasons. The topic was how like in a meal we need variety, in a Television series we need characters. Two people or even a third i.e. the villain cannot sustain a series for years. "But, why have long shows. Why can't we do seasons?" Bunny had to try and argue as usual. We basically then diverted him to his favorite place, Facebook and got back to our discussion. Phew! One less distraction. Not that the topic was not a good one. But we were in a mood for something else.

Anyway, back to the topic. Now you know how we all have long meetings. We never stick to the point (Some of you might just say, do you have one?). And the answer is, of course.

Bunny sustains on carrots alone so what does he know about variety in food. So, best to get him out of this. We did him a favor actually. Variety then adds not just spice but longevity. Imagine, if there were only three characters, some blurry friends, foes and side-kicks, how long would one want to watch a show that should perhaps be over in 50 episodes? Much like how the Pakistani shows work 40 minute long 25 episodes, which would translate 50 episodes of say 20 minutes. So how do shows sustain 500, 1000 or even more episodes be it Sasural Genda Phool, Balika Vadhu or Kyun Ki Saas bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi? The answer is number of characters and each character being important and crucial to the story telling process.

We kind of had a hung jury, what with Bunny popping in every once in a while advocating seasons like he was a weatherman, Care Khan who felt there was a happy medium between 100 episode to 500 episode where a leap or movement to another place like what happened in Suvreen Guggal - Topper of the Year gave opportunity for new characters, new plot line to be seamlessly integrated, "the one who cannot be named" wanting episodic with a common thread or personal track running through each to keep the audiences hooked, like Arjun - Har Yug Mein Aayega Ek or CID and yours truly wanting characters galore like in Humse Hai Life which had 16 characters or Qubool Hai which has 12 characters.

Of course, we were still on one side advocating characters to allow for easy changing of tracks, variety and then there were the other members who championed for shows like Geet - Hui Sabse Parayi and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon who only made it better because of concentration on two main characters with a villain thrown in every once in a while but main villain became their own circumstances or psyche (We called it devil within in one of the articles - to read click here).

What do you think? Does concentration on two main characters work for you all? Or do you think like the Airtel ad says, Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai, even television series should have more characters with parallel tracks running?

What would you all like to see?

Forum 32 does want the community to grow beyond the office premises and throw the discussion wide open. Lets discuss.