Posted:
Indian audience not ready to accept grey -Rangmanch
To err is Human-to forgive divine! We cant have both ways, it either has to be yours or mine! Atleast that seems to be the mantra that the Indian Television Soaps follow.
You either have characters of total white who are nothing less than an epitome of perfection, or you have a connivingly vicious person devoid of all ethics and morals. There seems to be no middle ground. I have often wondered why that has to be the case, and have even arugued with various audience and people who write over it.
After all, we as humans are all shades of grey. That is the truth of our lives. We lie, we err, we feel jealous, we get hurt and we do wish at least once in a day even if it were for a split second that no one rocks your smooth sailing boat.
I was extremely disappointed recently after I learnt of how the character of Sultan played by Avinesh Rekhi on Madhubala-Ek Ishq Ek Junoon that started off extremely well as a dark protagonist was reduced to becoming another arch-type revenge seeking TV villain. I sat to ponder over why that had to be the only way out for the character to not come in the way of R.K and Madhus love story. Why do makers resort to cliches? Is it because they want to allow the audience to predict? Or is it because its an easier way out? Either ways it is disappointing.
Another show I have started watching, Qubool Hai on Zee TV has extremely dark characters like Razia and Tanveer who are upto no good.While one doesn't hesitate to even use her down daughter, another resorts to immoral ways to win love. While a blink part of the episode concentrates on the romance between the leads the amount of negativity involved takes away the feel good factor from the viewer.Shows like Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Season 2 have characters like Beera, who border on good and bad, but still have revenge or settling scores at the back of their mind.
A show needs in-numerous twists and turns for its story to go forward and drama does add a masala element to the plot. But my question continues... Wouldn't the audience enjoy complexity in characters? Cant the main leads err? Cant the hero have his share of pitfalls? Cant the antagonist do his share of good as well?
While the character establishment hinders the progress of a role in a confused manner, if everyone were doing everything, it would also be real and interesting for us to watch people showing shades of grey. Like in the case of shows like Balika Vadhu in the past where people were only victims in the hands of circumstances and not inherently good or bad to the extremes. We have numbers that validate their acceptance as well!
Credit : FB
