DC: Original ideas missing

Jamuna Paar is producer Rajan Shahi's latest offering that explores the age-old concept of rich girl falling in love with a tapori dude. Newcomer Vidhi Parekh, an engineering graduate who was discovered at a food mall has the innocence that makes her character very endearing. But Nidhi has a long way to go in terms of honing her acting skills. In comparison, her co-star the light-eyed Ankur Varma makes an impressive debut.

The soap highlights the love story between Vidhi, a South Delhi girl and Biju an East Delhi boy. Vidhi, a fashion designer lives in a joint family and has lost her mother early. She has to deal with nasty remarks at home. She heads to an area in Jamuna Paar to locate a tailor and that's how she bumps into Ankur. The soap is still in its nascent stage and appears somewhat confusing as one is not sure what the sub plot is besides the romance between the two characters.

Yet another show Shubh Vivaah is the story of a father and his five daughters and it appears to have shades of the popular serial Amaanat in it. Here Rakesh Bedi plays dad (Brij Mohan Saxena) to five grown-up daughters. The setting is a typical middle class home, where the protagonist's role is played by Neha Janpandith, who plays the character of Saroj. She is a pretty, intelligent girl who aspires to become a doctor but has to abandon her studies after the death of her mother and take care of her siblings.

Her older sister Karuna is shattered when she watches her mother die at 14 and retreats into a shell. There are three other sisters, Neelu, Kanchan and Meenu. Ejiaz Khan plays the role of Amrit Nigam — a slimy, ambitious money-minded character, who is having an affair with a rich married lady Sarla (Aashka Goradia). Again, not a very original concept and this whole five daughter angle is so done to death that it lacks charm.

It sure seems to be raining soaps on various channels but nothing that stands out in terms of a strong story line or characterisation. Amrit Manthan is based on the life of a royal family that has lost all its wealth but wants to keep up appearances in society. Amrit is the older daughter who wants to restore the family's glorious past and believes she can do this by marrying another wealthy royal. Nimrit, her younger sister, thinks from her heart and over a period of time their bond sours. Again, there is nothing special or spectacular about this plot.

If these soaps have to sustain viewer interest, the producers need to tweak the scripts and make the concepts more appealing. Right now, it doesn't appear like these serials will survive for long as they are simply not engaging enough.++