Originally posted by: asmaanixx
Cliched plots are fine as long as they are presented in an original and new format. After all, when you really begin to break down a story to its bare bones, they are all the same. What differs and attracts viewers is the manner in which these stories are narrated.
I'm not going to talk about the overall arc, plot line or the characters since I have not caught up with the show. I am currently at Episode 75 (?) and that gives me no right nor any basis to comment on the current story lines.
The quantity of characters does not matter as long as the story is being narrated effectively. Just look at Game of Thrones, Lost, The Walking Dead, Gotham, Arrow, The Flash, The Originals, Legends of Tomorrow etc. All these shows have a huge ensemble and yet the story narrated is effective and it makes sense.
Plus, you can't have the characters be confined in a small space. They need to go out and interact with other people and surroundings so that they can develop. I am fine with extra characters as long as they all provide something meaningful to the show and help the characters to progress rather than degrade.
Ensemble casts, multiple story arcs are fantastic in Western dramas, but I believe it is unfair to compare Hindi soaps with all the shows that you've mentioned.
I have yet to see an entertaining Hindi serial that effectively utilises a large ensemble cast. Often shows start out fantastic, but sub-plots, parallel story lines and underlying tensions take a back seat to make way for petty kitchen politics and love triangles. Please correct me if I am wrong, and kindly direct me to a good Indian TV drama with substantial content that is not polluted by the mediocre bullshit of multiple weddings (often between the same people), the standard memory loss situation, an evil aunt and an even worse mother in-law.
There is no way you can compare the writing on Western shows with that of Indian shows. Their respective target audiences are vastly different, as is the demographic. And until Indian shows can subvert these established drama conventions, or at least challenge the mentality of the mass viewership with informed and intelligent writing, there is no scope for comparison.
I agree with you. I don't want twenty minutes of Kunj and Twinkle every day - but what is the point of having a cluster of useless characters? Is it necessary to have four villains in the show? Would one strong, intense antagonist not be enough?
I love that you mentioned Gotham, it's one of my favourites and a new villain seems to emerge in every episode. Nevertheless, it does not get boring or cluttered because their stories are plot driven and have a purpose in the delivering the overall narrative. So I completely agree with you - I have no issue with a large cast, but each character must have a purpose.
Half the characters in TEI function as furniture. Therefore, I am reiterating my earlier argument, the creative need to downsize.
