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When Kalasam first started, I, along with many other IF fans here, were excited. The main reason was none other than Ramya Krishnan. She is a favourite amongst many of us and we were looking forward to seeing her more frequently on the small screen.
Things were promising at first. I wasn't enamoured that Ramya's voice was dubbed but when I found out the reason why, I was satisfied. Apparently her Neelambari character will speak in her own voice, whereas her Ranjini character would be voiced by someone else. Made sense, I thought. I was also taken up by how the first week's episodes went. First, she was portrayed as just a middle-class girl going to another State for employment, becoming a drug mule, then getting dragged into the smugglers' ring etc. The events that unfolded made me think of another Kolapangal, but the twist got me clapping my hands in delight. The middle-class girl was a Customs officer, and it was an elaborate plan to break that ring!!
But after that, what do you have? Kalasam seems to be going down the same path as other serials. Women who are continuously crying, or who are manipulative and vindictive, jealous or women who are physically or mentally abused but accept it with some kind of sick, misplaced stoicism. Why can't serials portray real life? The television is a powerful medium to deliver a message. Kutty Padmini must surely be smart enough to realise that. Why couldn't she use it to deliver a positive message? Why can't she use it as a tool for empowerment, instead of making caricatures of women?
Take Uma, for example. I can understand her resentment with her mother. It is probably aggravated by her grandma. But it is her attitude towards her boyfriend that is shocking, astounding and totally unacceptable. Despite discovering that he is a criminal, and one of the worst kind, she acts as if he is a saint. "He was a criminal in other ways, but to me he was loving". Excuse me, I nearly collapsed when I heard that dialogue. Which woman is that stupid? Which woman in her right mind would say such a thing? Especially a college-going student, who must surely be aware of the dangers and problems of drugs and that drug-traffickers are the worst kind of criminals that you could find? However, what made it even more unpalatable for me was the guise she took after the death of the undesirable. On one hand, it is a mockery of customs, beliefs and traditions!!! But even worse, when society is now rejecting that stupid, irrational belief that becoming a widow means an end to your life, this serial seems to encourage it !! What crap. Again, what makes it even worse is that that silly Uma is not even married to that twit....and now she is a "widow" going on an avenging crusade. AARRGGHH!! Let me see, this puny 20 year old (thereabouts) who is not even qualified anything (except an accomplished whinger) is now bent on revenging the death of her good-for-nothing boyfriend.
So you have Uma, Nithya and all the other Customs officers wanting to abuse, hurt and insult Ranjani in every way. Ranjani on the other hand is the victim whose patience is never-ending. She has an ungrateful father, an abused mother. She kills a crook and is being investigated, and then gets suspended. If she was a member of the Malaysian Customs, she would have been promoted and given a medal and rewarded. Irresponsible newspaper reporting and she keeps quiet other than confronting the editor. In real life, she would have lodged a report with the Press Commission and issued a letter of demand for the newspaper to retract the report and publish an apology, otherwise she would sue them for USD 100 million for defamation!!!
See what I am getting at? Kalasam is becoming guilty of committing the same "sins" as other serials. Women are silent victims - Ranjani, her mother, Saradha. Women are abusive - Uma's grandma. Women are manipulative, conniving, vengeful - Chandramathi, her mother, Uma, Nithya. The only thing lacking is the bigamous husband and the vamp who wants someone else's husband.
I really hope I am wrong but I am so irritated by Kalasam.....and I had such high hopes.
Things were promising at first. I wasn't enamoured that Ramya's voice was dubbed but when I found out the reason why, I was satisfied. Apparently her Neelambari character will speak in her own voice, whereas her Ranjini character would be voiced by someone else. Made sense, I thought. I was also taken up by how the first week's episodes went. First, she was portrayed as just a middle-class girl going to another State for employment, becoming a drug mule, then getting dragged into the smugglers' ring etc. The events that unfolded made me think of another Kolapangal, but the twist got me clapping my hands in delight. The middle-class girl was a Customs officer, and it was an elaborate plan to break that ring!!
But after that, what do you have? Kalasam seems to be going down the same path as other serials. Women who are continuously crying, or who are manipulative and vindictive, jealous or women who are physically or mentally abused but accept it with some kind of sick, misplaced stoicism. Why can't serials portray real life? The television is a powerful medium to deliver a message. Kutty Padmini must surely be smart enough to realise that. Why couldn't she use it to deliver a positive message? Why can't she use it as a tool for empowerment, instead of making caricatures of women?
Take Uma, for example. I can understand her resentment with her mother. It is probably aggravated by her grandma. But it is her attitude towards her boyfriend that is shocking, astounding and totally unacceptable. Despite discovering that he is a criminal, and one of the worst kind, she acts as if he is a saint. "He was a criminal in other ways, but to me he was loving". Excuse me, I nearly collapsed when I heard that dialogue. Which woman is that stupid? Which woman in her right mind would say such a thing? Especially a college-going student, who must surely be aware of the dangers and problems of drugs and that drug-traffickers are the worst kind of criminals that you could find? However, what made it even more unpalatable for me was the guise she took after the death of the undesirable. On one hand, it is a mockery of customs, beliefs and traditions!!! But even worse, when society is now rejecting that stupid, irrational belief that becoming a widow means an end to your life, this serial seems to encourage it !! What crap. Again, what makes it even worse is that that silly Uma is not even married to that twit....and now she is a "widow" going on an avenging crusade. AARRGGHH!! Let me see, this puny 20 year old (thereabouts) who is not even qualified anything (except an accomplished whinger) is now bent on revenging the death of her good-for-nothing boyfriend.
So you have Uma, Nithya and all the other Customs officers wanting to abuse, hurt and insult Ranjani in every way. Ranjani on the other hand is the victim whose patience is never-ending. She has an ungrateful father, an abused mother. She kills a crook and is being investigated, and then gets suspended. If she was a member of the Malaysian Customs, she would have been promoted and given a medal and rewarded. Irresponsible newspaper reporting and she keeps quiet other than confronting the editor. In real life, she would have lodged a report with the Press Commission and issued a letter of demand for the newspaper to retract the report and publish an apology, otherwise she would sue them for USD 100 million for defamation!!!
See what I am getting at? Kalasam is becoming guilty of committing the same "sins" as other serials. Women are silent victims - Ranjani, her mother, Saradha. Women are abusive - Uma's grandma. Women are manipulative, conniving, vengeful - Chandramathi, her mother, Uma, Nithya. The only thing lacking is the bigamous husband and the vamp who wants someone else's husband.
I really hope I am wrong but I am so irritated by Kalasam.....and I had such high hopes.
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