Emotional closures in TV serials

Those who know of my posts know I have been watching another Zee TV/ Ekta Kapoor serial with my husband. I don't always understand the premise of the serail but there was an end of a chapter, sort of, in the serial and the leads divorced. I watched the last few days of the serial in one sitting today leading to the divorce and its aftermath and was amazed at how story-wise, directorially and melodramatically it was handled. There was an emotional closure to the event that brought tears to my eyes even when I did not mean to get emotional about a serial I haven't invested in as I did in CB.

Gardes,
Absolutely true. Can not agree to it more. This was a show that I refused to watch sometime back because I did not approve of some of the things that the story writer chooses deals with. I still do not and have my disagreements. But there is a reason why this show is No.1 on the charts. Story wise the writers have done excellent work developing the all characters. When something deserves good, it need to be said. Tears were welling up my eyes when I watched the last episode. I never knew you will have such feelings after watching it.

Those who are interested I wrote in a very minimalistic fashion in a thread https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/pavitra-rishta/1409823/excellent-camerawork-in-4th-june-10-episode.

I am fully aware that we are not supposed to compare other shows. But there is no harm in learning something good from other sources. Like we have always said, if they want to copy from movie, copy the good parts leaving the pathetic part.

Coming to CB, there was not a single storyline after the fire incident, including the fire incident that I could say, yes, this part I agree. Everything , the fire, the gendhwa phool, the thakshak raj gufa, the kund snan, the vishaka madness, the Goa Feni, the Shantanu introduction, the Malaysia HM, the ONS, the 1st marriage truth, the punishment thereafter, the mob attack at VR, the reintroduction of shantanu with vaishali's reaction, shantanu's revenge and his end and the current exile from PB, are all where everything is a mockery in every department starting from story, screenplay, dialogues, direction, acting and editing. I who loved this show once am left embarrassed now. I feel its a slap on my intelligence. What a shame and I feel really really bad about it.

Now as to why I am still watching the show, it is bcos I wish good for this show and want it to be the good/beautiful show once it was. Writing negative about a show does not mean I am against the show, but it only goes to show the concern for the show to whomever who can read this and fix the issues. I am here waiting for it to happen.

Thanks, Bee. How beautifully expressed!

Gardes and bee I agree to both of ur points.

I can guess which show u both r talking about as my mom also watches it and so am updated with it. Personally I do not agree to the storyline of it and also did not agree to the reason of their divorce and so don't watch it, but yes One thing is for sure that there is a bigger cast involved in it and all the characters are so involved in both their own personal story and also the main leads.

Whenever watch that show, I don't feel that they have missed out a loop here or there, the episode looks very well sealed with all the units right from the story writing, screenplay, editing, sound recording, etc being taken care of.

The earlier episodes of CB were like this itself but now from the burning episode it has gone haywire.

I would really appreciate your hard work gardes and bee5 if you both could simply pen down these points to the production house of CB through a letter as you definitely have an edge in your writing.

Gardes,

Gardes very good post and I agree with what you, Bee and the others have written.

I know what show you are talking about. I do sometimes watch this show, although I don't agree with some of the stuff that is shown but what attracts me is the characterisation, good screenplay, very good dialgoues and the consistency of the characters and the tracks. None of the tracks seem that they have been suddenly dumped in the storyline. Infact they gradually and slowly introduced in the plot, so although that track might not get the prominence for some time but it is there at the back of the viewers mind, so when that track is shown viewers accept it. All the secondary characters are extremely well etched out and have their own personal stories so the creatives have something to fall back on when the main track between the leads have finished. So they alternate between the track consisting of the main leads and the secondary characters and thus maintain the continuity. Even if one of the characters change from positive to negative or vice versa, the change is done gradually and reasons are also shown by the characters themselves, so the viweres are able to relate to it. The main leads are also constant in their characterisation. I think slowly they are bringing in change in one of the leads or they might do it for both of them. The other thing regarding that story is that most of the characters are grey and that is why the creatives have the freedom to generate new tracks without compromising with the characterisation.

I have mentioned this loads of times that drama is fictionalised version of real life and screenplay determines the different steps in this journey. So whatever happens in real life should be shown in the screenplay otherwise audience will not be able to connect with it.......they might for sometime but then their concentration and attention will waver and move away. Without a tight screenplay and characterisation no drama can last for long. Having good actors do make a difference but they need to have some material to work with. The actors also need some sort of stimulation regarding their work otherwise they also start loosing interest and lethargy sets in.

Since screenplay is fictionalised account, it needs to show real emotions and as you have said closure of those emotions when a track finishes. Thats how human beings react and since the characters are also human beings they should also show the same emotions. In Shantanus track, when he was intoduced as a son who was given up by the mother for superstition, they should have shown strong emotional conflict between the family members. This is what happens in real life. When children who have been adopted out of the family return to the birth family the entire family dynamics of the birth family changes and so does their relationships with each other. None of this was explored and it all became honky dory. As a result majority of the viewers could not relate with this track. At least I could not. CB creatives have a habit of suddenly changing characters nature without any reason shown behind this action. And we all know about the condition of their screenplay, lack of dialogues, no consistency of story, hardly any input from the drector and editor. In drame not all characters are needed to be present at the same place at the same time. The screenplay should decide who is going to be present and who not. Just because one actor is very good in emoting does not mean that he or she have to be dragged in every second episode. I think you know whom I am talikng about...its amma. She has no reason to be present in the episodes, but is dragged in and that makes the tracks illogical.

The only good thing that has come out if this track is the growth in Radhikas character. This is a welcomed growth and I like it, but again they could have shown this using the other secondary characters and didn't have to bring a new character for this. I have mentioned this in my post. Since the creatives think that playing with characterisation is the only way to take the story forward they have started even giving weird dialogues to this strong Radhika which again clashes with her character.

Anyway I can go on and on.......I think I should stop now. I would also like to mention that when I am critising a track, plot or someones acting it does not mean that I am having a go at them. Since I am taking time out of my daily life and finding time to write about it shows that I care and thats why I am writing. I want them to do better and thats why I am writing. If I did not care then I would not have commented and would have just ignored them.

When I visit other forums and sometimes see people discussing about CB it makes me very sad and dejected. I would have defended CB but now do not have anything on which I can base my defence. Other people ask me why I watch CB and again I do not have any reasons anymore.

The show you are talking about, I refused to watch it cause I am not a fan of ekta serials. They start off beautifully & then the characters seem to separate, get married somewhere else, come back to their old partners, etc. I personally do not agree with all that. Saying that I ve watched the past few episodes mainly cause of one character. I love the MIL acting, she can be rude but loving. She is an awesome actress. One can also relate to the mothers feelings. But the rest.....

I was attracted to cb simply cause it did not have all this melodrama. I agree in recent times the cv's have made a mess but am sitting here hoping they will bring back the old magic to the show.

😊

Gardes,

Another problem with the serial is that they have painted their main characters in a corner. Since, Dev and Radhika have eternal love for each other, suddenly they started showing that Dev and Radhika have no difference of opinion. I can understand them not misunderstanding each other, but the difference of opinion is not impacted by eternal love. For example, they showed that Radhika finally got over her unnecessary sense of obligation and responsibility towards Vishaka in Goa after finding out how Vishaka tried to break her marriage. That episode was nice, but it was not enough.

Gardes, what can I say except that I agree with you 100%.

I haven't been on the forum much lately and I haven't watched quite a few episodes from the last two weeks. The reason being exactly what you have mentioned in your post. Lack of closure! That makes viewers dissatisfied. A lot of us have stood by this show even when the creatives showed stuff that opposed our beliefs and our values. And when they don't do justice to a track or bring justifiable closure to a track or character we feel betrayed and used by the creatives.

I have always loved Radhika. There were tons of stuff she has done that I find despicable in my real life. Yet, I have stood by her because her character called out to my deep rooted sense of humanity. And that ME, did not watch last weeks episodes when Radhika was probably at the peak of her emotional strength. And its all because of what the creatives have done to the show with their lack of closure and insensitive treatment of characters and stories.

I cannot say much about the other show that you mentioned except that I have heard a lot from friends and family members how nicely the secondary characters are dealt with. Yet, I cannot bring myself to watch the show so I will absolutely take your word for it.

I figured from a post by a forum member radhika5, that the creatives are hoping to bring back the magic that was once in CB. I am almost afraid to hope again. But then I am always optimistic and so will continue to hope that the sun will shine again in CB land. :)