Protesters march to Balaji House

Balaji Telefilms is at the receiving end again. Foetus-sex determination, marital rape and now the increasing incidence of extramarital relationships in Balaji's famous K soaps.

A protest group, comprising different social organisations, led by Mumbai based Jain outfit Vriti Vrund, marched to the Balaji Telefilms headquarters in Andheri, suburban Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, insisting that Ekta Kapoor tone down her soaps to suit citizens' sensibilities. Over 100 women congregated outside Balaji House, waving placards and shouting slogans that decried the 'anti-cultural' note of Ekta's soaps.

The protesters, who are regular audiences of the K serials, said that while they have always been against the stand taken by these serials on various social issues, it was the mercy killing epiosode on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi that proved to be the proverbial straw that broke their complacency.

"These soaps are giving audiences options of an easy way out, and setting a bad example for our children by showing that mercy killing is an acceptable alternative," said Alpa Chedda, the leader of the march. Chedda also cited examples of extra marital affairs on shows like Kyunki.... and Kasautii Zindagi Kay, which she said are a bad influence on children.

"My four year old son has been asking me why I don't have two fathers, like the kids on Kyunki...?" simmers Sangeeta Ajmera, one of the protesters, who braved the sweltering Mumbai heat to stand outside the Balaji House for hours. Till the time of posting, no Balaji official had deigned to meet the protesters.

Such protests are however not new to Ekta Kapoor. In December 2004, the Republican Party of India (RPI) Ramdas Athawale faction held demonstrations outside Star India's office in Mumbai. The RPI activists were protesting what they termed an "insult to the Indian Constitution" (and by extension to Dalit icon and the man who penned this holy grail the late Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar) in an episode of Kyunki... which aired on 22 December. During this episode, Tulsi decried the fact that the Indian Constitution is ambiguous on the issue of marital rape.

Earlier, in 2002, enraged women's groups had registered a strong protest against a scene in Kyunki... which showed a pregnant woman undergoing a sex determination test. A few months later, another organisation Jagori, protested a scene in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, saying it showed a rapist unrepentantly justifying his action of raping a blind girl, Khushi. It apparently also showed the husband convincing his wife that the rape was committed not out of lust or desire for Khushi but out of a need to punish her for misbehaving'' and not respecting him enough.

How will Ekta Kapoor defend her serials this time? For a long time, none of the K soaps have generated much controversy, and ratings have more or less plateaued. Will this protest march only help in doing what it ostensibly doesn't set out to do - increase interest in the K serials?