Article: Step Aside, Ladies

The Jyotis, Anandis and Bandinis of our small screen need not feel lonely at the top — 'coz they have company now!

From who you ask? Well, it's none other than the small screen men who too are doing their bit to make their presence felt. Unlike earlier when the men were mere props, their roles are becoming progressively bigger and stronger in the scheme of things. Arjun Punj of Kitani Mohabbat Hai, Alekh and Ranveer of Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai, Naitik of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi of Bandini, Jogi Thakur of Uttaran, Dr Armaan of Dill Mill Gayye are almost as important, if not more, as their female counterparts. And when it comes to screen presence, characterisation and presentation, male actors are no more getting the raw deal.

Rajan Shahi, producer of shows like Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai admits that TV shows are taking a fresh approach to storytelling, specially when it comes to male actors. "The male angle has become quite prominent and that's because of the new understanding and acceptance by the audience," he says.

Shahi says that now, the men on TV not just react to situations, they create situations as well. One reason for this, according to him, is that TV has explored every facet of women and some serials have reduced them to either Sita or a vamp. "There's over-saturation and that's where the men come in," he says. Pawan Shankar, who played the male protagonist in Vicky Ki Taxxi asks, "If films can work with male leads, why not TV?" He adds that as the saas-bahu culture no longer remains the focus, it's content that's king on TV. "Even though there is a girl, there has to be a guy to take the relationship forward," he avers. Karan Grover, who plays the popular Dr Armaan in Dill Mill Gayye, is also happy with this trend and gives his own reason for the same. "Majority of the TV audience is women and I'm sure they would want to see more of men than women on TV," he says. Even though the men are getting their share of the pie now, they still have a long way to go, specially when it comes to marketing strategies. "The hoardings and promos still focus on the women," says Shahi. Agrees Pawan, "The guys are important to the show but the marketing still tilts in favour of the females. The ladies still drive the show there." Guess the fairer sex doesn't want to give up their crown so easily!