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Psychological Impact of television serials (soaps) in India
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When Hum Log, the first soap for the middle class was aired
for the first time, millions of viewers across India sat glued to their sets sharing the joys and heartbreaks of the characters and identifying with their middle class attitude. This was the first serial which discussed issues of family planning, freedom of choice to find a life partner or job and the role of women in society. This was followed by other ‘identifiable’ serials like ‘Buniyaad’, and mythological serials like ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Mahabharat’. The Indian audience was well and truly ensnared by the variety of serials on offer. Soaps had finally arrived in India.
Such was the psychological impact of mythologies like ‘Mahabharat’, that, people would hurry up with their morning chores and then sit glued to the television sets, some even offering incense and flowers to the ‘godly’ characters of Lord Krishna! For a nation fed on religion right from birth, these serials fed on the religious psychology of the viewers and soon the characters of Ram, Sita, Krishna had a hysterical mass following. People would touch their feet in public, such was the identification with their psyche!
With a population close to 400 million individual viewers, and a bouquet of channels offering an exhausting, unlimited and formula-tested soaps of ‘holier-than-thou women with huge red bindis, streams of vermilion and imitation mangalsutras, as opposed to the vamps with over the top pan-caked makeup and a perpetual evil look in eyes, Indian soaps have been playing with the psychological emotions of the common Indian women who are the primary target for high drama and suspense and who tend to favour the positive or the negative vibes given out by these women characters.
With the advent of soap factories like Balaji Telefilms, women have started swearing by the characters of ‘Tulsi’ of Kunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi… (the title itself making no sense as the story seems to have gone haywire), or ‘Parvati’ of ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’. Such is the craze for these women characters that advertisements for marriages have inserts like, ‘the girl should be like Tulsi’! The message is strong and clear, today’s mother-in-law wants a girl who would be completely traditional, protect the family values of her in- laws (does not matter if she is abused and berated by one and all – misunderstandings are always cleared after six episodes of glycerine tears and high family drama) and respect her in-laws no matter how scheming they are. This is just an example to show the extent of psychological play a soap can have on the mindset of the viewers.
It would be a long debate to get into the ‘positivity and negativity’ of the women characters. Almost all serials are women-dominated, and if one leaves the saas-bahu (family drama) and moves to the more modern soaps, there have been some great ones, that have taken up bold themes, uncommon themes and worked on them. Soaps like ‘Astitva- Ek Prem Kahani’, dealing with a young man falling in love with a much older woman, or ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin’, where a common ordinary looking girl makes it to the top on basis of her merit, have been some milestones in influencing the youth. ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin’, has inspired common looking girls, with no glamour to back them , to stand for themselves and crate their own niche in society. Definitely a very positive play of psychological interpretation of the human mind.
The fact remains that how much ever critics cry themselves hoarse over the portrayal of women and the one sided views presented (since men hardly play any role in decision making), the serials will go on. A dedicated audience sits glued to the sets and in order to reward this , Star Channel (India) came up with the ‘Star Parivaar Awards’ where viewers are given a choice to create their own family of choice. So much so that there was a best ‘Star Atithi’, who shared the limelight with the hallowed starcast. The awards bring forward the view that soaps are not just limited to the women who stay at home, but also women who are working and who unwind with their daily boost of late night serials.
Serials in India, claim to have the pulse of their viewers, Balaji Telefilms mainstay Ekta Kapoor is of the idea that her serials are the essence of Indian sense and sensibility and her characters and plots are normal people and normal incidents. Again there is no getting into a debate over this since the majority of viewers swear over the characters and their actions. One thing is for sure, it can be an eyesore for some, some can hate it, there may be hysterical debats over them, but soaps are here to stay. They have found their way and embedded themselves into the mindset of millions across the country. If nothing binds to strangers, a discussion on soaps have bring forth the most animated response. Style statements are being set, progressive or regressive attitudes (depending on how one views the serial) are being set, and emotions are running wild as characters drip tears or acid. The ball has started rolling. The Indian soapy affair has begun!
Published: March 16, 2007