'Kuch Toh Log Kahenge' ..... a serial that broke my decade long disconnect with the TV. Somehow, the posters, the titles, the title song, had a strong enough appeal to make me sit in front of the Idiot Box and actually give the serial a shot. The fact that Mohnish Behl, a fine and underutilised actor according to me, played the central character was, in itself, a big attraction. So, I started following the serial, and soon enough, got hooked on to me. It had a certain old-world charm to it, a certain slowness and quality that is far missing in serials today. A seemingly strong storyline that was way different from the usual saas-bahu-other woman plots of today's TV world, along with some superb performances had me in front of the TV at 8.00 pm sharp every evening.
But alas, all good things turn out to be illusory, or so it seems to be where TV shows are concerned. This beautiful, sensitively made serial could also not escape the clutches of the TRP rat race I guess, and soon enough, the melodrama started. There suddenly appeared a vampish other woman, who, hitherto, had seemed like a sensible, mature woman, and a lot of other masala that cannibalised the purity and beauty of the serial. Above all, the beautiful relationship between the two central characters, which was the biggest strength of the serial, had to give in to to competition from all these twists and turns, which the serial has now started focusing on. That brought a quick end to my new found love for the TV and had me running to my books again.
Isnt it rather sad that in this big, huge world of satellite televesion, one cant find a serial decent enough to watch over an extended period of time? Even when something starts off with so much promise, the cut throat competition, the need to conform, is so high that it kills talent and creativity? Why is it that Indian television can as of now churn out only imitations of international reality shows or serials with the same old plots? Is that all Indian life is all about? Mothers in law, extra marital affairs, cheating, sacrificing women ......? Dont we Indians have far more character and far more variety? What is it that the same industry that made amazing serials like Nukkad, Buniyad, Yeh Joh Hai Zindagi, Chunauti can no longer think beyond Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi?
