ITV

Tag: Service Wali Bahu

  • The List Of Indian TV Serials That Broke Stereotypes

    The List Of Indian TV Serials That Broke Stereotypes

    Since the dawn of the television industry, you all must have seen hundreds of serial dramas. Over the last three decades, serials have been a major part of our daily life. From ‘Ramayana Epic’ to ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ to ‘Service Wali Bahu’, everyday family members will sit together in the evening at the dinner table and watch these serials and laugh and cry together. These daily soaps influenced, dominated and established a large part of our society. And there is no doubt in saying that they left their essence to the core of our hearts and minds.

    However, the emerging socialization in the past decade has greatly changed the mindsets of the people of our country. For the better, this has also encouraged our serial directors to deviate from the usual saas-bahu dramas to more social stories, which is both hit among masses and useful to educate new-age India and break stereotypes.

    With the introduction of modern technology, smartphones, online casino, and Netflix we are rarely left with dull moment. Meaningful plots of the TV shows have helped in changing the perceptions of the people who still believed in the items of old faiths, stereotypes, and taboos!

    Here’s the list of Indian TV serials that have broken the stereotypes over the past few years:

    GANGAA

    Gangaa was launched on March 2, 2015 and is still an ongoing TV serial that airs on &TV. This TV series took up the serious issue of child widow custom in India. The plot revolves around Gangaa (played by Ruhana Khanna), a child widow. She has an indomitable will to survive and live her life to the fullest, against all old-age beliefs and norms that society is trying to impose on her. This shows the main aim is to abolish the child widow culture that is still rampant in many parts of the country.

    UTTARAN

    Uttaran debut in December 2008 and we all saw the finale episode of this amazing Indian soap opera in January 2015. This show is about two childhood friends, Ichcha and Tapasya that come from the different strata of society. This TV series showcases how despite the vast difference in their status, these two little girls become the best of friends. However, cut to 10 years we see some jealousy creeping into their relationship due to the entry of some negative characters. However, the initial theme of the show seems to break all the stereotypes regarding friendship and teach us how friendship is about connection and not about social status.

    BALIKA VADHU

    With 2,245 episodes in a span of approximately 8 years, Balika Vadhu swayed the nation from its very beginning. This show's main premise revolves around the still ongoing child marriage in our country. The child groom and bride were played by Avinash Mukherjee and Avika Gor respectively. The story revolves around the two getting married as children, growing up together, and facing difficulties related to child marriage because of their family’s involvement in the process. Through their strong storyline, this shows keeps on throwing across some critical social messages to the audiences. In 2008, the series won the ‘Best Programme With A Social Message’ award at the 8th Indian Telly Awards.

    Service Wali Bahu

    This Indian soap opera was launched in February 2015. The story of this women-centric show revolves around Payal (played by Kratika Sengar), who is a civil engineer, a homemaker and a sole bread-earner of her family. In order to support her in-laws and unemployed husband, she goes out to work. Not only the protagonist is earning bread but is taking care of household and homemaking tasks. This serial shows full support to feminism which also talks about other Indian customs such as the dowry system. Payal’s life has inspired many women in our country and it won’t be wrong to say that it has broken many stereotypes and old norms regarding women.
    These TV serials have changed the way people think and have shattered many stereotypes. And the new open way of thinking will take our country forward.

  • Zee raises voice against new-age dowry via new show ‘Service Wali Bahu’

    Zee raises voice against new-age dowry via new show ‘Service Wali Bahu’

    MUMBAI: Zee TV, which has through its shows highlighted social issues like remarriage, girl child-trafficking, women empowerment, complexes that surround a girl’s dark complexion etc, is now ready with its latest offering. 

     

    The channel will be launching yet another story of hope and inspiration, a voice against new-age dowry. In a city like Mumbai, where a working woman thinks of herself as a financially independent individual, somebody else in another part of the country is looking at her as an exploitation opportunity.

     

    And that’s exactly what the channel’s latest early primetime offering brings to fore. Christened – Service Wali Bahu, the show is produced by Village Boy Productions’ Rakesh Paswan and is an attempt to curb this unhealthy approach towards marriage by creating awareness.

     

    Set in the small town of Jamshedpur, the story revolves around a career-oriented woman (Payal) who can support her in-laws with a steady income post marriage. She’s ambitious and yet has her family values intact. Having broadened her horizons through education and learning and managed to build meaningful career for herself, Payal has a distinct vision about her husband and his family with whom she will spend her entire life with.

     

    It explores an inspiring journey of ummeed, from being a self-driven, super achieving daughter who has always made her parents proud to falling into a trap of a new-age dowry system where her in-laws look to her as a steady source of family income.

     

    With the new series, the channel makes the dead slot of 6.30 pm alive. Earlier Zee TV aired Pavitra Rishta in this slot, which concluded its journey in October 2014. The channel has been airing repeats since then. The new series will premiere on 23 February and will air every Monday-Saturday at 6.30 pm.

     

    “We were constantly developing subjects for the 6.30 pm slot. We were looking for an exciting drama and a concept that can catch the viewers’ attention very quickly. While we were developing the concept, we were also meeting a lot of writers and producers. This is when Rakesh narrated to us a one liner, which just clicked for our 6:30 pm slot offering.  We did not have to explain anything to the viewers, the title played its own magic,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma.

     

    Sharma feels that the story is relevant in today’s time and allows the channel for a beautiful socially relevant story telling. According to him the USP of the show is that it delivers a message and makes a statement about how a woman can balance work and home both, successfully despite problems.

     

    The makers and the channel started discussing the show almost four-five months back. “It is a turnaround show for me,” says Sharma.

     

    He further adds that unlike other shows where Zee works with multiple writers and collates thoughts, which takes a lot of time, in this show the channel has worked with Paswan as the only writer, which was an advantage.  “Rakesh’s strength is that he is a writer and his writing comes very naturally. The rest falls into place quickly. Here, we are writing it with a very clear focus about her journey, tribulations etc,” Sharma says.

     

    Paswan, who has worked with the channel before and delivered shows like Afsar Bitiya and Dulhan, believes that the new series questions mindset that looks to exploit a working woman for her ability to learn. “The differentiated concept of the show and its treatment is aimed at making the audience sit up and question the motivations with which people approach marriage,” says Paswan.

     

    The show has already got a title sponsor on-board in Wagh Bakri. “We are quite happy the way advertisers are responding to the series. Within four days of putting the promo on-air we got a title sponsor,” Sharma informs.

     

    The new series will be competing with original running show like Suhani Si Ek Ladki on Star Plus while other channels telecast repeats.