As long as it's Indian...

Many feel that the Indian television industry borrows heavily from Western shows

Ever thought “Have I seen this before?” while flipping through Indian TV channels?
Similar scenes, similar characters, similar lines. It only takes a minute to be sure that you have.

The trend of copying shows from other countries is persistent in the Indian TV
industry, especially the Hindi industry.

Metrolife speaks to a section of Bangaloreans to find out what they think of Indian shows which are remade.     

Alkha, an ex-marketing manager, says, “I do not mind watching the new shows that have concepts from elsewhere as long as they are adapted to the Indian context and situation.” 

She refers to the medical drama Kuch To Log Kahenge bearing resemblance to a
Pakistani show titled Dhoop Kinare. The older generation has seen Indian television grow as a major medium of mass communication, from the adaptations of the Mahabharata and Ramayanato 1,830 episodes of Ekta Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, to what it is today. The last four years have seen a great shift in content, acting, pace and characterisation of daily soaps in India.

There has also been the introduction of reality shows which are almost always based on the successful ones abroad, such as ‘Indian Idol’ (‘American Idol’), ‘The X Factor’ or ‘MasterChef’.

Kaun Banega Crorepati (from the UK show ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’) has benefitted some sections of society that need financial help.

Some of these shows also spark off other regional versions of the show. The structure of all daily soaps is the same in element.

The story does not end but every episode ends with a cliffhanger to keep up the
suspense. In line with this format, the new shows may end some ills of the existing scenes in shows.

An instance is the heavy emphasis paid on the repeated close-ups. Nineteen-year-old Nikhitha Chandrashekhar says, “There are movie songs playing in the background where more often than not, someone has been slapped and thirty different angles of a face are shown with short pauses.”

 Some youngsters have signed off Indian dramas and watch only original shows from places like the USA, UK and Australia.

Some people are critical of the unrealistic melodrama all over a typical Indian soap opera. Anand, the ex-account supervisor of Ulka Advertising, says, “If you start getting into reality, you will never enjoy a Hindi TV show.”

The daughter-in-law being tortured, the girl’s marriage gone wrong — the audience has seen it all.

The presence of so many shows also doesn’t leave room for appreciation of acting or the script. It seems all resources have been exhausted while trying to come up with new concepts.

 Therefore, production houses look to take up ideas that may have originated in another country with people who live different lifestyles.

One can only hope that they will not produce soaps that need technology India can’t offer yet, such as supernatural TV shows, where smooth special effects are required. The return of sitcoms such as 1990’s hit Dekh Bhai Dekh would surely entertain audiences, no matter what time slots they are given.