Many view entertainment as a mode to escape reality, but too much of swaying away from reality certainly makes it look odd! A majority of family dramas at present on the small screen revolve around the institution of marriage. A happy marriage has turned into a rare phenomenon on television. Troubled marriages with beautiful vamps who constantly do their best to keep the couple apart is a ready-made hit formula for many serial makers. It is the same in the case of Kannada small screen serials, as in almost every popular serial, the married couple are the ones who face the brunt and every episode is a hope for them to witness a better tomorrow. Bengaluru Chronicle reports on the small screen troubled sagas.
“While there have been several genres gaining huge popularity, it is the family drama which has stood the test for a long time, and it will always be the most watched genre on Indian television. It is still the female sex who make the largest audience, and hence, family dramas with couples and their struggle remains the favourite shows,” says writer Ashwini.
With regard to such ongoing shows, director Naveen explains that in Subbalakshmi Samsara, directed by Swapna Krishna, an innocent village girl is married to a well educated guy living in the city. “The trouble arises when the husband's illicit affair with his hot secretary surfaces. The tales focuses on the innocent lady striving hard to save her marriage.
While, in Brahmagantu, it is about a mismatched couple; the lady being overweight but loving and the smart man finding it difficult to accept her. He eventually starts loving her. In between a lot of drama, separation and rejection is the USP that brings in the TRPs,” he adds.
In fact most of these dramas centred around married couple are popular with the audience who hope for a happy ending. “Puttagowri Maduve is a classic example where in the protagonist, though married at a young age, had to sacrifice her husband to another woman. Keeping the tension running high is the best way to keep the audience hooked. Radha Ramana, Seetha Vallabha, and scores of such serials have the same theme. Despite being in love, keeping the couple away from having a happy married life and in turn keeping the audience coming back is an age old tactic,” wraps up Srikanth, another filmmaker.
