While talking to one of my friends on various subjects of past and present incidents, I learned how her aunt( Chachi) is a crazy fan of daily TV shows and gives 3-4 hours religiously in watching daily episodes. No wonder she started living in a world of TV shows. If any day the show’s track doesn’t go the way she expects, she starts behaving weirdly. For, e.g., missing lunch/dinner, scolding kids, etc. Also, due to watching so many crime shows, she started having trust issues.
I got stuck in the conversation for 2 days, and it forced me to rethink how someone can be this much hypnotized by certain TV Shows that they forget to live their own life and start dwelling in a fictional world? Can these TV shows overpower our nervous system or brain up to this extent? And that was the day I decided to write about it!
Indian Daily Soap is a significant part of the lives of huge masses. It does impact our lives up to a certain extent in both positive and negative ways. Albeit the invention of Daily Soaps was done to entertain the audience, the lot belongs to the housewives to the best use of their time after finishing their chores. However, the TRP race turned the entertainment into mental and emotional harassment of the audience.
Let’s talk about Hindi Daily Soaps, not to mention there was a time when I belong to the group of daily soap’s loyal viewers, though my choices also changed the group over time, you will get to know soon those reasons.
There are lots of daily soaps that are entertaining in the best way they can; however, the negative aspects of too many irrational sequences in the serials also affecting the mental state of the audience from all the age groups 14 -25 youth to, middle-aged people especially the women.
Note again I will be only talking about Hindi Serials that I have watched the most until it started panicking me from few years for these reasons.
Also Read: World is in urgent need of listeners than speakers
The Most Pathetic Things Of Indian Daily Soaps
Exaggerative Stereotype Characters & Unethical Behavior
Most of the daily soaps are women-centric. Women are shown as superwoman no matter how intelligent they are; their worth is judged on only one scale if they are experts in the kitchen. How much she can bear the pain of humiliation still stand for those, who belittle her presence. She is over expert in keeping secret, and take every blame on own. Husband’s extramarital affair is justified in the further story track anyhow, but a woman has to be Sati Savitri. If any girl chose a career over marriage, her character is portrayed as the wrongest person.
Even reality shows have lost their charm in the cutthroat competition of TRPs. On the name of ‘Janta ko, Masala Chahiye’ creative board is failing in holding the originality. Someone, please tell them Janta wants logic more than Masala.
Inordinate Celebration And Wearing
Watching Gladrag is way better than watching ladies of the show laden with abundant jewelry in the kitchen, absolutely unreal in today’s era, especially if family shown living in the metropolitan. Linger of episodes with the uncalled unnecessary parties. Most parties have some common incidents for sure, for, e.g., remember the Chandelier falling scenes have to happen initially or later. Gosh! The audience needs a break, creatives. Can you please come with something new which is equally realistic?
Endless Conspiracies
I grew up in a joint family, I agree that thoughts are always there as every mind has its own logic, but filthy games and conspiracies to break the relationships? Isn’t it too much? I agree sometimes marriage doesn’t work; mutual separation could happen, but who marries to take revenge with the entire Khandan? Who adds a full box of salt and waste whole food just to defame daughter-in-law? And just one signature over the cup of tea brings the business tycoon on the road? I doubt how that tycoon cracked numerous deals and signed papers to take his business from scratch to the sky?
Repetitive Issues
Putting oil on stairs to make protagonist fall, eloping of the bride from her marriage making her sis or besti married to the groom to give a world-known turn to the positive character to negative. And here comes the iconic record twist of memory loss that takes the whole plot to the scratch level, where a well-versed mother and housewife becomes the young college-going girl. Anyways, let me tell you on behalf of the ardent audience that the fact behind this twist usually happens when an actor or actress refuses to play aged roles, and TRP is hitting higher. So see how these repetitive incidents made us expertise.
Emphasize On Physical Beauty
There was a show I used to watch a lot where the protagonist has shown a matter of laugh and the most unwanted identity just because she wears specs and ties braids despite being the most intelligent girl in the whole college, how the skillful team of serial overshadowed the real beauty by emphasizing physical beauty. And The day she comes in open hairs with the contact lens, miraculously she becomes the most adoring girl, her meritorious qualities become the talk of the town just because of her makeover, I mean seriously. Being a girl who wears spectacles with pride and embraces her reality high headed. It made me realize that actually, I am so skillful in wasting so much of my precious time on such illogicalities.
Noisy Background Music
The most pathetic part of Hindi Daily soap is high-pitched background music. Whether it is sad, happy, surprising, or shocking scenes, the ear-piercing music is enough to disconnect your interest from the show; at least, in my case, it has been one of the reasons. Also, if you have any old-aged or sick persons or small kids/infants at your home, this deafening music badly shakes their mental well-being.
Impact Of Indian Dramas On Mental Health
It Promotes The Passive Thought In Mind.
There is a belief that TRPs go high when the protagonist cries; this illogical pattern makes the creatives stick with the sad track. Somewhere those who easily get attached to their shows start feeling low and depressed as they fail to see their favorite actor shine and smile in the show. Which leads the passive thoughts in their deeds.
Solution: Better to avoid watching so many fictional shows, or if not, then make yourself understand that these are just a show, and you are not going to talk about it once the TV switches off.
It Detaches From Real World
An addiction of daily Soap detaches the person from the reality. To catch every bit at first, shows addicted people stop engaging in social gathering, or interaction, as their mind is stuck in thinking what comes next.
Solution: Limit your time in front of the TV. Revamp your daily routine. Have a specific slot for interaction with surroundings. Make a list of favorite genres and pick one or two shows that too make sure are from a different genre.
It Messed Daily Routine
Watching too many shows in a row definitely lands you in delaying the rest of the chores. Which ignites irritation, unnecessary fights, and arguments with family members.
Solution: Priorities your task. Stick with the condition that you will watch the shows only after finishing the prior chores. Also, you can prepare a list of few shows that relay after your chores are done. Isn’t it the easier way out?
Remember, nothing is important than our mental sanity; anything that puts our mental well-being in danger deserves a determined disappearance from life. These shows are meant to entertain us, with utmost ethnicity. If it fails to serve the purpose, be courageous enough to shift your mind towards positive content.
Have you ever witnessed such incidents? Do share in comments.
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This post is a part of #BlogchatterHalfMarathon hosted by Blogchatter.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
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Daily soaps are far from reality and they create such a fake world around us. I used to watch some serials earlier as the concept and the base on which they started was nice. But gradually it drifted to the same old drama and nonsense. In real life, things are not so complicated but the way they create characters is weird.
Long time I’ve stopped watching daily soaps. Like you have mentioned melodrama, bashing women by women both physically and mentally. It’s so pathetic and toxic with negative impact on our minds and does not serve any purpose in improving society
TV serials are destroying the society and have an evil impact on the culture too. Effects of reality TV shows and Hindi serials on kids can be drastic. Great tips.
I haven’t watched Indian daily soaps in years. It is absolutely baffling to see soaring TRP’s for senseless storylines of the show. I couldn’t agree more, we have to pay attention to what we consume as a consumer when it comes to these serials 🙂
A few days back on this very kind of thought I had read a discussion on a mom’s group on FB and though I don’t watch many serials as such but serials are pretty pathetic portraying women as products and marriage is so glorified.
The daily soaps of television ruled the roost some years back. but now with the boom of the OTT platforms, there is a wide range of content the viewer can choose from, it includes local as well as international content.
I have stopped watching television during my college days for the very same reason. Not a single Indian daily soap is related to real life. Hyperbole, passive, sadistic, and what not. It’s been 4/5 years now that we have removed set up box from the television. Our content consumption is mainly news, movies, or documentaries now.
You have nailed it so well with the feelings for Indian daily opera scenes.
Everything you mentioned here was like you penned my feelings. It annoys me when educated people do not understand the impact of these serials on our limbs. I mean, a woman is way more than your ‘sanskaars’, saris, scandals, planning & plotting. We have more important work in life than to find ways of annoying the family member.
I abhore Indian Tele soaps as they are too unrealistic when it comes to appearance. never ending- the baa in SaaS bhi kabhi… was over 100 yrs . The sassy sassu politics ufff… the list is endless. I think Indian soap makers shld take a look around n learn frm other countries as to how to make the show 5o the point in 20 to 25 episodes n stick to the main story n not beat around the bush.
Gone are the days when we watched wholesome soaps like HUmlog, Buniyaad and Mahabharat. The serials these days are all about manipulation, plotting and planning. You are so right about them messing up the mind!
What a choice of topic and what thorough analysis. I am glad you picked it up and I am so impressed. I have never watched daily soaps barring when I am around my mil who watches them on loop and they indeed are v disturbing
I agree with you, in the last few years, daily soaps are not giving us full entertainment. Even we can’t see some series because of the slang words used in it. Nowadays to increase the TRP they add anything in it. So it’s better to we should watch it less.
First Mom and then my Mom-in-lae made life impossible for me due to their constant fixation on daily soaps. Other than inspiring junk stereotypes, they propagate such a skewed concept of relationships and life in general. I watch none now!
It’s absolutely true that watching so much of negativity and high melodrama on TV is so much that we can’t even imagine that how it is impacting our mental health. The neverending conspiracy and the way ladies are working in kitchen with makeup full on and dresses up always in heavy sarees is something beyond expectation it’s totally opposite to the reality.
Loved this post Archana and I exactly feel the same way as you do. Previously I used to watch tv serials due to good content but now since many years I had stopped watching it due to unnecessary melodrama and useless twist. You have written it so wonderfully dear and topic is also very unique.
I agree with your points here. The soap operas on television might seem like fun, guilty pleasure, but they could be detrimental to your mental health. … Watching soaps is also very time-consuming. Die-hard fans won’t be able to do anything else after sitting through, for example, three, hour-long TV soaps daily.
I have stopped watching daly soaps long time ago. Earlier, there used to be some quality in it but these days it is all about show-off and repeated topics. We dot even remember these shows in next 1-2 years. Rather I prefer watching some web series but again plot matters a lot.
True each word of this. I am not a soap person at all and am particular about the content and what impact it shall have on me. All points so very rightly pointed out and elaborated.
this is such a valid post, why do we have to compare these melodramatic, far from reality soaps with our very real lives. Watch with a pinch of salt and forget about it. Sometimes i prefer watching fantasy for these reasons only. Loved the way you have articulated your thoughts to words, completely resonates with mine
I do not watch these daily soaps as I find them to be to full of useless and unnecessary drama and the make up of some of the characters is so outlandish. But in every household these shows have become a part of life. My mum in law watches most of the shows and I dread the follow up session on discussions of the plots.
I totally agree. Indian daily soaps are a waste of time. You won’t believe I used to watch crime petrol and was so addicted. Nowadays I can see, people are addicted to Pakistani serials.
Wow, finally you have chosen to talk on this topic. Indian serials are so pathetic that I stopped watching the TV only
I stopped watching Indian daily soaps long back, thanks to all the reasons you listed. They are popular among rural culture as most of the urban cultures occupy Netflix, Amazon etc.
I better should not write on the daily Hindi soaps because I find them irrelevant. With the exaggerated and forcefully elongated stories, unbelievable characters and complicated relations, I just can’t sit and watch these typical melodramatic drama series!
Your are True to the t. These daily soap are waste of time and drains out your energy. First of all they are never ending and secondly even if you miss them for a month and than see.. You will not miss anything.. Hahaha. I really liked that you have not just mentioned the problem but have given some apt practical solutions too.
Glad that I had my cable Connection cut and not using the OTT to watch these shows. Thanks for writing about this
I most now watch shows on Amazon Prime or Netflix. Many international shows are very good and with subtitles, you can enjoy them even if you don’t know the language. Hindi soaps have become so ridiculous these days with plot twists that are so bizarre. And if so many things happen to one single person or family, in reality, they would have all gone bonkers 🙂 That way, Pakistani shows are more realistic and have like a limited no. of episodes. I have watched a couple of them too.
Janta ko masala nahi Logic chahiye !!! This statement said it all.
Yes there are shows that are logic less and far away from reality, kids gets attached to the serials and start believing that somewhere such world exists, but we as parents needs to show them that this is drama series as we do play in the school.
Passive thinking yes it does affect as it does affect while reading the book, so pick the right shows.
We as family like to pick shows that are comedy based, and laugh our heart out and the best is when there is a dull situation a line from the show is enough to cheerup the person.
These daily soaps are a total waste of time and after watching them one feels so frustrated. As nothing is real there. Simply everyone is fighting or arguing. I don’t watch them at all.
Crime shows do have a lot of impact on the way one thinks and of someone is getting affected so much, they should get rid of it instead of having disturbed mental health. Great blogpost topic.
I absolutely agree with you. Indian soaps are so regressive and depraved. The men have no role to play other than be in the background. The women are portrayed so powerful when in reality there is no such thing. Women addicted to these daily soaps start to live a virtual life and lose touch with reality. I stopped watching years ago. Now I do not have a cable connection.
I am glad you wrote about this, it is such a waste of time and energy. Overdramatic scenes with background music. I remember those saas bhi kabhi bahu thi days…LOL..It’s the only music and cartoon channel at my home.
Loved reading your post! I too think that Hindi soap operas are over dramatic. While reading your post I could think of kyuki salad bhi Kabhi baby thi. I used to watch it too but now if I think, I would say that I wasted so much of my precious time and energy on a silly show
Indian daily soaps are crap these days. I barely watch any television now. Not as much due to the increased workload, but also because there is barely anything half decent. I have grown up on a healthy diet of DD shows. They were excellent.
Well put. South Indian soaps are way too worse with swear words & whatnot.
You are right. The TV shows these days are horrible. I have stopped watching daily soaps for years now. There are better ways to entertain myself.
Seriously, they bring so much negative vibes in me, I’ve stopped watching long long ago. Those loud music, conspiracies, loud makeup, so-called sas-bahu drama create give me headache, literally.
A netflix addicted generation might not be the right people to comment on saans bahu soaps but i so agree…they are regressive, aggressive, unimaginative…its sad that a lot of the older generation take cues and behave badly with their own feeling that its ok…sab karte hai
Yes, you’re all right here, Archu. All your pointers are very appropriate. Noisy bg music, stereotype characters and yes, oh, exaggerated protagonists. What I really feel there is lack of nice storylines, too. That’s why I like to watch reality shows like music and dance, also animal Planet, food channels, history etc. Lovely post.
I stopped watching Indian daily soaps years ago, thanks to all the reasons you listed. Sadly they are still very popular with a lot of people.
Seriously, I’ve stopped them long ago! That Shivay was the last one and when his son came onto the scene and Annika left, I stopped watching any series.
I totally agree that the serials on TV are really beating a dead horse! They should have a sense of responsibility for what they show. There are never any light comedy shows, only heavy stories on exaggerated and stale social norms.
That’s become the ugliest truth of Indian Television!
Indian daily soaps are a menace and everyone in my family is affected by them. My father and MIL keep watching these regressive shows no matter what. They have their arguments that it’s entertaining and they watch to pass the time. The characters are hideous in Bengali serials, so are the dialogues. And it’s the same everywhere – women are shown as superhumans in the way to deal with humiliation and disgrace from their family.
It’s high time to raise our voice, together we can!