Perpetually Perplexed

I was watching "This is Us", a tv serial in Star World about the struggle of a family of twins and their adopted brother. And I realized that I am not feeling the usual unhappy feeling (hating myself, hating the serial etc. might be putting it very strongly). I am feeling calm and peaceful instead. Then I realized the reason for this feeling is a) this is a new episode which I have not watched earlier. Yes, that's all. But when I switched channels and went to Zee Cafe which was airing "House of cards" which was also showing a new episode - the calm went away like so many people who antagonize the Underwoods. This has to do with the storyline - the story of a cunning, ruthless politician couple who can go to any extremes to get power and stay in power. This may be much more realistic than most soap operas shown today. But it is disturbing. A lot. Because you want to believe in goodness of people. And you want to believe that it exists. And you do not want ...

India has changed. A lot in the last 20 years. People have become more affluent or at least less poor.  Every family, whether rich or poor, whether urban or rural,  has a TV and a mobile phone at least. Using these any message can be sent to the entire nation. As has been seen in the last election. TV is a very strong media in this aspect. TV is available to everyone in the country - almost and it is available in their own languages, not in the vilayati English. And men, women and children watch TV. A lot. So how do our leaders use this media for the betterment of our society? They have used it for canvassing in the election. But after election, what else? Do you think, TV can be used to make people more aware of their rights? Or to make people less er.. dumb - for the lack of better word. And who should do this work? My rouse is against TV channels who show nothing other than serials of family drama or movies with violence and sex. OK, some channels have dedicated ...

We are what we watch. No? Then it must be we become what we watch. Our mind, body and even girth are decided by which channel we watch always. Let me explain with examples. You are tired and exhausted - may be doing your chores inside the home, or may be doing little bit of gardening outside, or even trying to draw a nice background for your app using image editor - thinking that owning an image editor (free one, of course) will make you a graphic designer. So you are tired and you want to relax and you switch on the TV. You go to Star world , Zee cafe or Comedy Central. Of course they are telecasting re-run of a serial which you must have watched 100 times. You get angry at yourself for watching it, but you decide to watch it anyway because in half an hour, another serial will come, hopefully with an episode you have not watched, at least not on the same day. You stretch your legs and you slowly stretch on sofa. But if instead go to a movie channel and luckily find a movie wort...

We Indians are family oriented people. At least we used to be. But how do our TVs show families? Do these families really represent us? Let us talk about some of these soaps shown in Start Plus or Zee TV. The Gujarati families in which there will be a very stern mother in law whom everybody respects and fears, the benevolent father in law who does not have much say in anything, lot of sons and daughters in law, the small and big tussles between them. And the best part is the way they adorn themselves with jewels and sarees, in each and every scene. And kannada soaps, I see only one. That is mukta, mukta (the next sequel will be called mukta mukta mukta. When will we be mukta from them?) There are many families here. The middle class family of Nivedita's parents, the almost aristocratic family of Devanad and now the family of Binga. Binga the villian's daughter is in love with the almost saint's son. But does not express it and agrees to marry her father's friend...