Does Abhi make you cry too?

Cheeniya · Sep 10, 2007

Are you a serial addict? A serial addict is defined as one who can never take his or her eyes off the TV Screen when a serial is in progress no matter what is happening around him or her. From here on, I shall refer to a serial addict in the feminine for convenience and in consideration of the fact that the male of the species is a minority in this group.

My American business associate was here recently and we were taking a morning walk on a lovely Sunday at the Elliots Beach. Among the morning walkers were the usual bunch of figure conscious ladies. My friend took a deep look at every one of them and became very pensive. I was intrigued by the silence of this generally garrulous man. First I thought maybe he was struck by the beauty of our buxom women but then the look on his face, which was more of dismay than of ecstasy, told a different story. He seemed deeply engrossed in some thoughts and I did not wish to be intrusively inquisitive about it. At long last, he broke his silence to enquire why was it that all Indian women wore the telltale marks of a bad marriage. I was aghast at this unexpected question on a lovely morning. ‘Bad marriage?’ I exclaimed and asked him whatever gave him such an idea. He immediately apologized for his question but justified it by pointing out to the swollen eyes and disheveled hair. Striking the note of Sherlock Holmes talking to Watson, he asked me if they were not indicative of nightlong crying. No one cried at night unless her marriage was on the rock according to him.

I laughed out aloud and complimented him for his innovative reasoning skills but explained to him that the swollen eyes and disheveled hair were a common sight in this part of the world. They were not telltale signs of marriages on the rock as he had diagnosed but the result of viewing tearjerkers on the TV every night. I explained to him that the soaps that were telecast for nearly four hours every night ran for several months making the ladies cry buckets night after night. In the mornings, as they made their morning cuppa, they mulled over the sad events of the previous night and cried some more. All this crying took its toll I pointed out to him. He stunned me by saying that there was a lot more soap induced crying in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1lace>US</st1lace></st1:country-region> than in <st1:country-region><st1lace>India</st1lace></st1:country-region> and according to him it was the maximum in <st1lace>Central Africa</st1lace>. But according to him, nowhere else the after effects of serial induced crying were so visible as in <st1:country-region><st1lace>India</st1lace></st1:country-region>.

I have heard of some amazing tidbits about the total involvement of some women with these serials. Some of them perform archanas at <st1:City><st1lace>Temple</st1lace></st1:City> for the safe revival of Abhi of Kolangal. That the Doctor has said that Abhi is virtually brain-dead has shattered the avid fans of this serial. Whenever that bad guy Aadhi comes on screen, the eyes of the viewers become as read as those of Vijaykanth when he is about to thrash a hundred hooligans single-handedly!

They identify themselves totally with the serial and here is an instance supporting my view. When a woman saw the son of Arasi competing in a dance competition, a programme totally unconnected with the serial Arasi, commented, “I don’t know how this guy has the heart to come and dance here when his mother is going through such horrid times!” The producer of a serial called ‘ Lakshmi” is very smart. He doesn’t want his serial to have any disastrous effect on his viewers and consequently face any legal consequences. So while running the title at the end of every episode, he shows all his characters in a jolly mood and total camaraderie while participating in the shooting of that episode. It does ease our mental and emotional strain considerably!

But all said and done, I felt very proud on hearing what my foreigner friend told me about the Indian women. Are you asking me why? Is it not a matter of pride that the compassion of the Indian women is brought out in such vivid colors by the soaps?

Jananikrithsan · Sep 10, 2007

Hi Sri Sir,
Though we know all these serials are meant to be watched , sometimes the situations do bring tears to my eyes and any sentimental or emotional scene does that to me. Sob! Sob! There are many I know who follow serials without missing a single episode, Abhi does evoke my sympathy but Iam better off wiithout praying for her doing abhishekam for her to get better.

Cheeniya · Sep 10, 2007

Dear Janani
I agree that some episodes do make us very upset. I get my eyes moist more on witnessing very emotional scenes like a family reunion etc than on witnessing the sufferings of the lead characters!
As fas performing archana for Abhi is concerned, it is nothing surprising in a community which erects a Temple for Kushboo!
Sri

aishu22 · Sep 10, 2007

Dear Sri,
That was a nice post about the mega serials that are telecasted on almost all tv channels. I dont watch any of them though because i personally feel thers no logic in them, nor do i have the Patience to see the weirdly dressed "villi" make plans to spoil others life.

I have with me my Hubby's grandmom at home for a month now.She watches a few of the serial including the infamous kolangal that you have mentioned.
The observations i have about the soaps are:
**There must be two families with rivalry, **2 or more wierdly dressed villi looking like nadamadum nalli+LKS gold house,**a gang of rowdies and **a most adorable woman of a house with all the best possible qualities in her.

There were few cases of burglury happening with ease by early night around 8.30 or 9 PM as the lady of the house was busy watching serial.
And as well said by you i completely agree,if kushbhoo can have a temple;why not abhishekam or "our" Abhi??

Cheeniya · Sep 10, 2007

Dear Aishu
You have given the story of almost every serial that is being telecast in just three sentences! You are absolutely right there! 'Nadamadum Nalli and LKS' is the only way our make-up artists can portray villainy!
In olden times, people used to name their children after the heroes and heroins of popular movies. I am happy that such madness has ended now giving place to new madness like performing archana at the temple for their welfare!
Sri

Shanvy · Sep 10, 2007

hi sri,

I was thinking what is sri talking about this time when i saw the title.. I have watched serials...humlog..ados pados..ye jo jindagi hai..not even khandaan.. those long long ago days...now i dont watch any serials... May be a little discovery channel,natiional geography and all news channels.

My flat is near a temple.. i have seen ladies discussing the serials along with doing pradakshinams.... I feel all these serials have a lady vying the husband of the heroine...or a extra marital affair being justified...even the reality shows look more and more like the serials.. and again i dont have the patience to see the ladies of the house in all make up even without a hair out of place getting up from sleep or coming out of the kitchen..or a very poor lady wearing costly sarees....:idontgetit:.

I still remember... one day i was in my paed.. clinic with my son..there was a couple arguing...she was complaining your mom does not have time for the kid...kelangallukku..sadam oota kuda time illa...intha pala pona vizhuthugal seriallala....intha tvyya odachipodanum..but that was when there were sun,raj..today you are spoiled for choice..what is the situation i dread to think....

But i know families dinner times revolving around a 9.00 clock serial/show...
Some people just try to avoid visitors during thier favourite serial..or just dont have time for you when u visit them..and you are forced to see the programme along with them....

we have a family friend who used to record the serial if he is forced to go out...

One of my friends..identifies herself with some of the serial characters..has bad dreams...spoils her health..cries a lot...all in the name of entertainment..

Most of the telephone calls.. are during the powercuts..to find out what is happening in serials.....

you find sarees,bindi,curtains,furniture named after characters/serials......

I know a small 3 year old kid..who recites all the names of the serial without missing the sequence from morning to night... if only the mom puts the child's memory retention for better use....

recently there was a interview btw amol palekar and neena gupta..where amol says i have got out before the going became worse....about todays small screen..

Cheeniya · Sep 10, 2007

Wow Shanthi
That should rank as one of the best essays on the ill effects of serials on families. You have made the list almost complete. TV in general and the mega serials in particular have changed our life style completely. A visitor who would be most welcome when there are no important programmes on TV is considered an intruder on our privacy when he comes when our favourite serial is on!

It has completely killed the art of conversation. Lively banters have become a thing of the past. If someone comes when we are watching a serial, we talk to him while our eyes remain fixed on the flat screen.

I only endeavoured to focus attention on this emerging crisis and you caught on to it nicely! In fact your post is a more direct hit on the malady than mine!
Sri

Chitvish · Sep 10, 2007

Dear Sri,
You have the special knack of choosing the "catchy" titles! Ofcourse, more interesting are your topics, goes without saying.
A look at the name Abhi & any ardent Sun T V fan will rush here.

Some of your earlier interesting thead names were

The Riddle of Buxom girls and brawny men ( I love brawny men !)

Extra marital relationships (Does not the very phrase tickle your ego, as if you
are worthy of "being desired" !?)

What do you do before you go to sleep? (is this a question to be asked in an open forum?)

Idu aambalainga samacharam! (how can we, pombalainga not rush to read it ?)

An encounter with a young woman! ( even a self-proclaimed senior citizen loves "encounters?)

Now, I have taken the hint (aimed at me?) not to stray !

The first few soaps which lapped up viewers in lakhs were Chithi, Annamalai & Metti Oli.
There was even a joke in Sun T V patti mandram, of a son telling his father
Appa, metti oli mudinjathukku appuram than namme veetile rotti oli kekum !

But now, Kolangal has surpassed all the previous serials in sentimets. Abhi is the most endeared woman (now, from a girl when the serial started) and a friend of mine is looking out for a girl as sweet & tender looking, as courageous, as dutiful to her family and ofcourse as enterprising in her career, for her only son !
I wonder whether the boy will get married at all !
Last year there was a major "sala salappu" in the press when Devyani's real life MIL, complained about how D snatched away her son from her ! Ofcourse, Devyani being Abhi, nobody was prepared to believe the same and attributed it to imagination of an old lady.
But, ask your American friend, if The Bold and The Beautiful was not the leader in soaps, which set a trend at all? But that we Indians are a sentimental lot too, identifying ourselves with our favourite T V actors and actresses, taking sides etc, goes without saying.
Love,
Chithra.

Cheeniya · Sep 10, 2007

Dear Chithra
A very thoughtful analysis indeed but first things first. It's the question of title. A title is like a good dress to attract people. A good packaging which is the name of the game. When you go to the Mega Malls, you'll find that even Thuvaram Paruppu is sold in arraractive containers! The fastest moving articles are the ones with the most attractive containers! This applies to our posts too. I have found that my personal bests have gone unnoticed because they had 'bland' titles!

Your analysis of the current trend of TV viewing is very precise. The examples that you have given very apt too. The example of a lady seeking a bride for her son in the mould of Abhi of Kolangal may sound crazy but I am not surprised at all. That Metti oli Rotti oli joke is another classic example of the impact of our serials on our day to day life.

Endru Kurayum Indha Serial Mogam?
Sri

sudhavnarasimhan · Sep 10, 2007

Ha , ha Cheeniya.....yet another post with a catchy title....like Chitra has pointed out all SUN tv die hard fans( ike the ones who are outside India and are addicted to anything TAMIL; DESI; INDIAN!) lke me and my family will rush here.But sorry to say i dont feel any tears coming in my eyes at Abhi and her turmoils. In fact we can kind of predict what the director will be up to take the Serial the longer route alwaysandkeep everyone glued to the tv. And not to mention my poor hubby , who started keeping me company of recent and has got hooked on badly to all this nonsense....he takes them so seriously and wonders why the characters are so dumb,when they can come out and speak the truth! So much for the Male species getting involved!
And at the other end my daughter plans to fly out oneof these days and shoot the director or send a set of rowdies to put an end to abhi's miseries!
And sun tv was actually set up purely for me, but i end up watching thehilarious situation in my family!
All said and done i prefer this serial watching to all the other crap we get in germanchannels , at night.....and this keeps us sitting around together at least!
So let the TRIBES AND CLANS OF ABHI, ADHI AND ARASI not to mention Lakshmi grow.....I vow not get teary or emotional , but have FUN with my family on their behalf!
Howizzat, a la Rajini style!:yes: