Gujarati Families in Hindi TV serials

Sometimes, I wonder what our TV producers would do without Gujarati characters in our serials. No matter what is the topic of the show, almost everyone of them has at least one Gujarati character.

This makes me wonder.. are Gujarati people really like that I mean do their women really where saris and gajras to bed? Are all Gujarati men businessmen and rich???

There has to be at least one person in the entire Gujarat that can pronounce "problem" correctly...And I am even more sure that Gujarati people don't only eat thepla, gathiya, and dhokla in breakfast, lunch and dinner..

What do you think? Am I right?

you are soo right!!! I think the TV serial makers are nakalchi bandar... One does something, all the other follow him blindly. If type of serial gets hit than its 100 clones sprout up on TV.

I have seen Gujarati families, and they are not at all like that.. They talk and dress up normally, are quite smart and their women are very presentable and outgoing.

But these serials like Kyunki saas..., Tarak mehta ka ulta chashma, Khichdi etc. paint them in a very strange stereo type.

Hi,

I am a Gujarati.. And you know what? you guys said exactly what's in my mind. I am literally sick of people depicting Gujjus in such stupid light. Come on yaar, can any woman sleep in her sari, choodiya, mangal sutra etc. etc. etc. NEVER!!

I am a born and bred Gujju and I wear jeans to work every day. I am single and completely independent. I talk in right accent and so does most other women I meet on daily basis.

But I must say, some of the serials are quite funny. I actually loved that show called Khichdi. It was very funny. Wonder why they cancelled it.

Well, Gujarati characters or non-Gujarati characters on the 'idiot' box are made such to exaggerate the reality and take you to a world which you can just fantasize. And sometimes in their bid to do it...they just overdo making them look funny.

It can be called an effort by the scriptwriters to create a 'fragment of imagination' that

• A Gujarati has to say 'Aa ra ra';
• Sardarjees are always funny and 'less wise';
• A Bengali character will always have a peculiar screwed pronounciation;
• Acharacter from UP and Bihar will be a Bhaiya..speaking in Laluji's accent;
• A south Indian character will always wear silk sarees with Gajra and say 'Aaio amma'.

Isn't that true?

Hi Ashwini, what an analysis you have made. Fantastic!!!
But, the fact is that we hate them or love them, but we can never ignore them. At least. the idiot box has brought the cultures of India to our living rooms, isn't it?

Well, we Gujaratis love to be dressed in our best whether traditional outfit or western. One of my friends, who travels a lot all over the country tells me the housemaids in Gujarat are so well dressed. You may sometimes not be able to make out if she is a 'bai'.

_________
Bhavna

I don't know why but these days, serials are quite obsessed with western states. No matter which soap you pick, the family is either Gujarati, Punjabi, Haryanvi or Rajasthani... What happened to all those community neutral stories which could have been understood by all India.

I agree with you.The TV serial makers are good at only stereotyping characters. If it is a Gujrati character, then she must be rich, wear only sarees with heavy jewellery and spend her days eating thepla and dhokla. Many serials have a matronly character who lords over the family (which is always a joint family).
I have some Bengali friends. They also complain about the stereotyped Bengali characters with odd pronunciation.
Having said that I quite like the serial "Baa, Bahoo and Baby". I hear the serial is making a comeback.