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Be it television or film, the emphasis is always on the larger chunk of the masses, which contributes to the phenomenon of populist entertainment. If you look at any of the blockbusters of the recent past, they are usually either comedy or action which doesn't bother to please the intellectual crowd. It's become a trend nowadays.
It wasn't the case 20 years ago. We had some terrific shows such as Tamas, Malgudi Days and Khandaan, which used to rate so well. I mean, a show such as Byomkesh Bakshi is still fresh in our memory because it respected our intelligence. That was the time when literacy level was comparatively low and devotional shows such as Ramayana and Mahabharata had record ratings. Surprisingly even the non-devotional shows had a great run, almost coming close to the ratings of these mythological shows. That implies that they had an audience too. Then why do we think such shows won't have the audience support now, considering our literacy level has gone up?
TV channels in India have gotten the audience into a certain kind of habit. Since we have bombarded them with countless saas-bahu shows, they are hardly left with any option. Television for the larger mass is a medium of routine timepass, like a regular habit. When people are at home and switch on the TV, they surf through channels and choose the best among the worst.
So at the end of it, channels have taken the audience for granted. They do anything because to a large extent, they can design the audience collectively. Once in a while, they try to do something intelligent by making something non-linear. But when it fails, they cite it as a failure and come back to the linear and used the formula of daily soaps. Not once, do they check whether they have made good content out of that non-linear treatment.
The new Superman film, Man of Steel did incredible business in India. That film didn't have a narrative that adhered to a linear style. If it can work wonders at the box office, you know the mass is receptive to good content, even if it is non-linear. The biggest bane is that almost all the channels want to play safe. Now the content is based on research and marketing that the channel does, and then they devise strategies on the what kind of content should be made. Now if that's the case, we can never make new kinds of shows. A film like Lagaan is possible only with conviction. In Manmohan Desai's films when a tiger comes and eats the villain instead of the mother, it's about conviction, not research. Similarly in TV, conviction is important.
When we were making Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, the general perception was that only elderly people watch it. But our research showed that different age groups have come together to make it a success. And why only age, it has broken the barrier of caste, creed and religion. We have an audience that comprises Muslims and youngsters too. TV shows can be made without bothering much about the metro and elite audience. But if you can cater to both, what's the harm? It will be possible only when we can serve good content with innovation. The audience in metro cities watch English soaps because they are well made and have marvellous screenplays. We have to make them come back to desi content through strong content with has a universal appeal. We have to take that leap of faith.
I must admit that changes are taking place, though at a minor level. Be it series format or differentiate content, people are now attempting new things. TV is far bigger than films with its reach to the remotest part of the country. So, we do have certain responsibilities as part of the TV industry. I am hopeful that the new breed of producers will be the harbingers of change.
Source: Can Everybody love TV? - Indian Express
It wasn't the case 20 years ago. We had some terrific shows such as Tamas, Malgudi Days and Khandaan, which used to rate so well. I mean, a show such as Byomkesh Bakshi is still fresh in our memory because it respected our intelligence. That was the time when literacy level was comparatively low and devotional shows such as Ramayana and Mahabharata had record ratings. Surprisingly even the non-devotional shows had a great run, almost coming close to the ratings of these mythological shows. That implies that they had an audience too. Then why do we think such shows won't have the audience support now, considering our literacy level has gone up?
TV channels in India have gotten the audience into a certain kind of habit. Since we have bombarded them with countless saas-bahu shows, they are hardly left with any option. Television for the larger mass is a medium of routine timepass, like a regular habit. When people are at home and switch on the TV, they surf through channels and choose the best among the worst.
So at the end of it, channels have taken the audience for granted. They do anything because to a large extent, they can design the audience collectively. Once in a while, they try to do something intelligent by making something non-linear. But when it fails, they cite it as a failure and come back to the linear and used the formula of daily soaps. Not once, do they check whether they have made good content out of that non-linear treatment.
The new Superman film, Man of Steel did incredible business in India. That film didn't have a narrative that adhered to a linear style. If it can work wonders at the box office, you know the mass is receptive to good content, even if it is non-linear. The biggest bane is that almost all the channels want to play safe. Now the content is based on research and marketing that the channel does, and then they devise strategies on the what kind of content should be made. Now if that's the case, we can never make new kinds of shows. A film like Lagaan is possible only with conviction. In Manmohan Desai's films when a tiger comes and eats the villain instead of the mother, it's about conviction, not research. Similarly in TV, conviction is important.
When we were making Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, the general perception was that only elderly people watch it. But our research showed that different age groups have come together to make it a success. And why only age, it has broken the barrier of caste, creed and religion. We have an audience that comprises Muslims and youngsters too. TV shows can be made without bothering much about the metro and elite audience. But if you can cater to both, what's the harm? It will be possible only when we can serve good content with innovation. The audience in metro cities watch English soaps because they are well made and have marvellous screenplays. We have to make them come back to desi content through strong content with has a universal appeal. We have to take that leap of faith.
I must admit that changes are taking place, though at a minor level. Be it series format or differentiate content, people are now attempting new things. TV is far bigger than films with its reach to the remotest part of the country. So, we do have certain responsibilities as part of the TV industry. I am hopeful that the new breed of producers will be the harbingers of change.
Source: Can Everybody love TV? - Indian Express
