IF you turn on your television set and find the following characteristics, then you are surely watching Indian telly soap.
An extended family
Vamp
Lead character falls in unexpected problems
Love triangle that is complicated than Bermuda Triangle
Real Than life expressions
Never ending characters
Whatever it maybe, realistic or not, we surely love our telly soaps.
Have a look at some peculiar things that can happen only on Indian Television
Waking up from the dead: Don't be upset if the protagonists of your favourite TV show die. There is a 99.9 % chance that they shall be back on public demand. Just like how Mihir woke up from the dead with memory loss and a new identity, this is a tried and tested TRP raising formula that shows like Uttran and Sasural Simar Ka still use.
Change in genres: Forget characters, our TV producers are master minds who not only change tracks but even the genre of their shows. For instance a family drama will turn into a love saga or a sasu bahu soap opera will evolve into a horror show of sorts. Just like Sasural Simar Ka introduced a horror track that didn't do anything for their show while Ballika Vadhu stopped being the tale of a little girl but became a show crusading evils and fighting multiple marriages. Wah re...Indian TV.
Dream sequences: How many of us day dream right in the middle of the road imagining a slow motion dance sequence with the love of our life. Well, clearly zero of us. But on Indian TV dream sequences happen often and even last a good 15 minutes of the 25 minutes allotted to the show. Talk about killing time!
Happy unions followed by separations: This happens way too often, after all the show must go on isn't it? So the couples hate each other then they fall in love and paint the town red. At this point, just a day before their marriage, an ex lover will come back. Then the groom will go missing. Then the father in law will get a heart attack. Then yawn. (current example is Veera on Star plus)
Infertility isn't an issue: Television characters whether married or not have never faced much trouble with fertility because just one night of sex (sometimes even touching) is all it takes to get them preggers.
Hold on to it: It's only here that estranged wives, fiancé's and girl friends pop up exactly when the protagonist has moved on. Shagun from Yeh Hai Mohabbatein is the perfect example.
Aging is beautiful: No matter how many leaps the show takes, the protagonists remain as young as before and sometimes even look hotter than their on-screen kids. Take Pavitra Rishta's Archana and Manav for instance. They're going to give anti-aging creams a run for their money.
It's all about money, honey: No matter how rich you are, never stop making money. Because the rich can turn poor, and poor can be rich in literally one night. So beware! Watched Meri Aashique Tumse hai yet? Don't bother; we've already summed up the story.
Expression is king: At least that's what we've learnt. Especially with close up shots of each and every family member in every angle showing their disappointment. And there will be multiple shots if there's a karara thappad involved.
Decking up isn't a task: Women will sleep, eat and bath in the fanciest clothes in their wardrobes and it's only in the world of Indian Television that there are no dark circles, pimples or bad hair days.
(with inputs from idiva)
