Now TV serials inspired by Books

I am a big fan of Bollywood gossip, but I avoid reading about TV stars. I don't recognize most of them. So, yesterday I almost didn't read this article [see pictures on the right and below] about how 'the Twentieth Wife' by Indu Sundaresan is being adapted for small screen. The serial is called 'Malikaa'. All I could find on the net was these pictures from the launch of the serial.

I am a huge fan of the book 'The Twentieth Wife', and Indu Sundaresan's writing in general. 'The Twentieth Wife' is the first book in a trilogy based on Mughal era [predominantly the story of Noorjahan]. The second and third books are called 'The Feast of Roses' and 'Shadow Princess' respectively. I have reviewed 'The Twentieth Wife' and 'The Feast of Roses' on my Book blog. 


I am ok with a movie based on a book. It is interesting to see how a book is adapted for celluloid but I am extremely wary about such wonderful books getting adapted for TV serials. Many serials are started with a basic idea. Usually the idea is novel and exciting but you cannot dole out a daily serial out of one novel idea for a couple of years, which is the usual duration favoured by production houses. It loses steam after sometime, and since it has good TRP, the makers would want to make the best out of a winning serial on hand. Unnecessary, unreasonable and illogical twists and turns eventually spoils the essence of serial. I would hate that to happen to my favourite book :-( 

Ammaji [Meghna Malik]
Image courtesy: india-forums.com

Of what I have read, Noorjahan or Mehrunissa was a powerful and intelligent woman, but this is not how I have ever pictured her. That posture is too masculine [see picture above on the left]. Why must a woman need to behave like a man to claim power? Is that the assumption with which we are starting this serial? I am already depressed. I know, I know, I am sounding too cynical without having seen anything of it, but still. Moreover, if you look at the book cover images, they show a beautifully decked up, very feminine woman. So, I find a disconnect. And that posture reminds me of Ammaji of 'Na Aana Is Des Meri Laado' [see picture on the left].

The Twentieth Wife
by Indu Sundaresan
Image courtesy: flipkart.com

I don't watch TV so I am not going to watch it anyways but I will be looking out for the reviews and friends' opinions. I have written only about 'Malikaa' but the newspaper article says quite a lot of serials are taking inspiration from books due to the dearth in new ideas. For example, Saraswatichandra is an Indian soap opera currently airing on Star Plus & DD National. The series is based upon the Gujarati novel Saraswatichandra by Govardhanram Tripathi [source: Wikipedia]. To me, it looks like a cross between Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas. 

So, what do you think about this new trend?

My all-time Favourite TV shows [UBC Post 13]

OK for the nth time, let me repeat that I don’t watch TV any more. But all my life I have and there have been a handful of programs which still stand out in my memory.

DEKH BHAI DEKH
Image Courtesy: indiatimes.com

Dekh Bhai Dekh: I am sure each one of you remembers this laugh riot which featured Naveen Nishchhal, Fareeda Jalal, Shekhar Suman and Bhavna Balsavar amongst others like Sushma Seth and Divya Seth. I have watched Dekh Bhai Dekh several times but it never fails to break me into splits, over and over again. Moreover, if you really recall, so many of the TV stars of today appeared on that show – right from Urvashi Dholakia to Amar Upadhyay. I think, all the episodes are there on YouTube. It is also available on DVD now. Check here.

FRIENDS: Though I am sure it needs no introduction, FRIENDS is a popular American sitcom which was aired from 1994 to 2004. The re-runs were there on Star World and Zee Studio, the last time I watched TV. I had bought this complete Boxset because there was a time when I would spend the entire weekend watching FRIENDS episodes back to back. I have watched each episode several times but I still find them as funny as before. I even bought the coffee table book on FRIENDS which had several behind the scenes stories.

SMALL WONDER
Image courtesy: epguides.com

Small Wonder: Do you remember that adorable robot Vicki? The dubbed version of Small Wonder used to be my daily staple at 4.30 pm (later around 7 pm or so). The story of this small American family with a nosy neighbour’s daughter Harriet, was fun to watch. We would often lament ‘if we could also read the books like Vicki does’.

FARMAAN
Image courtesy: yourepeat.com

Farmaan: I don’t know why but this old Doordarshan serial keeps popping up in my memory. The story was very Mills and Boonish, starring Kanwaljit Singh, Deepika Deshpande and Raja Bundela. It had a very mushy, romantic appeal to it. I used to love the title song too and remember the lines

“har dil ko sunate hain farmaan mohabbat ka,

pyasa hai bohot pyasa insaan mohabbat ka”

SAANS
Image courtesy: tribuneindia.com

Saans: I don’t know how many of you remember this serial. It was directed by Neena Gupta, apart from starring in it. This also had Kanwaljit Singh and Kavita Kapoor. It is the story of a married couple (Neena Gupta-Kanwaljit) and the other woman (Kavita Kapoor). I would wait for this serial every day. My mother was bewildered of my fascination for this serial. I think I was in my 11^th or 12^th standard at that time.

Flop Show: Jaspal Bhatti was in a league of his own. Who can forget his satirical show of the 90s? It covered issues related to the common man and therefore everyone loved it and could identify with it. 

I used to watch The Jungle Book, Malgudi Days, Campus, and later, Different Strokes, the Nanny, Who’s the Boss too but they were like time pass though entertaining at that time. Ramayan, Mahabharat and Chanakya were also quite good. And will you believe it if I say I have never watched even a single episode of Chandrakanta or Shaktimaan? Do you remember what craze both these shows had?

I vaguely remember watching Udaan.

By the way, if you are someone who was born in 80s and grew up in 90s, you would also remember the haunted music of ‘Kile ka Rahasya’!

Rangoli and Chitrahaar were our only source of entertainment when I was in college hostel. We had only DD.

In last couple of years, I used to enjoy Khichdi and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.

I wish I could tell you a few shows from Star World or some food channel or some travel and lifestyle channel, it would have really sounded cool. But unfortunately, I have saved myself from the trappings of following Seasons after Seasons of different shows. I have very limited time on hand in a day for myself, which I would rather spend in reading or writing. I resist any other temptation that would keep me away from my real passions.

But, I am convinced those programs were 100 times better than the regressive shows of today which are ruling the tube.

So do you recall any of your favourite shows from old times? 

Fox History & Traveller’s What’s with Indian Men

There is a fixed set of channels that I surf on TV – Star World, Zee Café, Movie Channels and English News Channels (the font size, vocabulary and background music of Hindi News Channels don’t suit my sensibilities). It is only by chance that I landed on Fox History & Traveller, and I was pleasantly surprised to catch this new Travel show that goes on to explore what is it with “Indian Men”. Hosted by actress Sugandha Garg and model Indrani Dasgupta, the programme is breezy, fun and entertaining. I have seen the Delhi episode and the Goa one. 

In the Delhi episode, when Sugandha asks a Delhi guy what is it that makes Delhi men more aggressive than men anywhere else in India. He said it has something to do with the “butter chicken”! He goes on to add that as you go further north to Punjab, the quality of “butter chicken” improves and so does the aggression of men. While you see they don’t make such good “butter chicken” in South or in Mumbai, for that matter. Well, that was one smart and witty answer.

Next show is on Jaipur.Catch the show timings here. 

Image source: www.foxhistory.com

The Ubiquitous TV and the school days!

Reading At the Edge, I was transported into my early school days. Those ads from yesteryears, those visuals….they are delightful and nostalgic. As a kid, I used to sing along all the ads.


Sunday mornings were devoted to Ramayan and Mahabharat. They were engaging and fascinating, especially for us kids because we did not know the stories of Indian mythology. It was our first brush with these great Indian epics. Of course, right now, owing to my fascination for Mahabharata, I have read several versions. I still don’t know and am not able to remember a lot of characters, but I know more than an average Joe! I used to be so upset, when the casting would appear and the programme would end, because then you would have to wait an entire week for the next episode. Those were the days when there would be ads before and after the programmes, never in-between. Now look at the idiot box today, there are daily soaps dime-a-dozen, which are repeated twice or thrice during the course of the day. There are atleast 2-3 breaks in-between the programmes, so that you can do channel hopping and watch multiple serials at one time. I just hate watching movies on TV with others. I hate surfing channels when there’s a good movie on, because invariably, somebody gets interested in another programme and then begins the continuous surfing and watching 2 programmes at one time. I just hate it! It just ruins the impact of a good movie.


Schools used to be from Monday till Saturday. Sunday would be a free, relaxing day. In those days, kids were free to do whatever we want to, no rushing for tennis classes or dance classes or any such classes. Invariably, the breakfast would be Upma or Idli / Dosa. You would get up to the grinding sounds of mixer, huffing / puffing / grinding the rice batter for Idli / Dosa! No such hassles now though. Idli batters are available ready-made on the kirana store next door!


Sunday afternoons will invariably be dedicated for delicious chicken cooked by mum, and afternoon siesta. Doordarshan would play regional language movies. Now I realise those were Award winning, great movies but at that age I never could appreciate the dark (read art) movies. I also regret not giving enough attention to ‘Discovery of India’. I would fall asleep watching it. I also remember trying to watch a movie (can’t remember the name right now) which had Shabana Azmi, Roopa Ganguly and few others. It started on a rainy day and ends on the same or some other rainy day. It never made any sense to me.


Those were the days when our lives would not revolve around TV, we kids would actually play in the evenings, which I rarely see with kids these days. If I had to grow up in this age, I don’t know what kind of childhood I would have got. I would have been spoilt for choices.


After coming back from school, we would take lunch. Though my brother would conveniently pass on his bag to me and go for playing football. He knew he would get bashing after coming back but he did not mind as long as he had fun! I would also make a ‘bechari’ face after carrying 2 bags, and try to increase his punishment for making me do it. You cannot win from an elder brother, we had enough fights for me to understand this, but you can certainly work your ‘little sister’ tag well to make up for the bullying he did to you to get some thrashing from mum-dad ;-) Sorry brother! But I was the ‘good’ one, and he was the ‘naughty’ one. I would listen wide eyed to his made-up stories, and he would make me laugh hysterically, which would prompt my dad to scold me for complaining later on getting thrashed by my brother! But I would always, always vouch for an elder brother. It is comforting, and fun!


So, where was I? Afternoons were meant for siestas, and we were supposed to go out for playing only after 4pm. Of course, many times I would sneak out even before that. I was supposed to be back before sunset. But those times were fun – running, cycling, playing! The entire neighbourhood would come alive with the laughter of children.


Cable channels, initially meant the local channels which would play new movies. Then we had Zee TV. I used to love ‘Farman’ on Doordarshan; and ‘Campus’ on Zee TV – may be they were on air during different time periods but those are the memories of my school days. My mum never let me watch ‘Banegi Apni Baat’ and ‘Hip Hip Hurray’ because she felt they promoted too much of metro culture. Whatever! I was also hooked to ‘I dream of Jeanie’, ‘Bewitched’ and ‘Small Wonder’.


TV should not rule our lives. I see it happening increasingly these days. They are always on. One of the things I nag my husband about is, unsubscribing Tata Sky. I hate the persistent noise of TV in my home. TV has certainly come to invade our personal space. There is always so much time in a day, but we still keep complaining about not having enough time because we waste a lot of time sitting unblinkingly in front of the TV. I completely disapprove of it. I consciously avoid wasting my time on idiot box. I only like to catch good movies on TV, or watch FRIENDS while I am doing something like cooking or making collage or reading a magazine etc. I will never only watch TV. People argue that atleast for News we should watch TV. I think, the kind of news they keep on ranting about is anyways worthless. Nobody really watches much TV at my home, but whenever somebody visits – my parents or his – it is always spent more on following the serials and less on talking amongst us.


Perhaps, in the earlier days, we were much better because TV was in moderation. There were 2-3 good programmes in a week. With so much of choice in everything, I don’t know where are we going!

SERIAL - killer!

These days with so much time spent at home, I could not save myself from the hordes of serials on the tube! Here’s a round-up on what I have been watching since last 1 week:



Sania – Shoaib marriage controversy - Yes, I’m guilty of encouraging the intrusion of News channels in the private lives of celebrities, but it does hook you on! And it is getting wilder day by day. If you ask me, I don’t know what is wrong with Sania? I mean, all of us know it is never going to work. But well, all the best to her if after all this, she still wants to go ahead!


Mann ki Awaaz, Pratigya - Briefly, it is the story of a small town, where a goonda-type guy Boy A (rich Thakur) falls for a middle-class girl Girl A and who keeps following her everywhere, and literally makes her life miserable. Finally, she decides to save her family from all the trouble the guy causes, and marry the guy to put an end to all the misery. Well, the girl’s brother, Boy B, asks to get married to the 1st guy’s sister, Girl B. I missed the earlier episodes in order to really throw light on why he does that. But anyways, Girl B is a pretty thing with a hot head and a colorful language. She calls her brother as “kutte”, “sale”. The conversation between brother-sister duo is quite entertaining, though filled with a lot of abuses.


I think they should not have shown marriage between Boy A and Girl A. It will surely give wrong signals to young people in small town and villages, and they would think that through this way they will be able to marry the girl of their choice! I truly feel that in the wake of showing the wrong things prevailing in the society, well we are ending up showing all the wrong things, if not encouraging!


Pavitra Rishta - Ok, there’s this girl Girl A, who is married to Boy A, but they are in the middle of a divorce, so Boy A can get married to Girl B, who is pregnant with Boy A’s deceased brother's child, phew! Strange, isn’t it? Not if you regularly watch these serials.


Dance India Dance - This is the only programme which I really watch….sometimes! All the finalists are amazing, but I absolutely love Shakti. I totally bet on her, she is going to win hands down!


Well, that’s that, I have consciously stayed away from rest of the grind. Those are totally intolerable and extremely, extremely slow-paced. I lose all my patience.