Mid day a thought struck me, about an old television show called "Rishtey", I googled it, and surprisingly found old episodes of it. I switched on one, the title track brought in a warm wave of nostalgia in me. I was flooded with warm memories, of how this show had made me feel. It had perhaps introduced me to these concepts of love and relationships. The shows were very simplistic in nature all gave you those fuzzy goosebumpy feelings in your heart, some made you cry, some made you identify with them. Though I haven't yet watched them again, but raring to go at them as soon as I get some time, freshly reminded of them, I can't help but compare them to the television shows of now.
They say society is hugely structured and effected by mass media, and television has a huge role to play in this. It now along with its fellow compatriots, the internet and movies are ruling the mass mindsets. There is a stark difference between what was made for public consumption then and now. While before, it was a singular thought that drove a script writer to pen his story and develop it into a show, now, there are hundreds of confused parallel scripts running alongside each other, just to maintain those coveted TRP's. Its turned into such a sham nowadays that they stoop to all sorts of levels to oust each other in the spirit of competition. There's always the cunning mother in law trying to sabotage her daughter in laws life and vice versa by coming up with new innovative methods of torture, or there is an ex lover who comes and tries to woo the protagonist back into his life, or the ill meaning husband who is trying to have his wife killed as he cannot stand her. Horrendous as they may seem, but these are the current running items on our beloved television shows. How they corrupt the society's mindset and affect real life stories cannot be proved, but it must be happening.
In reality, a person as inexperienced and innocent as a housewife is subject to a whole new world, of conniving wives, suspicious husbands, killers in the family, etc. Would this not affect her? Say, if she is subject to this at least 5 hours in a day. All this is created for the sake of melodrama, a housewife's favorite tool to step away from her own lifes realities and burdens. But, every show, someones crying away, another's sad and depressed and another is vengeful. How is that going to create cheer in someones life. Its all making them and us feel, what a sad world it is outside.
These new reality shows, that show few people thrown into a house fighting like cats and dogs in a matter of days in different permutations and combinations is popular now, because people now thrive on this form of entertainment which is nothing but sadistic pleasure derived from watching someone else in difficulty.
Crime related shows are now stepping on dangerous territories, instead of cautioning us common citizens, they are almost scaring us or inspiring some to take up such crimes. Some movies are in fact glamorizing the urban metro sexual male/female with a few grey streaks to their characters or total negative or vampish avatars. If you show the male lead, a hot strutting hero oozing masculinity, machismo and charisma involved in some not so sane activities, you get amazed now, enthralled and some without realizing it, get inspired. So you've got some fool hardy youngsters around taking to the wrong lane, thinking it depicts 'cool', you know what to blame for that.
Bedroom scenes in shows and movies are just passe' now. They were unheard of before in popular culture. I remember the hype created by the bedroom scene in 'Bade acche lagte hain', all had their tvs on waiting for that scene, and poof getting a tad disappointed. Haha.. or was that just me? Jokes apart, these scenes have been replicated everywhere, on every popular show right now. The lead pair is now getting up close and personal for the cameras, the actors themselves are not shying away either, as all are mostly aspiring movie stars, who are literally auditioning on their shows every minute, and believe that this too is now a part and parcel of their acting careers.
What they don't realize is the effect it has on people, especially young people. Its creating a need in people for intimacy without realizing it. You see a couple on your favorite show, after episodes of an electric noticable chemistry, amazing serenading, then finally a love scene. This will create a desire in people who are believing in the people, liking them and identifying with them. It's a reason why you've now got school going kids going haywire in handling their lives. People now don't believe in an undying love, they believe love can have an end and just move on to the next.
Kids now end up going to every movie thats released because its the "in" thing to do, splurge on happening joints as you are not accepted otherwise!! When you are showing people doing the same on your pseudo reality shows, how do you expect young unsuspecting minds to think otherwise. So now education takes a beating, its not the coolest to be a topper anymore, you go to your classes or you bunk, but if you manage to scram and pass or top without being a padhaku year round, you are the new cool!!
Ideas from the West have hugely affected our mass culture.
Now in serials too, there are movie influences. I just caught a serial mimicking Dil, the erstwhile Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit movie, where he molests her and they start their relation eventually leading to a sizzling love story. Another serial, where the lead actress is fervently crying, 'mera pehla pyaar tut gaya', reminiscent of the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai moment. Film songs are played in the background, these are popular tracks that have captured the viewers imagination. Televison has now come a long way. Is this however blurring the line between TV shows and movies? If we are getting a cinema experience on our on telly screens and movies that are released come on air on TV in a matter of months, isn't this going to hit the movie business in time.
I appreciated the show 'Satyamev Jayate' which was hugely popular in its short lived run and now rerun. It set out with a singular noble thought, that to set straight certain Indian values, indian cultures that have gone astray. It aimed to spread awareness, it aimed to correct and it aimed to motivate. It succeeded in doing so to a large extent. Getting a popular driven face to moot this idea was a winning factor here. Can we not have similar shows running and inspiring our youth, our elders and our fellow beings.
Westernized thoughts and culture that have entered the indian psyche and culture are more of a peril than a blessing. It is creating a more uninhibited open world out there, but it is also complicating our simple pure lives. We may claim to have accepted and imbibed westernized culture successfully in our society with our high ways of living, but still we get stared down by every eye if we wear short skirts. Will we come of age or are we living in a semi pseudo westernized state where in our minds we are forward thinking and westernized, but in our deeds we fail to progress beyond a stage fearing non acceptance.
Among all these jumbled thoughts on angst I face by the mass culture today, I thought of something. An idea that can perhaps change me, and in turn could benefit other folks if passed around. If it is the media that is causing a change in us, why don't we change what we are exposed to. I thought, instead of just sitting by and absorbing insane stories of bahus going on a killing massacre, while mom watches, I will restrict my viewing of these and read a book instead or watch old rishtey or clean shows of old episodes on Youtube. So I will start reculturing myself to programme and think in a certain way that does not revolve around deceit, revenge, angst, depression or sorrow. I want to be instead happy, serene, peaceful, satisfied and inspired by what I watch. I want to lead a better life, maybe this might prove to be a stepping stone in achieving that.
