Indian TV is all about its women. From the righteous beti to the superwoman bahu and sacrificing mother, every show comes with some stereotypes. But do we really enjoy watching women in action 24x7? Not exactly…A better sense of balance matters. This is clearly proved by serials ruling on social media right now. Girls are crazy about Shaheer Sheikh aka Dev Dixit from Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, Sanskar from Swaragini, Harman from Shakti…Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki and Kartik from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. There is a definite tilt towards male characters who are pro-active on their shows. Girls like guys who are not just mere props. It is a fact that an actor like Dheeraj Dhoopar who plays Prem in Sasural Simar Ka does not enjoy fan following similar to a Shakti Arora from Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi or a Shravan (Namik Paul) from Ek Duje Ke Vaaste.
In the past few months, we have seen that the male protagonist is getting a lot of weight-age across shows. And all shows in the top 10 and ones getting appreciation have strong male characters. Vivian Dsena playing Harman on Shakti…Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki is a good example. The actor who craves for different characters is back on TV as Harman, the rugged, good at heart Punjabi munda trapped with a transgender wife. The actor has got some great lines and people love him as much as the leading lady, Rubina Dilaik. The fact that he’s so relatable has also touched hearts. Women are rooting for him to locate his Soumya, who is taken by the kinnars. Even in Swaragini, it was Varun Kapoor who stood out for his evolving character in the span of one and a half years. From a vengeful man to a great friend and now devoted hubby, he was one of the more active male characters on the show dominated by two sisters and their actions. The show touched a height (in TRPs) when he supported, revolted and showed off his passion. Sadly, he does not have much to do nowadays. It’s high time we want to see Sanskar and Laksh (Namish Taneja) do some plotting and scheming. The show had high TRPs when the boys thought deviously! We adore Sanskar as the loving husband but surely he can do more than just romance.
Likewise, Indian TV fans across the globe have responded well to Jaana Na Dil Se Door. The show has a theme of how love empowers someone. It is something different from the saas bahu sagas that rule the early evening time slot. Atharva (Vikram Singh Chauhan) is a simple guy but ones who makes his own decisions. He falls in love with the rich but oppressed Vividha (Shivani Surve) who can’t think for herself. He walks into her heart to make her a more confident girl. So, clearly the role of the hero is changing and it’s a nice trend.
Kumkum Bhagya which had the leading man Abhi (Shabbir Ahluwalia) doing absolutely nothing for more than a year has also a fresh lease of life with him going back to his rock-star avatar. Seriously, who wants to see a man just roam around the ladies when they are busy creating or fixing problems? There were rumours that Karan Patel was miffed with the creatives of Yeh Hai Mohabbatein for the extended focus on the Ishita (Divyanka Tripathi) and Shagun (Anita Hassanandani) track. He denied the stories but one can understand how frustrating it can be for an actor, who plays a husband torn apart by relationships doing nothing on a show. Nowadays, Raman Kumar is back in the thick of things as a parent and we are glad about it.
Come to think of it, even male leads with flaws are well-received. Characters like Dev Dixit from Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, Shravan from Ek Duje Ke Vaaste and Raja from Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani have won hearts as much as the oh-so-good guys. Women are loving the confused yet intense passion of Dev, Shravan’s ego hassles and Raja’s love torn with guilt and vengeance. The TV audience thrives on good content and is more than willing to accept characters with flaws. The appeal of a bad boy turning good is quite unbeatable.
A decade ago, TV was watched by the upper middle class in metros as well. Nowadays, many opine that TV’s content no longer appeal to the affluent from main Indian cities. The biggest following comes from Tier-II, Tier-III cities and villages. This probably explains the onslaught of supernatural shows. However, the young population in these places watch a lot of shows on Internet and their perception of the ideal man is quite different from that of an housewife. This is why relatable content is getting immense appreciation as well. The generation that believes in a man and woman being equal is not impressed by the teary-eyed bahu. This has brought back many audiences from metros as well. Of course, good-looking men have always scored with the ladies but now audiences want a lot more than a chiseled body and great face. On the brighter side, some of these actors have a greater fan following than a Bollywood B-lister. We had lost out our heroes to kitchen politics a couple of years back but now the trend is kind of reversing. A TV show is not like a film where a lead protagonist can take you through three hours. One just cannot sit through the trials of a leading lady after a span of time unless it is a finite series. The fact that some TV actors are demanding equal footage on screen is a signal that we will see more balance in the coming months. A show with a great hero and heroine can give you as much joy as a film does. How else does one explain crazy fandoms!
