No wonder Pakistan bans Indian channels. Even Bhutan which did not have any TV for years is now hooked on these soaps.
Indian soaps slide across the border
By: Annie Zaidi
September 21, 2003
Kathmandu: Much maligned but surprisingly in demand – there seems to be no immediate end in sight to the saga of the Indian soap opera, which has clearly transcended borders.
Our Nepali neighbours, for instance; millions of them sit glued to the telly, keenly following the ups and downs of the Virani parivaar or the gasp-what-next-machinations of the good looking, if slimy character, Mr Bajaj. And though they may not always understand all the dialogues, these determined viewers nevertheless shudder each time the svelte Komolika deigns to smile.
With an ever-increasing number of non-Hindi speaking viewers, Ekta Kapoor and her ilk have begun to sneak around geographical boundaries.
In Nepal, Hindi serials are very closely followed not just by Indian expats (like it might be in the Gulf countries) or those who speak Hindi (like in Pakistan) but also by an overwhelming number of people who are not familiar with the language.
Most Nepalese have a smattering of the language because they regularly watch Hindi serials and movies.
Sabina Maharjan, for example, a young video production assistant in her early twenties, can’t speak Hindi in straight sentences. But she rues her late working hours in Kathmandu everyday, for she misses serials like Kasauti Zindagi Kay. But she’s been getting annoyed with the serial.
“Nowadays, the sight of that Prerna woman puts me off… it has dragged too long and such strange things keep happening.”
We ask her, what she finds so off-putting in the serial, and she says, “All sorts of things, you know. Who knows what’s on who’s mind. All these saas-bahu fights; they happen everywhere. Even in Nepalese society. They’re quite frequent. Someone having fun on the outside (of marriage)… it happens. So?” Kasauti… seems to be quite popular here.
But it is Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi that still rules the roost in Kathmandu. The long-suffering Tulsi especially needn’t fear for her fan following. Mention ‘that Tulsi serial’ and approval lights up Sabina’s eyes.
“Oh yes, it (Kyunki Saas Bhi…) is very nice. I watch it all the time. Tulsi… she is something! Katti sahansheel (so enduring)!”
Smriti Jaiswal, a university teacher in her mid-twenties, knows all the twists and turns in the serials though she doesn’t watch any.
“This popularity of Hindi soaps is quite interesting. For instance, in my home, my father watches along with my bhabhi and so does my five-year-old niece. I know the story of each character in Kasauti…, because bhabhi comes running to fill in the details.
''Even my dad gets so angry and involved with it. When a character he liked, like Bajaj, turns out to be a scoundrel, he talked as if the television wasn’t worth watching anymore!”
Her family is perfectly comfortable with the language though, because they belong to the Terai region, where the language is Maithili, which is almost like a dialect of Hindi. Pushpa Tuladhar, a middle-aged mother-of-two, is another fan of the Tulsi brigade. She hardly speaks Hindi but has picked up quite a bit from the serials.
“Saas-bahu… no no… kyun saas bahu thi… er, I mean, (giggling) that’s the one. It’s my favourite. I regularly watch Kkusum also though I don’t like it always. Kasauti sometimes… Tulsi is an extraordinary woman.”
When asked whether these serials are realistic, she nods. “The sort of situation they show in Kumkum — that’s a problem happening to someone in my friends’ circle.”
The slightly ‘different’ serials don’t have too much of a following. We ask Sabina whether she watches anything progressive or different. “I don’t understand. Different?”
For instance, Astitva — Ek Prem Kahani? “Oh. It’s got a slightly different approach, doesn’t it? But I don’t watch anything on Zee… I used to watch Kammal but even that… kya kya hota rehta hai (her eyebrows shoot up). I don’t like it anymore. I do watch Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chaand.”
Pushpa watches Dhadkan sometimes. “The hospital setting is interesting. The only Nepali serial I watch is Asl logne manche (rough translation — good husbands) where they even talk about birth control and such things.”
Garment shops meanwhile stock up on Kkusum salwar kameezes, Tulsi saris, Kumkum saris and Kasauti kurtas.
The mangalsutra and stylised sindoor (triangles and other shapes) has come into vogue, although the traditional Nepali married women wear Potey (strands of colored glass beads) and not a mangalsutra.
Pushpa also buys intricate tika (bindi) and ornaments like the ones in serials. “I notice them all, yes but I like Kumkum saris best.”
What about comedies? “Not much. But Khichdi is nice.” Smriti Jaiswal does watch Khichdi. “It’s so insane, but funny. They should make more fun serials like Khichdi, rather than just ripping off from the west.”
These serials do seem to have some sort of effect on the viewers’ lives. Pushpa’s daughter, Prateebha says, “Mom watches everything. At least two hours in the afternoon and maybe two more at night. She’s influenced to the extent she keeps wishing she had the sort of ma-in-law they show in serials, who treats a bahu better than a daughter and she says she will be a good saas like Ba.”
Nepali serials, on the other hand, aren’t getting their share of attention. Loonibha Tuladhar (19) has been acting in a Nepali serial called Hostel. “Only a small minority watches Nepali serials. Anyone who has cable will watch Hindi serials.”
Why is that? Loonibha answers very calmly, “Because we aren’t good enough. The main problem is money. You need to pay people for better production values.
''You need money for good scripts. We have talent but need training. We have technicians, camera people, actors — but we don’t have good training institutes. And the few serials we make locally, must be tuned to people’s tastes.”
Which is? “Family drama. Hindi serials have brainwashed everyone into that sort of attitude. Our society is anyway very traditional. They aren’t ready for something like Ally Mcbeal or Friends. So the newer Nepali serials like Vansh, are poor copies of Hindi soaps. the same luxurious homes, fancy clothes and big businesses…” And would Loonibha want to work in an Indian serial?
“For the experience, why not? If its a good banner like Ekta Kapoor…I don’t mind at all.” The most interesting aspect, though, is that some people are actually watching Hindi serials just to pick up the language. Including some foreigners. Stacey Van Sleet, for instance has been in Nepal for two months and is coming here for the second time.
“I watch Kausati Zindaii Gay (sic) and Kkusum. I don’t know any Hindi though I know some Nepali. I’ve been understanding more and more Hindi, through watching the shows. But mostly, I’ve got hooked on the stories! I watch them with some Tibetan friends, and they explain to me what’s going on, in Tibetan. It’s pretty easy to understand most of what’s going on just by watching.”
And she doesn’t think there’s a huge difference between east and west, when it comes to soaps.
“It’s interesting that Hindi and American soaps have very similar themes – love and betrayal, sickness and fate, greed and scheming. But little differences open up a window for me into Indian culture.
''Like in Kkusum, a sadhu predicted Abhay would die unless he married Kkusum… so she agreed! That would never happen in an American soap; people never talk about religion or miracles.”
Asked what else the soaps tell her about Indian culture, Stacey says,
“Family and prayer and even romance are very important, but the soaps are also sending the message that money is very important.” And are the women regressive? “I really like Kkusum. She’s always trying to do the right thing even though other people prey on her, because she’s so good and nice. She’s also smart, though — they don’t expect that!”
And did she notice the clothes? “In Kasauti, the women are all so elegant in their saris, I’m quite jealous. I’ve tried to wear a sari once or twice and did not find it so easy!”