The serial Parasparam came as a breath of fresh air among the usual unending tear-jerkers; the main attraction was the fearless and clever IPS Deepthi who took on criminals single-handedly and became a role model for many youngsters.
However, lately, the serial has lost steam and Deepthi’s intelligence took a beating and she even harboured two hardcore terrorists under her own roof. It was like the fangs of a fearsome lion had been pulled off.
The same audience who applauded Deepthi have started making snide remarks about her incapability and the lagging serial, which has been airing a kidnapping sequence for the past few weeks.
The person caught in the crossfire was Gayathri Arun, who portrays Deepthi. As her Facebook page was flooded every day with adverse comments from viewers, Gayathri chose to clear the air.
She says, “Even my family mentions about the lag, but it is wrong to blame an artiste or hold her responsible for her onscreen portrayal. We get positive and negative feedback on our social page but this time, comments went a bit overboard which is why I had to explain my stance. I asked the people who commented, to email the director or producer of the serial and air their dissatisfaction rather than pointing fingers at me. An artiste is right at the end of the chain and there are a lot of people in between involved in the story”
She mentions that letting the producer know would bring the desired changes rather than targeting her.
Gayathri also feels that the viewers are confusing serials and films and expecting a fast pace from serials. “The shoot of episodes may happen just a day before the telecast whereas a film’s work happens a year before and even then, flaws occur. The technical and professional support we get is limited and can never even be compared to films. With available resources and budget, I think we are doing a commendable job like the scenes of the IPS training camp which looked very real. Those who criticize do not think of all these factors,” she says.
“Mega serials have become a big business now and everyone knows about channel wars. Serials are huge revenue generators for channels who decide the number of episodes and serials are taken forward according to TRP ratings,” she adds.
Film offers have always been there but lack of time did not have her accepting any. “I am still getting offers. If something as strong as Deepthi comes my way, I will accept it,” she reveals.
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