Nothing beyond the formula

The one thing that most TV shows have in common — even if they are thrillers, historical period dramas or usual saas-bahu stuff — is the plot line.
Almost every story can be divided into three or four predictable “twists”. Drama normally begins with the lead pair or at least one of them immensely disliking the other — Jodha Akbar, Kumkum Bhagya, Tumhari Pakhi, Beintehaa etc. — and about a year later they fall in love and stay together till events force them apart.

Now comes a leap, which can range between a year to 20 after which the couple get back and hopefully the show ends. And if the makers want to stretch the show further, then lookalikes are brought in.

In Beintehaa, the male lead now has an evil doppelganger called Rocket. In Qabool Hai, the female lead Sanam has a long-lost twin. In Tumhaari Pakhi too, Iqbal Khan, who played the lead Anshuman, was confronted with his evil lookalike Aryaman.

And like Ekta Kapoor, if the producer gets emotionally attached to the show like she did with Pavitra Rishta that just ended, second and third generations of the family are introduced to keep dragging the soap forward.

These storylines are so predictable that there is no surprise element left, yet they continue to enjoy a loyal fan following. Why is that? What makes these repetitive plots addictive and why don’t the makers push themselves to come up with new formulae?

Sharad Malhotra, the grown-up lead actor in Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap, which has just taken a leap, says this “predictable” story structure is a safe and great way to take the story forward. “Viewers love this plot line where the lead pair falls in love after initially detesting each other. The chemistry shown between them, once the dislike evaporates, is really appreciated by the audience. Besides, the charm of the story is lost if the couple is shown in love from the beginning.”

Sharad also believes this whole suspense of when the couple will finally fall in love keeps everyone glued to their TVs. Fans of his show are eager to see when he will get back with his on-screen wife Ajabde.

Mohit Hussein, who directs the popular show Veera agrees with Sharad. “Without conflict, there can be no drama. I have been directing shows for the past 15 years, and the one thing that I have understood is that the audience likes to support the protagonist only if they have problems which need to be addressed.”
Viewers love to root for and find a connect with reel life couples facing life’s many challenges like real people do.

Talking about his own show Veera, Mohit says, “It is easy to take the show forward when everything is not hunky-dory.” When the show started, the main leads were two sets of siblings who couldn’t stand each other. But now they are all grown up and in love with their former foes, though being with each other is anything but easy.

While the storyline may be similar in all shows, it has to be presented in a convincing manner for it to work says Mohit. He also adds that shows are constantly trying to tell different tales and add socially relevant messages too. For example, Balika Vadhu has storylines dealing with issues like women’s empowerment, ban on child marriages, widow re-marriages etc.

Preetika Rao, who plays Aaliya in Beintehaa also agrees that some repetitive plots have their charms, but points out that every show does have something different and new. Talking about her show, she says, “In Beintehaa the crux of our story is based on Muslim laws of marriage. The show deals with the concept of Halala Nikaah, where a wife can only re-marry her first husband after she marries and divorces another man.”

This whole dislike-at-first-sight drama is an old-school concept that was used in many old hit Hindi films too, says Preetika.
Varun Badola, the new male lead in Tumhari Pakhi laughingly says that while everyone tries his/her best to introduce fresh tracks and twists, “Creatives without hesitating, kisi ek show se ek track utha kar daal dete hai”.

But you can’t blame them because the audience accepts this time and again, says Varun. “Hence the tried and tested formulas are taken into consideration.” He is happy to play along, but Varun does hope that creatives give fresh and unique ideas a chance on the small screen.