Gujarati flavour on primetime

One should thank the world of television for playing a pivotal role in multi-cultural exchange. Sipping coffee and watching television in an intrinsically decorated room somewhere in Bengal one gets to see how Gujju bhais play dandiya or Punjab ka puttars drink lassi and do bhangra. Makers of television shows have coined a formula wherein they stick to a particular culture and churn out one show after another. While Kasauti Zindagi Kay and Tere Liye revolved around Bengali families, shows like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin and recently launched Preeto have storylines with Punjabi backdrops. But the flavour of the season is certainly the air and aura of Gujju families. Pick up your remote and you will find one similarity that binds all channels. It is shows having a Gujarati background. Gujarat is said to be a big TRP zone as a lot of Gujaratis watch TV. Moreover there is an added advantage as neighbouring Rajasthan also finds a connect with Gujarati shows. The trend started with Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka followed by the marathon Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. And then came Baa Bahoo Aur Baby, Teen Bahuraniyan, Jasuben Jayantilal Joshi Ki Joint Family, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and Hamari Devrani. Today there are many shows like Mukti Bandhan, Krishnaben Khakhrawala, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Gulaal, Papad Pol, Rang Badalti Odhani, among others, that have religiously stuck to Gujarati women wearing colourful clothes and making theplas and dhoklas in their kitchens. It is reported that Star One will soon come up with three more shows revolving around Gujarati culture. Trade pundits say that shows with Gujarati backdrops are certainly climbing pretty high on the TRP ladder. So can it be said that shows with a Gujarati backdrop are doing better than the others? Not really. As most of the industrywallahs rightly say that it takes much more than a backdrop to make a show successful. A good show is all about content. But then most channels cash on to a trend, so for the moment Gujjus rule. Producer Asit Modi is also toying with the same Gujarati formula in three of his shows Hamari Saas Leela, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and Krishnaben Khakhrawala. “It is true that there are many shows having Gujarati backdrops, but there are also shows based on the cultures of UP and Bihar. One cannot really say that only Gujarati shows are doing well. But when it comes to Gujarati shows, they are liked by the masses because as a community Gujjus are lively, colourful, open-minded, God-fearing and adhere to religion and rituals. In shows even women characters participate a lot and the show basically deals with the joint-family system of India. From a producer’s point of view, TRPs are high with Gujarati-based shows as viewership is high in the Western part of India and these shows also reflect Indianness in its true sense,” says Asit. But there are actors who believe that it is innovation that matters rather than the backdrop of shows. Dilip Joshi who essays the role of Jethalal in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah feels, “I don’t really think that success of a show depends on its cultural backdrop. A show has to be well-scripted and well-directed in order to connect with the masses. I think the novelty factor is very important. Kyunki… had a Gujarati backdrop but the characters spoke in proper Hindi. The Gujju factor didn’t click but the originality of the show did. Similarly, Jassi’s success also didn’t depend on it having a Punjabi background. I think people somehow like to see Gujju families on screen but otherwise any show with a good script will work.” No one can contradict the fact that a good script is the soul of any successful show. But Apara Mehta who plays Leela in Hamari Saas Leela feels that it is all about the chilled-out kind of lifestyle that the Gujaratis live. “Gujaratis by nature are very happy-go-lucky kind of people who enjoy life to the fullest. They celebrate every festival with full pomp and glory and till date believe in the concept of joint family. Even though a particular show adheres to the Gujarati culture but the entire country can relate to its customs and values. And the trend is here to stay. Kyunki happened in 2000 and people are still willing to see Gujju families on screen.” Gujaratis as people are so affable that if they go on a vacation they create their own Gujarat in the destination. It is difficult not to love a community that keeps uttering with utmost humility kem cho (how are you?) and jamva chalo (come to eat). “I love watching these shows as they are so colourful and refreshing. The best part is their respect for tradition and values, especially the joint family system. Society is changing at a drastic pace and the new generation is completely moving away from its roots. These shows not only provide us with the necessary dose of entertainment but also help us understand the real spirit of India,” says Urvashi Tulsiyan, an ardent fan of Gujarati-based shows. Regional flavour in daily soaps has existed on Indian television for long, essentially to woo particular audiences and in the bargain win the war of ratings. The janta may think on diverse lines, but there is no point denying that currently Gujarati-based shows are TRP-trippers and with more similar shows in the pipeline it seems that the trend is here to stay atleast for quite sometime now.