Colours, a channel launched in July 2008 came as a whiff of fresh air as it telecast serials with hard-hitting story lines. The channel shot to fame quickly and its serials topped the charts. Serials like Balika Vadhu, Jai Shri Krishna and Bigg Boss soon became hot topics of discussion as they were entirely different from the usual Saas-Bahu serials.
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the channel ended the run of many Saas-Bahu serials and sent rival channel directors, producers and script writers on a wild scramble for new and fresh ideas. What’s more, Ekta Kapoor who shot to fame through her K serials has moved away from producing K serials today. Sensing that people have had enough of her K serials, she has started producing serials without the K tag. But that doesn’t seem to have helped her regain the prime position in the minds of television viewers.
This was the time when the Indian television was going through a silent transformation. Rival channels, however, didn’t take much time to get on their heels. They launched serials in keeping with the demands of the public.
Soon channels were flooded with interesting programmes such as Jhansi Ki Rani, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo and reality shows. It was boom time again and viewers were spoilt for choice.
Sadly, sob stories are making a comeback in serials. Script writers are again trying to churn out mundane scripts, which highlight a poor woman’s struggle against the odds. TRP ratings seem to demand stories about battered women. Wafer-thin scripts are determining the success of television programmes now.
It’s sad that the Renaissance in Indian television was short-lived. We may need many more new channel launches to knock the current players out of their slumber.
