Finite Series on Indian Television, a trend that should STAY

Daily soaps start promisingly but after some time they go down hill. They lose their charm, the characters change, the  story gets haywire and what not.The only solution to stick to the script is by making finite shows.

We had YRF shows like Rishta.com, Mahi Way, Khottey Sikkey, Seven,Powder with limited episodes, they were great in terms of content but weren’t accepted by the mass viewers.

Then came Ek Hasina Thi on Star Plus, this show was about 6 months long with a gripping story that had everyone intrigued to it.

But lately, the finite series trend has slowly picked up again. Starting with two shows on STAR PLUS itself called ‘Dahleez’ and ‘Tamanna’ and not to forget ‘Naagin’ on Colors TV which ended recently and made way for another finite series called ‘Kawach’.

Anil Kapoor’s 24 also had a successful run on Colors TV and is making it’s comeback with season 2 shortly.

All these shows got the stamp of approval from the mass audience and this is one delightful news.

There’s also one show called ‘Bhaage Re Mann’ on Zindagi. This one has adapted the season format and is now is telecasting it is the second season on the channel. In fact, the existence of Zindagi channel is because of these finite shows only, as it telecasts Pakistani dramas. Being an ardent viewer, I wouldn’t shy away from saying that Pakistani shows have an upper hand in terms of quality and acting.

This channel is the reason that the girls of our country couldn’t help but swoon over FAWAD KHAN. (yes, they’ll always get the credit for introducing this heartthrob to us)

Even the Bollywood actress Vidya Balan who made her acting debut with a TV show back in 1995,is hooked to ‘Zindagi’ shows and tweeted praises about their writing, production values,makeup and performances.

The finite nature of shows keep the producers and writers away from the TRP/Channel pressure and gives them the freedom of storytelling. Remember the time when Doordarshan offered us shows with limited episodes?  They were close to reality and are still remembered for their quality and not their quantity.

The audience has had enough of numerous generation leaps,unreasonable plot twists like the dead coming back, husband marrying twice or more. And for heaven’s sake can we please have one leading lady who does not have tragedies after tragedies occurring in her life?

The youngsters, in particular, have absolutely rejected the nonsense that is shoved down their throats in the name of entertainment.

You cannot blame the audience saying that this is what they want, the saddening truth is,this is all they have.

So, it’s high time Indian TV shows the shift from the infinite series of typical rona-dhona to tv shows that are refreshing, fun and real.They shouldn’t ignore the fact that the audience now has numerous viewing options and have already welcomed the ‘Web series’ option with open arms. There’s also Netflix for them now.



Written by Vipra Chadha
I don't know where I'm going but that's never stopped me before