The Two Most Toxic
Pseudo-Moral Features in Indian “Family Soaps” and Serials
Although I have decided to stop writing on history and politics, it was always my dream since childhood to be a columnist in a newspaper or journal – a whimsical columnist who wrote short pieces on anything and everything that took his fancy. There were many such columnists in the newspapers, magazines and journals of the past. That dream was never fulfilled, but actually my blogspot is a readymade journal where I can occasionally indulge in the luxury of airing my views on various subjects which may or may not be of importance, but which I feel like writing on. Obviously, I have no intentions of discussing any article afterwards, or replying to critical comments.
Right now, I recently fell back on occasionally sitting in front of the cable TV on some evenings (when I had nothing else to do) where some Marathi “family soap” serial or the other (watched by the ladies in the house) was in progress and idly watching the show. But I soon realized (or remembered) why I had stopped watching these (Marathi or Hindi) “soaps” or serials in the first place many years ago. Without in any way getting involved in the usually silly stories, I always get irrepressibly carried away with irritation when I see extremely stupid things taking place − or rather, when I see maniacally stupid behavior being glorified on a grand scale as the height of virtuous behavior − and I start wondering: are all human beings so stupid, or is it only Indians/Hindus who are particularly stupid in such matters?
This article is only to relieve the “writer’s itch” in my fingers. After partially watching one or two Marathi serials for a few weeks, I have decided to stop, because it looks as if Indian serials will never improve in such matters, and it is best for my peace of mind that I stop torturing myself by watching them. What goes for Hindi and Marathi “family soaps” probably goes for “family soaps” in all Indian languages. In fact I have already written an article pointing out how Hindu Puranic/Epic stories are the root of the defeatist or self-destructive/suicidal tendencies in Hindu society vis-à-vis its enemies or ill-wishers:
https://talageri.blogspot.com/2021/10/karna-and-yudhisthira-in-mahabharata.html
I have no wish to debate or discuss the above article again. I have already earned plenty of abuse from self-appointed defenders of Hinduism when I first uploaded the article, and, in a sense, its follow-up article:
https://talageri.blogspot.com/2021/12/apologetics-in-guise-of-hindu-response.html
This present article is not, however, about Hindu traditions as such. It is about the two most disgusting examples in Indian serials (of the “family soap” type) of blatant and destructive vices being presented as virtues, as a result of which the “bad people” in the serials have a happy time (most of the time) and the “good people” continuously endure massive suffering, and the stories become more and more complicated, problem-ridden and unending:
1. The first and most disgusting thing about every Indian “family soap” is that, in a country whose motto is supposed to be “satyameva jayate”, every soap seems to have a fervent mission of propagating that Lying, Hiding things, and actively preventing others from seeing or uncovering the truth (or knowing the truth on any matter) is the highest and most saintly virtue in the world. I will not bother to elaborate: anyone can see any “family soap” and see how the “good people” are constantly lying to other “good people” on any and every conceivable topic and keeping them in the dark, leading to endless problems and troubles for the “good people” all to the benefit of the “bad people” (who, of course, always seem to know or find out the truth!). If these serials are to be believed: there is no virtue higher than telling lies (and all kinds of dubious excuses are given to show why indeed the “good people” are doing all this: e.g. so that other “good people” do not feel hurt or disillusioned!).
2. The second big mystery in all these “soaps” is the power of the Oath. In the Puranic stories, when people take oaths, it is usually to proclaim their own resolve to do something, or to never do something (remember Bhīṣma’s “pratijñā”); or sometimes their actions (wise or foolish) involve fulfilling a “pratijñā” or promise given by a loved one (Rāma fulfilling his father’s promise to Kaikeyī).
But Indian serials have introduced a new kind of Oath into the Indian/Hindu psyche: an Oath which is thrust by an ill-wisher (or another “good person”) upon a “good person”. Thus, it is not the familiar “Main kasam khātā/khātī hūn…” (or in Marathi, “Mī śapath gheto/ghete…”)” “I swear/I take an oath…”. The idea of people taking oaths has become passé in modern India. Now it is their ill-wishers and enemies (or other “good people” acting in support of or in the interests of other “good people” or even other “good people” acting in support of or in the interests of “bad people”) who thrust oaths on “good people” to make them do or not do something. Now it is not just a loved one saying “Tumhe meri kasam…” or “Tula mājhī śapath…”, i.e. “I put an oath on you in my name…” (which is silly enough), but a totally third party saying “Tumhe tumhārī mā kī kasam…” or “Tumhe XYZ kī kasam…” (in Marathi, “tulā tujhyā āīcī śapath…” or “tulā XYZ-cī śapath…”): how do I even translate it: “I put an oath on you in the name of your mother…” or “I put an oath on you in the name of XYZ…”?
I seriously wonder: is this kind of oath a part of any Indian tradition: does it have any precedent in our texts? Even Kuntī in the Mahābhārata telling her five sons to “share the prize equally” ( the “prize” actually being Draupadī), stupid and idiotic though it is that her words should be binding on them, does not come in exactly the same category, since there is no mala fide intention on her side, nor any intention to “shield” or “protect” anyone. I will be grateful to anyone pointing out such “oaths” in Indian traditional stories.
Can one put “oaths” on other people, as our serials seem to suggest? At this rate any Hindu billionaire will have to hand out one crore rupees to every hoodlum who approaches him and says “I put an oath on you in the name of your son that you give me one crore rupees”! Will, by any logic, anyone accept that, if he doesn’t give the one crore rupees, something will happen to his son, or at least it will prove that he does not care for his son, or even that he will in any way be morally or ethically guilty of breaking an oath or a promise?
Yes, these two disgusting features (treating lying as the very topmost of saintly virtues, and making oaths and promises into a weapon against brainless “good people”, vital to every Indian “family soap”, have managed to again put me off from wasting my time and insulting my sanity watching such serials. For me, outright crime/detective, comedy, horror, fantasy, etc. serials any day compared to this sick “family/social/domestic” muck.
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