The soap bubble has burst

Ekta Kapoor, she of the vermillion-tikka-on-forehead, and K-serials-business fame, is bound to be a sad woman today.

‘Cos no amount of ringing bells at various temples dotting the city, will stop the knell for one of her longest running soaps, which ran for…hold your breath…an astounding 8 years.

While you have the usual crowd of people do the elitist act, raising a hue and cry, rolling up their eyes dramatically, and holding their noses disdainfully high at the very mention of these saas-bahu (mother-in-law – daughter-in-law) sagas, it is also not unknown for these very same people to furtively fish-out the remote, fluff the cushions, sink into the couch and sit through yet another episode of the mind-numbing family drama.

So far so good.

There are pretenders everywhere in the world.

Now, with a clap of thunder, Rupert Murdoch’s Star TV has decided to pull off Balaji Telefilm’s prime-time show and replace it with some other series that will ensure that its falling TRPs fall no further.

Renowned lawyer, Ram Jethmalani, currently fighting the suit, counsels that Star undertaking such a measure is a dire breach of an agreement which established that the soap was to run till March next year.

Star is frankly weary with the allegations, and with one stroke which screams FINALITY, has decided to go ahead with the TRP-spinning-no-more soap, much to the palpable anger, tears, and cussing by the producers, director, and cast.


While some were sorely offended and saddened by the curtains call for the soap, saying that they finished their household chores to watch yet another addictive episode, quite a few openly expressed unrestrained delight and whoops of ecstasy.

Although the dramatic renditions of family values, truth and good triumph over all odds, and sacrifice appealed to many, there were loads (including me) who were put off by:

a) The Over The Top (OTT) accessories – bling mangalsutras and vermillion sindoor on full-display especially when the protagonist comes face to face with the perpetually-designer-attired, grey-eyed, stylish vamp
b) Bouts of amnesia (with thunder and lightning sounds playing not-so-subtly in the background)
c) The face close-ups from every angle when a character received news, often unbelievable or of the depressing category
d) Female characters who looked like prototypical Christmas trees, dressed in all their gaudy best, bedecked alike whether they were shown sleeping, at a funeral, or just awake and reaching out for the morning cuppa (Woo hoo – no bad hair days, no mussed makeup, no rumpled clothing, not even an eyelash out of place – Bravo)
e) Vamps who wore dangerously revealing blouses, and bindis that could only elicit an ‘Ohh my gosh’ from the viewer
f) All that money spent over yet another face restructuring surgery (and ohh on those cannot-done-without glycerine bottles)
g) Themes of resurrection, murders, flashbacks of memory returns, backstabbing, illegitimate children spawned by a degenerate generation, infidelity by both the genders – the works
h) Women playing roles double their age (sample this - a nubile 20 year old, playing dutiful mother to two teenagers)

Undoubtedly, the soap was hugely popular, bringing together women for discussing animatedly what the next episode would reveal. Such was its popularity that even movies are cashing on soap-obsessed homemakers, as was the case with a recent Bollywood flick, wherein the leading lady is a teletubby, her flat chest heaving emotionally at every episode of the much-loved soap.

The death of a male protagonist in Kyunki…even brought people to the streets, made headlines in a national daily, and forced Ekta Kapoor to tread the path of resurrecting her characters, bringing him back, albeit with a new face. Enchanting.

I bet she’s now wishing that much in the same way as in her soaps, she could resurrect the future of her favourite soap.

Which now looks like a distant dream, what with ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thhi’ airing its very last episode on November 10, 2008.

If I crane my neck, I can see that the corner store is full to the brim with women.

I bet they are stocking up on the tissue boxes....