I don’t watch much TV but on the one odd occasions that I happen to flick through channels, there is one song of an Indian serial that keeps catching my attention over & over. The Serial appears on one of the leading channels of India, StarPlus and name of the serial is Bidaai and title song is “Betiyan toh hoti hai paraai…. Bidaai” which means Daughters are strangers!! I fume every time I hear this.
In India where the masses watch Televsion and channels such as Zee , StarPlus, are among the top favorites, I find these kind of title songs & messages derogatory. This kind of content is in no way forward looking nor does it seek to empower women, which is the latest Hot Topic in India.
Many of these TV channels, Bollywood, serials depict and glorify domestic violence, stereotype women and in no way are ready to change their content. Viewers who care do not raise their voice but shut off their TV set or switch channels. And for those who don’t care, it becomes a family highlight evening after evening.
How will our society ever progress? Is our country really ready to Empower Women? Can We ??
I found this article in the Hindu very interesting. It raises some valid questions.
Hi Lalita.
I was just about to post the Hindu Sunday magazine link…but you have put it there. I shocked to read that somehow…such regressive and terribly demeaning serials actually help women to feel better about themselves. So….are we the educated, the only ones to feel they are causing damage?
Like you, we never watch any serials…leave alone Hindi ones. The serials are trash in every language and every channel. No matter what studies say….I for one and my family too cannot bear the sight of these trashy serials and when we watch TV now…its usually only the news channels…well…thereby…hangs another tale too. *Sigh*. In fact wondering whether to get rid of the cable connection altogether.
Do keep writing!
Thank you. But till we raise out voice and let the media know the trash they are spreading, they will keep hitting us with this trash.
I think the Indian Media has to stop using the image of women as crying machines or people who are taken for granted or brainless things that will marry anyone that their parents show them has to stop . That really is not what my mother/sister/wife/daughter are about . They are full fledged / free and totally valuable people who CANNOT be replaced by anyone else . They define me and to me they are as Godly as any God . The media needs a few more empowered women running the show and stupid bimbos like Ekta kapoor should be whipped in public !
If there is anything I can do about it , I would love to
Thank you for your positive & inspiring thoughts. Please spread the word through ur blog & Twitter how bad media can cause harm than good. We need to raise our voice & one of the ways to do it is through social media.