Women’s Day: Has portrayal of women evolved on TV?
RUPALI GANGULY
The portrayal of women has changed on Indian television. My show Anupamaa is the greatest example of that. It not only showcases women’s empowerment, but also women uplifting one another. There are shows that showcase women going out there to make the most of their strengths. Smriti Irani (actor) in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Neena Gupta (actor) in Saans, Shefali Shah
(actor) in Hasratein and Renuka Shahane
(actor) in Sailaab, were impactful characters.
I think creators are doing their bit to showcase women in different light in serials.
NARAYANI SHASTRI
I don’t think anything has changed on TV. It’s all the same in every serial. Sure, there are some shows where women seem empowered, but in a different way. They are just a little more modern. The reason for the not-so-significant change is the target audience that’s largely women who are homemakers. They enjoy romantic plots and family dramas. Earlier, in family dramas, kitchen politics would be high. The bahu would have a solution for everything. Now, she is an office-goer or a wrestler or singer, but she is doing the same thing.
ADAA KHANN
While there has been progress, there are many shows that still stick to regressive concepts. There are shows with the bahu being a sorry figure, enduring the atyachaar. And then there are others where women fight back and stand up for themselves. Of late, there have been a lot of confident female characters on TV too. For instance, Maryada... Lekin Kab Tak? was about a bahu standing up against her father-in-law’s injustice. Unlike earlier, there are a lot of confident characters being depicted on screen these days.
AISHWARYA SAKHUJA
Portrayal of women on Indian TV has been a mixed bag. Characters are either black or white. So, if there’s a lead, then she can do no wrong and vice-versa. Yes, there has been evolution and growth. In the past, shows like Shanti and Saans spoke about issues that are relevant even today. In fact, in my show, Saas Bina Sasural, the saas wasn’t shown as a conniving woman and nor did it revolve around kitchen politics. It was a trendsetter back then.
TINA DATTA
The industry is taking steps towards improving the portrayal of women on screen. What needs to also change is the audience’s perspective and their desire to see women on screen differently. It’s only then that women’s positioning on screen will get better. From the ’90s, 2000s to today, the roles of women on TV have definitely taken a positive turn. Even if women characters are placed in love stories, there is still a lot of individuality to them. Having said that, not all serials show women progressively.