Dramas telecast on television function as virtual platforms for conveying strong messages regarding the betterment of the world. They tackle human behaviour and emotions, enhance crucial aspects of society, help retain interaction with rest of the world and sometimes bestow us with a journey to both the golden and olden histories of the time. Dramas emerge as a form of entertainment, and accordingly, Indian soap operas are also a means of entertainment. Soap operas are serial dramas about many characters and local contexts of the time, which in the past, were usually sponsored by soap or detergent manufacturers. Now-a-days other types of companies--staring from fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) to real estate--- also sponsor them.
Indian soap operas can be seen in South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. A significant proportion of the population indulges in the contents and enjoys accepting the dramas as their leisure activity.
But due to the increasing telecast of Indian soap operas, the customs and rituals of different Indian states are penetrating every residence of our society and provoking people to adopt their conventions, including their dress sense and language. And while Bangladesh is a populous Muslim country, the majority of the Muslims are inspired to espouse the patterns of Hinduism. In this way, Indian plays are leaving no room for our traditions and religious practices, leading our country to a carbon copy of India.
Indian television serial is a melting pot of kaleidoscopic criminal activities, one of the most preeminent matters being eve-teasing. The serials frequently demonstrate eve-teasing as something enjoyable and romantic. Eve-teasing has already become a significant issue in our country. And since Indian dramas signify the dominance of male figures, the husbands of Bangladesh demand similar position from their wives, resulting in deterioration of the progress of 'women's rights'. There has not been any study on how much it exactly contributes to these problems, but certainly, some credit can be given to the Indian soap operas.
Besides, 'love' is a hackneyed concept in these serials, which depicts the fact that everyone is allowed to fall in love in any stage of their life; that removing impediments in the way of love is always a heroic act. This notion leads to rebellion against parents as well as many pre-marital and numerous extra-marital relationships in Bangladesh.
The subject matter of the Indian soap operas also nurtures the conflicting relationship between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws, setting a mindset in the female teenagers that mother-in-laws are nothing but their rivals. They display several conspiracy theories, killing and abducting techniques and severe sexual exploitations which are making our people overly suspicious and converting their minds into something as narrow as an alley.
People get outrageously attached to these dramas and they often aovid spending time with their family members, leading to dreadful cracks between relationships. Parents constantly become detached from their children and the twists and turns of the dramas absurdly replace the love between a husband and wife.
Education of children is also getting hampered as they spend hour after hour in front of the television. Also, children rapidly absorb the contents of the storyline, imposing them in reality and setting a negative impression towards the world in their minds. Their mindset becomes circumscribed within the limited world of drama at an age particularly required for broadening and developing of minds.
To tackle the effects of Indian soap operas, Bangladesh needs better entertainment sources. The quality of Bangladeshi dramas must be enhanced. Furthermore, a committee can be assigned for identifying the Indian shows that are unsuitable for the culture of Bangladesh and eventually ban them from telecasting in Bangladesh.
Viewers also have a role to play. Viewers need to realise that Indian culture and Bangladeshi culture are primarily different, with some similarities. Viewers should not let these influence their lifestyle or thought process according to that and spread awareness against dysfunctional stories presented in various soap operas. Collectively, awareness against the drawbacks of Indian dramas must be raised. If appropriate preventions are not adopted, Bangladesh will soon be recognised as a derivation of India, and our intellectual independence will gradually fade away to the soap operas of our neighbouring country.
The writer is currently studying BBA at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka. She can be reached at shanjida7f@gmail.com