Bengali Mega Serials Banking on Limited Subplots
RBN Web Desk: Bengali mega serials are no exception to their Hindi counterparts. While high voltage drama, fights between the wife and the mother-in-law, and multiple marriages are a tried and tested formula to rake in television rating points (TRPs), the audience sometimes gets bored with the largely similar content produced by most serials. Producers are now banking on limited subplots to get the audience attention back to their shows.
Two major Bengali mega serials Jamai Raja and Jai Kali Kalkattawali, among others, have included such limited subplots with success. These small stories run for a week or two at the most and centre around a new character. The actor or actress who plays the character is usually a popular face in the Bengali film industry, who is currently not part of any serial. In most of the serials the main protagonist helps these characters to resolve their domestic or other problems.
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Jamai Raja, which has Shreema Bhattacharjee and Arjun Chakrabarty in the lead, recently incorporated a story based on domestic violence. A character, Paramita (played by Manali Dey), was introduced in the popular serial. Paramita is abused by her in-laws for dowry. Depressed, she attempts suicide, but is rescued by Ishan (Arjun) who goes on to resolve her domestic issues.
Jai Kali Kalkattawali, which has national award winning actress Ananya Chatterjee in the lead, includes similar short stories. Mem Bou actress Prriyam Chakroborty recently played a small role in the serial.
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Earlier, Goyenda Ginni, which had another national award winning actress Indrani Haldar in the title role of a homemaker-detective, included many such plots. Indrani played Paroma Mitra who solved new cases every week. Goyenda Ginni was hugely popular with the audience.
Viewers, according to industry reports, find these subplots refreshing. It helps them alleviate the weariness of watching the typical boardroom-bedroom battles over and over again. That aside, introduction of a popular actress in a character for a limited time, helps in scoring high on the TRP charts.