SERIALS CLAIMING OF BEING GENDER ISSUE BASED

These days some channels are claiming to telecast soaps on television that are based on gender issues or they have a high social conscience. What I find in these serials is that such claims are worthless as in these serials only a woman is held responsible for women’s exploitation. That is a woman is projected as a victim of severe exploitation but the exploiter is also none other than a woman. Such serials show us nothing but the same stereotypical ideology favoring patriarchy. Be it the ammaji of na aana is des laado, nani maa of uttaran, dadi saa of balika vadhu and the list goes on. The interesting fact here is that male characters are projected with better sensibility and positive character. Either they were perfect from the beginning or if they were not, they have changed themselves with time. They don’t have a say as such and are ruled by either their wife or their mother. Women are always seen ready with makeup, and heavy jewelry, involved with household duties and busy gossiping or making conspiracies. Is this the truth? Isn’t it another way to support the existing patriarchy? Or is this the way of raising social issues? I feel this is nothing but another way to sustain a good TRP as none of the channels can take the risk of projecting the real world and system with dominant patriarchal and fundamentalist values. This is nothing but taking the step forward with the typical saas bahu drama tradition of Ekta Kapoor in a different package.