Star Jalsha — Content of the serial kothha

I am not really a fan of Bengali serials, but recently, I have been watching a serial called "Kotha." It is disheartening to see what is being shown on television these days.

First of all, it depicted a girl being forced into marriage, even after she clearly expressed that she was not ready and wanted to establish herself first. Her family ignored her decision and forced her to marry someone else, showing no respect for her autonomy. She is an adult with her own opinions and choices.

The story goes on to show that she had an affair with another person and ran away with him on her wedding day, only to find out that he was a cheater. When she returned, no one wanted her or listened to her, just like before. Her words and emotions were rendered useless and neglected.

Her mother was portrayed as self-centered, only concerned about what she would do if her daughter was not married. Is marriage really the only thing that defines a woman's worth? Are we Bengalis regressing as a society by producing such serials where a girl is deemed useless if she is 'logno bhrosta' (a term referring to a woman who has broken her engagement)?

It was distressing to see the desperation to marry her off to anyone after the so-called groom, who himself had an affair with another woman, refused to continue the marriage. No one considered how she would live or what her opinion was. It was her life, and yet they were tossing her around from one man to another.

As a woman, I felt disgusted by this type of narrative. In this progressive world, women are still portrayed as being worth nothing more than getting married and producing children. It also seems like a favorite theme to show women making wrong decisions or being incapable of making decisions for themselves.

I request that whoever is writing these scripts keep in mind that they will directly or indirectly affect our society. People will believe what they continuously see. So please, pay attention to this matter and create better scripts. No one wants to see a woman being vulnerable.

Forced marriages can never make someone happy. Please don't ruin people's mentality with such regressive content.