Dear Zee Bangla,
TV serials, Movies, Music and Videos, Art and culture, all of these are regarded as a Nation's or a State's Soft Power. It highlights the inner core of the State or the Nation, in a way, highlighting its people. You, Zee Bangla, as a channel, have the power to aid to the nation building, or to take its viewers back to the prehistoric conservative mentality. Unfortunately, you are going for a free-fall to the conservative patriarchal mentality that we as women are having a hard time getting rid of, being spread through your channel. Soft Power has the potential of building a psychology around a particular State or Nation. Through the soft power you as a channel have chosen to show, with regards to the number of viewers you have, no wonder we are lacking with addressing women-centric issues as a State.
Following are some examples:-
1) Same template for all stories
2) None of the marriages are actually with consent of the female. All marriages are forceful or accidental, as if marriage is the ultimate solution to everything.
3) Terribly toxic patriarchy ridden dialogues.
3) Rimli: The male protagonist stops unwanted marriage of Rimli and then, to "save her", gets married to her. Proving point number 2. Plus she is addressed as "behaya gayinyan" which is highly disrespectful to the rural community.
4) Krishnakali's daughter: Trying very hard not to comment upon Krishnakali, who had the same fate anyway, her daughter was subjected to a forceful marriage and then her Mother actually supported it. So did her father eventually. It takes a different level of brutal thinking altogether to come up with such a storyline for such a forceful marriage anyway. Hence, point number 2.
5) Jamuna: The marriage had no consent. Underlying patriarchy in the entire serial even though it "tries" to not be one. Refer point 2.
6) Mithai: Same. Refer point 2. Very toxic husband. The serial actually tries to normalize a relationship between a forever angry arrogant husband who cant digest food without his daily dose disrespect and yelling at the wife and the wife being gullible and not taking a stand for herself.
7) Apu: Patriarchy is written boldly all over the serial, its so disturbing I cant even tell you. The female protagonist did everything in her power to actually make a difference and ran away from her marriage to give exams, help her father financially, only to get married again, and for what exactly? I hope you realize no amount of explanation is actually convincing enough for such a dumb storyline.
8) Priyam: Refer to point 2. Plus the lady calls the wife "a labour" which in real life disrespects anyone who wants to work for a living and the wife in general. Wow.
9) Pori: Probably the only serial which has consent involved.
Some toxic trends I would like to point out:
1) "Modern" clothed women are always villains. Sati Savitri type clothed women, apparently the "aadarsh bahu".
2) Most stories just cannot run with atleast 3-4 marriages of the same person, attempts atleast if not successful.
3) Toxic trend of the logno-bhroshta concept used as a bypass route for forceful marriages.
4) The police are shown in a bad light, which sets a bad precedence.
I could go on with many more, but I hope you get the drill.
Overall, I would like to say that with changing times, the storyline, the content and the idea behind the soft power of this state needs to change.In biology, species get extinct with lack of variation. That is why. mutations are required to sustain that species and all it to adapt to changing times. Same applies to life in general, as well as serials like yours. Anything, which disrespects women, is not sustainable. A feminization and sensitivity in addressing vital issues in the rightful way as a content is needed in a time like this.
When we say that a pen is mightier than the sword, it reminds us about Rabindranath Tagore, who is from the very same State, used the very same Soft Power to change a society, help this very society and the nation as a whole to fight for Independence. It is a matter of shame that this very soft power is being wrongfully used to go back to the same conservative mindset and patriarchy which we are trying so hard to come out of.
When we Bengalis proudly say, what Bengal Thinks, India thinks later, then its high time We Live Upto It.
A channel which has Didi Number 1 as a daily dose of motivation, look at the irony, in the content of the serials.
Change is the only constant.
Regards
A Frustrated citizen
Zee Bangla Club customer support has been notified about the posted complaint.
Jyoti was inferior to Bidipta ? Is Anuska a very matured singer ? Arkadeep is a good singer but he lacks the quality of Niharika.
Hopeless.