Goodbye saas-bahu drama; both audiences and makers are now ready for subjects which are closer to realityChanging for the better

From subtle comedy to women empowerment to real-life stories, this year saw a refreshing trend in TV soaps. Popular stars talk about this change and shows, which ruled the small screens in 2021. Here’s what they have to share:

Revolutionary trend

Harshali Zine

Earlier, actors were divided under two categories – TV actors and film stars. But after the boom of OTT, the boundary which divided artistes is disappearing slowly and gradually. The change and trend that unite talent is revolutionary. I love it. This trend is at its peak in 2021 and I don’t think it’s going to fade out any time soon.

Legal action

Saanand Verma

The trend that I have observed in 2021 is that we are doing a lot of legal dramas. This year courtroom dramas like Illegal, Your Honour, Verdict and others did wonders. I have also done a legal drama called Guilty Minds, which will be aired soon. Another trend is that there are many newcomers who are seen on screen these days. Established actors combined with some freshers and there is a fine product in the offering.

Year of sequels

Vaishalee Thakkar

Television shows are no longer about a typical Indian bahu or a saas, but about career-oriented strong women. The social structure is also changing and we see the protagonist also doing the same. The year 2021 also brought along second seasons of many popular shows, be it Sathiya, Balika Vadhu, Thapki, Pratigya, Bade Acche Lagte Hai or Sasural Genda Phool.

Reflection of society

Nishant Malkhani

The trend that I have noticed this year is that the subjects are a true reflection of society. Shows like Anupamaa and Rakshabandhan are not just highlighting love stories, but are talking about women empowerment. The other trend is that everyone is enjoying subtle comedies like Tarak Mehta. People are looking to television for some kind of relief and entertainment, not stressful stuff.

Getting bold & real

Joyita Chatterjee

I feel being bold and real is the new trend. With the era of OTT and digitalization, I feel the content these days are raw, real and bold. Actors are also not shying away from bold content. In fact, I also have done partially bold scenes in Class of 2020. As an actor you have to perform what the script demands.

Open to change

Delnaaz Irani

One important change is that earlier protagonists used to be in the bracket of 20s. Today, we have a phase where we have strong women. We are loving the zone where we don’t want much drama on TV, because people in real life have seen enough drama in the past two years. The makers are trying to do different things and it’s lovely to see how people are accepting it.