Fatal attraction

Ishq kills, proclaims one show on television while Inteqam ka naam pyaar doongi declares another! Meanwhile, female protagonists of two different shows are gearing up for revenge on their deceptive husbands, leading to some chills and thrills. Then there's a revenge drama Paanch, in which the girl is falling in love with the antagonist, the guy responsible for her sister's death! The promos of the upcoming edgy drama Ek Hasina Thi shows that as far as the girl has a hidden agenda against her lover.

While crime and crime-based shows have always lured the viewers - CID and Crime Patrol being prime examples - currently they are leaning towards crimes of passion. Whether it's Ishq Kills, Bani - Ishq Da Kalma, Main Na Bhoolungi or the upcoming Ek Hasina Thi, love and betrayal are at the bottom of the crime. In fact, even in the reality based shows Crime Patrol and Savdhaan India more often than not it's a love triangle, extra-marital affair or spurned love that leads to murder. The last episode of Halla Bol dealt with a case that had the husband throwing acid on his wife because she wanted to leave him!

Crime and passion
Says Yash Patnaik, co-producer of Main Na Bhoolungi, "TV is dominated by frothy and domestic romance. A thriller against the backdrop of crime of passion makes a story edgy. It shows a different side of lovers. Besides, it gives a lot of promo value." In fact, his earlier serial Junoon - Nafrat Aisi Toh Kaisa Ishq hovered on the fringes of passion-led-crime and later settled to being an edgy drama. Sudhir Sharma, producer of Paanch says that it's also a reflection of society. "We take a lot of references from real life. A love story could be positive but we are also showing the cons of gettting into a relationship and try to warn people that this can happen."

Nikhil Madhok, SVP Marketing and Programming Strategy, Star Plus was looking at exploring the crime genre, but since, there are already established crime shows on air they we decided to do a show about the dark side of love. "We wanted to do a crime show linked to love. It also gives a differentiated content," he adds. In fact, even a social drama like Bani - Ishq Da Kalma about a girl being abandoned by her NRI husband has now turned into a revenge drama. "I don't think it's sudden. Earlier too, there were serials like Kaahin Kissi Roz and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii which had thriller tracks. A daily soap constantly needs new twists. Also, we showed Bani trying to get back to her husband in several ways but he always thwarted her, so now we needed her to stand up and fight back smartly," says Damini Shetty, who is producing the show.

Khoon Bhari Maang revisited
Currently, two serials Bani Ishq Da Kalma and Main Na Bhoolungi Bani have their genesis in the Rekha-Kabir Bedi starrer Khoon Bhari Maang (KBM). In Bani, the heroine who was thrown into a river and left helpless to die by her husband Parmeet, is back in a modern look to torment him. In MNB, the ordinary looking Shikha, who was pushed from a cliff by her husband Sameer, is back in a glam avatar to take vengeance. The upcoming Ek Haseena Thi also gives a nod to the blockbuster film. Says Patnaik, "Khoon Bhari Maang is a landmark film but there is a stark difference between the motive behind the crime in my serial and KBM. And, it's the motive that changes the story and the graphing."

Reality check
While channels are playing out the ugly side of love in a bid to be different, the response so far has been tepid. Avers Nikhil, "With this show, we are targetting the youth and the urban India. The response from that segment is heartening, but yes the overall ratings are just okay." Yash also concedes that these kind of shows cater to a certain kind of audience, which follows it loyally. "It's a programming innovation. In the past a show like Saubhagyavati Bhava got a fabulous response. Most of the Bhatt films are about crime of passion. I am getting a good response on social networking sites and from places like New Zealand." However, Sudhir says that Paanch, aired on a youth channel is one of the top-rated shows. He points out that youth is looking beyond mushy bubblegum romance. "Even the new wave of films like Ishaqzaade are edgy. Featuring weird characters from the society makes for interesting viewing and at the same time creates awareness," he elaborates.

With the advent of more such shows like Rangrasiya, and Gunahon Ka Devta 2 the small-screen is getting edgy and experimental. Love it seems is no longer about roses, but revenge!