TV opens up to remarriage

That the small-screen saas bahus are no longer engaged only in kitchen politics is not new. Neither is the fact that the channels are featuring mature romances a la Bade Acche Lagte Hain. But what is interesting is the concept of remarriage taking centre stage in several serials.

To start with, Zee TV’s Punarvivaah, as the name suggests, is about a single mother and a widower with two children giving marriage a second chance. Then there is Sony’s just-launched, intriguingly-titled Byaah Hamari Bahu Ka and Color’s Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha, which has a widowed mother of two finding love with a commitment-phobic bachelor.

In fact, when Zee launched Punarvivaah, as part of its marketing initiative, it stoked a national debate on the issue of remarriage for divorcees and widows. Says Sukesh Motwani, fiction head, Zee, “We have tackled remarriage earlier in Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli,  but yes, now we have brought the concept to the forefront with kids in the picture. It is as much about the couple trying to adjust to each other as much as it is about the two sets of kids coming to terms with a new mother/father and siblings.”

As for Na Bole Tum... which has a bachelor attracted to a widow with two kids, producer Sudhir Sharma says, “It is basically a love story told in a sensitive, mature way. We have progressed and remarriages are a common thing, which is why audiences find the story relatable.” JD Majethia, who is producing Byaah Hamari Bahu Ka, refuses to divulge the story. All he’s willing to let on is that the mother-in-law, though completely traditional in her outlook, takes a progressive call when the time comes. “It is a contemporary story that will connect with the family and the youth,” he maintains.

Apart from these serials, there’s Balika Vadhu that has taken a 360-degree turn. Starting with the issue of child marriage, the serial, which recently completed 1,000 episodes, had a major twist with the main protagonist Anandi procuring a divorce. And now, the ground for a remarriage is already being laid. As Prashant Bhatt, programming head fiction, Colors says, “Re-marriage is still considered a taboo in our society and it needs to be addressed through the right mechanism. With the track of Anandi’s remarriage in Balika Vadhu, our attempt is to project a brave stance to life with a second chance. We hope this move triggers a positive change in conservative sections of society and brings in acceptance of remarriage.”