Marital Twist

Lavish sets, opulent costumes, week-long celebrations, a star-studded guest list, elaborate sagaai, mehndi,sangeet and a suhaag raat thrown in for good measure. Welcome to the great Indian soap Wedding, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun-Style. Whether as a new serial's attempt to grap eyeballs,(Viraasat, Karam Apna Apna, Banoo Main Teri Dulhann), or a bid to boost TRPs of dragging sagas (India Calling, Pyaar Ke Do Naam-Ek Radha Ek Shyam), or a big-bang last bow.(Kkavyanjali)-weddings are brightening the soap scene.

“Weddings add value as they bring the entire cast together, which helps boost TRPs,”says Deepak Segal,vice-president (content)Star India.”Moreover, as an audience we love song and dance.”

And who would know better than Kavita Barjatya, the TV division head of Rajshri Productions, whose Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) added wedding to the list of Bollywood's hit formulas? Kavita too has used it to lift two of her primetime serials-Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki (Sahara One) and Pyaar Ke Do Naam…(Star Plus).”People love to come to a shaadi or see one,”she says. No wonder, in its 300 episodes so far, Who Rehne… has already had seven weddings.

And producers are not cutting corners. The cost of shooting a soap wedding can range anywhere between two to five times that of regular episodes, but the expense, they feel is justified as weddings “are also a wonderful opportunity to introduce new characters,” says producer Shrishti Arya. They make good plot diversions too. Arya, whose call centre-based soap India Calling, recently had an elaborate wedding, reasons,” we used Chandni's (the lead character) marriage as a trigger to shift the narrative's focus from the call centre to the family.”

So when the going gets boring, throw in a wedding. After all, in real Indian lives too,marriages are important milestones, lighting up mundane living with colour, drama and glitter.