Abstract
Some call them guilty pleasures. Others deride them as being meaningless, regressive fluff. But for Shoma Munshi, soap operas—viewed daily by one-third of India’s one billion inhabitants—are much more than candy for the masses and worthy subjects of academic inquiry in more ways than one. Munshi has built an interesting treatise on soap operas in India, arguing that not only do their themes reflect cultural values and motifs of Indian society, but daily television’s engagement with a rapidly increasing audience also is, in itself, a sociological phenomenon of interest. The argument is brave, given that academics and media enthusiasts alike have often endorsed Richard Kilborn’s (1992) views in Television Soaps where he referred to daily television serials as ‘chewing gum for the eyes’.
Munshi, however, believes that storylines aside, soap operas are important items of consumption in modern Indian society. Their lavish sets, costumes and theatricality are not just easy on the eye; they are also significant purveyors of changing attitudes and cultural norms. In the course of her research, Munshi has found evidence that Indian soaps do not just reflect popular culture—they are capable of directing it. To illustrate this interesting and important argument, she cites the treatment given to the North Indian festival of Karva Chauth in all daily soaps. Primarily a North Indian festival, Karva Chauth has assumed a pan-Indian significance ever since it has been glamourised by soaps. As a premise, this is interesting, for it considers soap operas not just as mute echoes of society and culture, but as vibrant and strong vehicles capable of directing societal norms and behaviour.
This continuous dialogue between soap operas and their audiences is made possible, Munshi avers, because television production houses and soap opera writers continually engage with their audience and keep track of evolving cultural trends. At times, they even modify the themes and episodes in keeping with the feedback they receive. This malleability of storyline is the key to the soap’s longevity. The author analyses the storylines of several popular Indian soaps, as well as the social, economic and cultural contexts in which they were produced. In her analysis, India’s rising middle class, and the consequent surge in consumerism, has defined most Indian soaps. It is, she argues, in response to audience needs that producers of Indian soaps lavish so much time, money and energy on creating opulent sets, costumes and jewellery. Also, Munshi makes the rather obvious point that since Indian soaps are usually targeted at the entire family, they often depict social events like festivals with due pomp and splendour. In a later chapter entitled ‘Milieu of Production’, the author profiles all the major Indian production houses, with the evident aim of understanding and explaining to readers how they function and what motivates them to produce soap operas.
While the arguments put forth in the book are interesting, the writing style is a tad too journalistic for an academic publication. The author also clearly has a deep admiration for a few of the Indian TV production houses, which makes some chapters slightly better suited for a film magazine. For example, in her chapter mentioned earlier, the author’s evident admiration for Balaji Telefilms seems to completely overshadow the analysis. For example, Munshi mentions that the production house has been known to use astrologers whilst auditioning prospective actors, but offers no analysis of the same! She quotes many TV producers and actors in the course of the book, which again makes the book read partially like a magazine article. And finally, while Munshi makes a convincing case for Indian soaps playing a unique role in strengthening family bonds and maintaining traditions, she is curiously silent about what impact the consumption of their oft-regressive story lines could have on Indian society and culture.
That said, the book, in spite of its frequent discursions into soap narratives and the complicated minds of TV producers, is a good read for all those interested in popular culture. In the chapter ‘Themes and Issues’, the author bemoans the fact that thanks to the paucity of academic research on television soap operas, there has hardly been any informed debate on them. To that end, this book is a significant step towards promoting research and discussion on this interesting and ever-changing genre.