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Exploring Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah's shift in comedy: A disappointed fan’s OPINION
As a hardcore Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fan since childhood, it upsets me to see the show's mediocre storyline struggles to meet audiences' expectations. Read my opinion to know why I think it's happening!
A Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fan is disappointed!
I remember binge-watching Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah during my teenage years while having my daily meals. Since its 2008 debut, the sitcom amassed a massive loyal fan base who would never miss a single episode of the show. With a talented star cast portraying memorable characters, the show initially won hearts with its storyline. But how did the Asit Kumar Modi-produced show lose its charm despite its massive viewership?
On July 28, 2024, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah will clock 16 years! Yes, the show has been the longest-running sitcom on Television. Despite this unbelievable milestone, there has hardly been any shift in the storyline and character development. Apart from the fancy Gokuldham society's structure, there are still many empty blanks.
While it once brought smiles to millions, the show gradually disappointed many viewers over time.
As a loyal fan, I can't help but ponder upon the thought of why Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah doesn't resonate with the audiences anymore. I remember enjoying Jethalal's witty quips like "A nonsense," "Dobi," and "Saatvi fail," but as I matured, I realized that these terms struck me as more offensive than amusing. Over time, it became evident how the show, once a source of entertainment, merely perpetuated sexist stereotypes under the pretext of humor.
In its initial 1000-1500 episodes, the show adeptly showed societal issues but never lacked entertainment, relatable scenes, and uproarious moments. However, over the years, it lost its core essence as a sitcom, which caused the attention of the audience to drift. Here are some of the factors I think have probably contributed to the fading away of the audience’s interest:
Disappointing audiences:
An unrealistic depiction of Daya and her mother, initially loved by the fans, is now receiving criticism. Initially celebrated for their heartfelt phone conversations, the intriguing mystery of "Who is Daya's mother?" has now come under scrutiny. Fans would enjoy Daya's mom's predictions and were curious from the start to see her face.
Despite several instances where Daya attempted to meet her mother in Ahmedabad, each effort ended in disappointment. The showmakers teased audiences with promises of revealing Daya's mother's face, generating excitement that often led to letdowns. In fact, showing Daya's mother's face would have added to the excitement, and fans would have been glued to the screens in expectation of seeing Jethalal's bond with his mother-in-law as it is yet unexplored.
Adding to the intrigue, Daya's character has been missing from the show for almost five years now. Disha Vakani, who played Daya's character, took maternity leave and never returned. The makers have not yet found a replacement for the character. The storyline depicts Daya choosing to live with her mother in Ahmedabad for the past five years and doesn't wish to return to her family.
It seems hard for audiences to believe this due to the established family-oriented persona of Daya. However, repeated teases of Daya's return without resolution have left fans increasingly skeptical.
Repetitive Content:
The creators of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah have repeatedly teased audiences with Popatlal's potential wedding at least once a year. From Sapna to Bulbul, there have been numerous occasions when Popatlal almost got married, but each time, it fell through for various reasons. Despite knowing that fans enjoy this plot, the makers haven't written anything in favor of this character, and thus it hasn't progressed for years.
Many wonder why the show doesn't move forward by showing Popatlal's marriage, as it could bring a new dynamic to Gokuldham society. It’s a constant disappointment.
Watch a glimpse of the current storylin of TMKOC:
Gender discrimination:
The women group of Gokuldham society, known as 'mahila mandal' consists mostly of educated women. Despite their education, they are depicted as financially dependent on their husbands for their basic requirements. Characters like Babita and Anjali are shown engaging in daily activities like shopping and gossiping, giving inputs at society's meetings and functions.
All of them manage household chores but do not choose to earn, except Madhavi, who runs a home-based business of 'aachar-papad.' Isn't Anjali a dietician and Babita a swimming instructor?
Apart from Madhavi, none of the other women are shown as financially independent. The husbands in the show often complain about giving money to their wives for their expenses, reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes that women are left handicapped without their husbands.
Not only this, the women in TMKOC are shown relying on their husbands for their own safety. In one of the episodes, the women step out for a party at night, where they face harassment by a group of men. Despite handling the situation well all by themselves, their final decision was to not step out at night without their husbands as it's "not safe" for women.
Overall, despite their strong opinions and decision-making abilities, the female characters in the show are completely surrendered to their husbands.
Avoiding reality:
It's been over 15 years since couples such as Anjali-Taarak and Babita-Iyer have stayed in Gokuldham society and have been married. Even if the storyline intends to show that these couples are not planning to have children, this hasn't been clearly communicated to the viewers.
Informative and need-of-the-hour topics such as IVF, surrogacy, or adoption are completely untouched in the show despite its large viewership. Is family planning considered a taboo topic for discussion on national television? Why do the show's creators believe that this isn't something families can watch together? These questions remain unanswered, leaving viewers curious about why such crucial aspects of family life are avoided in the narrative.
Another promo of recent episode of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah:
Unrealistic portrayal of teenagers:
I've grown up watching the famous Tapu Sena remain unchanged over the years. Despite being in their teenage years, the show portrays Tapu Sena as the ideal teenager who does not commit any mistakes apart from bunking their classes (that too only once).
They are not shown experiencing typical teenage issues like relationship troubles, heartbreaks, desire to travel alone, agitation, and so on. Why aren't the makers interested in showing this narrative and raising awareness about it?
From organizing society functions to working for social causes like distributing 'chaas' in the heat to the workers, the perfect Tapu Sena never spends time scrolling social media or is ever seen rebelling against their parents.
In reality, teenagers in metro cities often face peer pressure, anxiety, bullying, irritability and aggression, depression, and even issues like alcoholism. However, the seemingly ideal Tapu Sena only seems concerned about forthcoming festivals, playing board games, and obeying all instructions of their parents.
The portrayal begs the question: isn't this too idealistic to be true? Why are the makers ignoring the realities that teenagers typically encounter?
Among these are various issues like body-shaming disguised as humor, stereotypical portrayals of couples based on their cast, numerous cringeworthy moments, an overly idealistic portrayal of societal unity, and so on.
It's unfortunate that I can't sum up all my disappointments about my childhood favorite show in a few words.
Yet a small glimmer of hope still lies beneath our hearts that one day we will witness Daya and Jethalal's fun moments again, enjoy Baapuji's quirky side, laugh out loud at Jethalal and Goli's playful interactions, and so on.
Signing off with relief that the old episodes still air on the channel, which keeps our childhood memories alive and gives us hope to look forward to this show!
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