Recently, I watched Z-TV 'Rishtey Awards'. This award was meant to recognize the best of the Z-TV family dramas like, Choti Bahu, 12/24 Karol Bag, Agle Janam Mohe Bitya hi kijo and others. Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya hi kijo bagged most of the Rishtey Awards. For those who have not seen this Z-TV serial, it is set in Bihar and is a drama of a Thakur zamindar who is obsessed with getting a male heir waris for his zamindaari. The zamindar, Loha Singh, has two sons and two grand daughters, but he wants a grandson. He can go to any extent to achieve his goal and even purchases a low caste woman to be the concubine for his younger son in order to produce a male child (a panditji has told him that the younger son has the yog to produce a son).

This TV serial is full of fallacies and misrepresentations (probably like all others). It shows that there is no rule of law in Bihar, women are degraded to the extent that they can be openly purchased and forced to do things against their will, and daughters are not as good as sons. OK, this may have been true in the past to some extent, but what they are showing is extreme. I will like to know from the readers what they think about this serial. Going by the awards, it seems to be a very popular TV serial in India. However, it definitely shows Bihar in a very bad light. I understand we should take this as pure entertainment, but do you think others also take it in the same way. Personally, I respect the freedom of artistic expression of the directors and the producers, and watch this serial for its entertainment value.

I will like to know from you, whether you watch this serial. If you watch this serial, do you think it is promoting or degenerating Bihar? Do you think non-Biharis who watch this serial consider it only an entertainment or associate Biharis with the characters of this serial?