has Ballika Vadhu been politicised ?? the sudden entry of Farida Jalal as a parachute character begs for explanantion....writes Jupinderjit Singh

WAS BALIKA VADHU WAS TOO HOT TO HANDLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT?????? from a hard hitting and realistic soap opera, is reduced to a soft one.....read on...

Ballika Vadhu, which took COLORS channel to new heights by its bitter, shocking but true picture of child marriages, dogmatic customs and sufferings of widows, mostly minor in Rajasthan has suddenly changed the tone of the serial.

Coinciding with the 15th Lok Sabha elections, the serial makers have brought Farida Jalal, from nowhere, as the elder sister of the Maa sA, who we all love to hate for her potent portrayal of the head of a family despite being a widow, who symbolising old culture and traditions, is clinging to the rotten system of child marriages.

Farida Jalal as mousi has turned the complete stetting of the serial where viewers were hoping gehna, sumitra or our dear young bride, anandi would eventually win over Maa Sa and break her away from the shackles of old customs. That seemed to be the catharsis of the character as well as the viewer. As said above, Maa Sa was just a symbol of the caretaker of old customs and things would improve only if she changes.

But suddenly Farida Jalal comes as a parachute character. She gets utmost importance, especially from Maa Sa, who did not bow before anyone earlier. One wonders where was Farida Jalal, when Maa Sa was marrying off her grandson, Jagya or when her elder son, Basant was married to Gehna or more recently when her granddaughter Sughna was married????

It is highly difficult to accept that such an important relative, who has so much of influence on the family, was not invited to the earlier functions or could not come. The inference is clear, the congress government in Rajasthan as well as in the centre, which may have been troubled with the negative image is the existence of such an India, seemed to have pulled some strings here or there. Sorry, dear makers of the serials, the mausi farida Jalal just doesn't jeel in with the settings of the serial.

From the situation where gehna was struggling with her pregnancy, the serial has suddenly started showing "all getting well" scenario. So much so that the risky pregnancy is not bothering her anymore.

Child marriages in Rajasthan is a big issue not only in country but abroad also. The system is poohed poohed as ancient and cruel. Journalists covering the state know how the political circles discussed the serial as portraying bad image of the state. Though statistics say there are over 50,000 child brides in the state, the government has always been trying to portray the situation was improving. And what better way than to show it through Ballika Vadhu.

the makers of the serial surely owe an explanation to the public on the sudden entry of Farida Jalal, harbinger of modern times, in the Maa Sa family. A recent report in the Indian Express revealed how the government sent hundreds of bi cycles back to a factory for changing its color from saffron ( the BJP color) to black. Anything can happen behind the scenes and public glare in this country but the discerning viewer cant be befooled.

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