Author: Amrita Mallik
Dear Leena Gangopadhyay Madam,
I’ve been waiting to write letter to you. StoryScrapers has given me this scope to convey to you my heartfelt and sincere message.
You’re an esteemed story writer of our Bengali Serials. You’re even serving as the Chairperson of West Bengal Commission of Women. You’re indeed an inspiration to many girls and women to stand on their feet, and listen to their heart.
With due respect to your works, as a woman first, and sometimes a consumer of your staple storylines, I’m presenting before you some pieces of my mind.
A similar thread runs through each of your serial. The heroine is mostly naïve. There’s always a conflict between sisters. There are insidious love affairs, including bhabi-devar or sister-jiju. And, marriage is the ONLY solution before a man or a woman. How can an escape from terrorists be through wedding?
Besides, the usual marks of respect and decency comprise sarees and marks of marriage. Even your heroines, especially, hardly wear modern outfits.
My first pointer is, the stale plot. Women are women’s biggest enemies. Don’t you think this myth needs to be busted? Since, you’re a popular writer, and your shows are hits, people expect a lot from you.
These scripts add fuel to the fire-of tortures against women and girls. Can you imagine the plight of the small town and village girls whose families internalise the negative side of your storytelling?
My next one is, why do women’s dreams are postponed to marriage? As a woman, you yourself, can cognise that marriage is not everything. Can’t there be plots where a woman is working hard, without a hero, and making a mark in this world. There is also the exigency to show a woman who voices her
mind. And, it is perfectly normal to be independent and sassy.
The third highlight is, shift the focus from symbols of marriage, and superstitions to the necessary, like respect and space in a relationship. Sarees, sankha-pola, sindur aren’t necessary to point out that a woman is married. Even a couple fighting together against misconceptions, and safeguarding their
relation, will be a welcome change. Decency and simplicity can also come from wearing trousers and pants. Today, how many girls wear salwar and churidar? Does that mean all are indecent and rude?
My fourth indicator is, the image of parents and grandparents should undergo a transformation. They should be modern, and energetic. Grandparents, always sitting, and munching dialogues or conniving, is so backdated. Let them be fun to be with. Why do they need to go on a vacation to wear, what they
usually wear outside the reel?
My fifth and last suggestion is, humor should be the prime ingredient and character of your serials. TV watching is mainly for entertainment. Hence, if it is easy on the nerves and senses, it’ll be much-admired.
I hope you don’t mind my pointers. These are, as I’ve already mentioned, some genuine expectations from a woman to a woman.
