Ramazan shows often offer wholesome solace in the holy month, and as far as the past few years are considered, audiences have rarely been disappointed. However, while the line-up of shows this year has been promising, it is also true that certain over-the-top elements within these Ramazan shows makes them a tad bit irksome. Now, before everyone gets riled up and begins attacking this post – no, we’re not calling out any actor in particular. This is more of a, “Hey, why don’t we go a different route with the direction and acting?” type of suggestion.
The Comedy
Everyone loves comedy, combined with splashes of romance. These elements are timeless classics. However, if a joke is so unfunny that is must be drilled into the audience’s mind through dramatic antics, in-your-face acting that disturbs the suspension of disbelief, and simply relying on language or accents to derive humor from – well, all of this is getting a little old.
Perhaps the direction must be questioned as well. After all, if actors and directors keep defaulting to archetypes they’ve seen play out and succeed in the past, one wonders where the innovation is. What’s more confusing is the fact that even in the past, examples of dry, sardonic, sarcastic comedy that has even ventured into darker areas is present. Yet, we don’t really see that being utilized as a tool anymore. It’s almost as if eccentric, cartoonish comedy has become a staple.
The Romance
Again, #NotAllRamazanShows, but can we, for the love of all things good and humane, get rid of the cousin marriage angle? We’re not getting into the science behind this, but surely, men in Ramazan shows (and honestly, dramas in general) MUST be able to find women outside the confines of their homes, no? How long will we keep seeing the sibling-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers and similar other ex-cousins-who-always-end-up-as-lovers tropes playing out?
Moreover, the way this plays out is also extremely overdone, predictable, and over-dramatized. The longing stares, the slowing of time, the stolen glances as music plays in the background – WHO is falling in love like this? Where is that touch of reality that makes one believe in the power of the cousin -uh, we mean, couple’s love?
The Loudness
There is no other way to say it. Some (all?) of these shows tend to be loud. Not in a way where everyone’s shouting and there’s chaos (woh bhi hota hai) but in a way where facts are metaphorically shouted at you. For example, if sisters don’t get along, a strange montage of them fighting can easily be replaced with an actual conversation. Or, if a woman is ambitious and ditzy at the same time, she doesn’t necessarily need to hyperventilate when talking about her passion points.
We get it, yaar. Don’t actorsplain things to us.
Why Is This A Problem?
We can’t sit here and pretend that writing, directing, or acting is easy. None of these jobs are walks in the park. As consumers of Ramazan shows, and content in general, we just want our material to get better – not only internally, but on a global scale. We have the talent. We have the stories.
That’s why this is bothersome. When the resources to churn out different, unique, quality content are available, and we choose to default to tried and tested material, it almost seems like a disservice. The audience can be enthralled by slapstick humor and over-the-top antics – but for how long? Hasn’t that ceiling been pushed up far enough yet for us to collectively hit our heads and be forced into taking the initiative to produce content that’s better?
Again, no shade thrown at any of the current lot – the blame does not solely lie on the actors. However, perhaps it’s time we started respecting the intellect of our audience. Instead of spoon-feeding content through hammy, frivolous, and even ridiculous means, maybe it’s time to revisit the script, rewrite those directorial annotations, and churn out something that is on point in all ways.
