Rebirth of mysticism

Bollywood and tellywood are both heralding in stories based on the mystical concept of reincarnation with renewed vigour and content

Mere Karan Arjun aayenge who doesn’t remember these words of an iconic filmy ma whose angst-ridden wait for her two sons brought them back to her via a punar janam Sure, that was 20 years ago, but if upcoming Bollywood films and television shows are anything to go by, reincarnation sagas are all set for a cinematic resurrection. Karan Johar’s much-delayed Shuddhi and Homi Adajania’s Raabta on the big screen and Ekta Kapoor’s Nagin and Adhuri Kahani Hamari on the small screen are a few passageways for the regular Indian drama-lover to find a way back into mystical lore of old. Why the sudden fascination with the subject We make a humble attempt to find out.

Manisha Sharma, Programming Head at Colors TV whose recently launched show Nagin incorporates reincarnation as a central plot point, says that one of the primary reasons for the subject’s current popularity is that for the present generation, it roots back to times that they have heard or read about from a relative distance, creating a sense of unfamiliarity. She says, “In reincarnation, we are revisiting folklore that the Indian audience has grown up with — be it through a tale narrated to us by our grandparents or through relatively older films.”

She adds, “The trend has penetrated into television in the form of mysticism-oriented tracks and storylines that are finding many takers among the present generation of viewers too. The concept is something that appeals to viewers across all target groups, including even the discerning male audience. As the true potential of reincarnation-based stories is tapped, the visual treat that they can offer to viewers broadens entertainment avenues owing to the overall cinematic experience so created. Indian viewers today have a strong affinity towards mystical thrillers which incorporate multiple twists and turns as well as some traditional folklore in the storyline, thereby making the genre a hit.”

Trade analyst Nishikant Choubey agrees and argues, “You have to understand the fact that when it comes to our country, we have an audience for pretty much everything, with a diverse cinematic palate. It’s ultimately a matter of choice, that’s it. Since we have a lot of choice, no one can put a finger and say oh this theme is good or that one is bad, simply because we cannot judge anyone’s choices. Every artist has their favourite motifs that they apply to the bulk of their work: political or social struggles they perceive to be ongoing or perhaps emotions they believe are at the root of all scenarios. An audience’s tastes stand on similar ground. Themes like reincarnation present this epic multi-platform universe that is entwined with cultivated philosophical and religious values, and surely strikes a chord with telly viewers. Hindus believe that a soul is formed when it separates from an undifferentiated source and it will transmigrate during physical death from one body to another, endeavoring to achieve a state of disembodied perfection and exit the cycle of life. This philosophy is so strongly ingrained in the cultural fabric that networks use it every now and them — to capitalise. You can show numerous stories that span a millennium — one from the present, another from the future and one from the past, and have parallel stories that revolve around the theme of a man/woman/nagin in pursuit of eternity and love. There is nothing wrong in repeating the same theme either, as it is an embodiment of all that’s transgressive and outside the mainstream, and is an ultimate crowd-pleaser. Personally, I can only tell what they aren’t doing — covering up their lack of creative drive.”

A senior screenwriter for a Hindi General Entertainment Channel points out, on the condition of anonymity, that at least on television, all creative decisions boil down to the numbers game. “It’s very simple. You’re seeing the resurgence of reincarnation because it is what the audience wants to see right now. This new obsession with the subject is, at least to me, just an extension of the race for ratings.This is the case with both sides of the fence — the channels that aren’t doing well might start out with a widely publicised concept of novelty, with cutting edge programming that touches areas no one has touched before. But ultimately, they all head the same way — taking up things that will get them a larger audience. And that’s most often where the creativity as well as novelty ends. Therefore, when they take up something like reincarnation, it might seem to you like they’re picking an area that hasn’t been explored for a while, when in reality they’re just picking on a different portion of an area that is doing very, very well on television already — supernatural folklore. It just takes one successful attempt by one show, and everyone will follow unabashedly. And the funniest part is that it actually works! Sasural Simar Ka set the ball rolling in this case, with supernatural lore making its ratings shoot up. Then suddenly, there were half a dozen other shows doing the same track, and almost all of them did well. But how long can you do the same thing So, you look for more variety, albeit within the same thematic space. Hence, there was a nagin on one show, followed by a whole show on nagins and now there’s reincarnation.

Don’t be surprised if you see three more examples come up after you publish this article. If one reincarnation saga works, there will be a deluge of punar janams till you won’t be able to handle any more. And by then something more far-fetched and dramatic will have been found to sustain a dozen other shows that’s the general pattern. I have been part of the creative team for one of these supernatural-oriented tracks myself, and I know for a fact that at least there, what you ended up seeing on your screen was the decision made not by the writers from a creative point of view, but by the channel from a business point of view. Supernatural lore and within that concepts like reincarnation are indeed what the average Indian GEC viewer is lapping up with a lot of interest right now. Why that is so, however, is anybody’s guess and makes very little difference to showmakers as long as it gets people to watch. When their interest dwindles — and it will, soon — the makers’ obsession will fade automatically,” he asserts.

From the point of view of a viewer, advertising professional Akshay Singh shares, “I really thought my mother was joking when she told me that we will actually have a tele series on nagins!!! I was aghast, appalled and puzzled all at the same time wondering, do we still have an audience for THAT sort of a plot Then I came to know that the show was real! I am still a bit traumatised over two factors — one, why on earth would anyone want to see something like this and two, why in the world are sane television production houses losing their cinematic minds Even in Hollywood, movies and series about the afterlife and reincarnation are a recurring phenomenon for some directors, like the Wachowskis who made The Matrix and then Cloud Atlas — but I am really annoyed because we in India are yet to witness anything that’s even remotely close to these examples. And what’s adding insult to injury is the graphic front, which is sadly underdeveloped.”