The Hindu : New Delhi News : Wrapping social messages in entertainment

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Thursday, Apr 03, 2008
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Wrapping social messages in entertainment

Madhur Tankha

Mobilising change: Serial ‘Kyunki Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai’ will be aired on DD1 from this coming Monday.

NEW DELHI: Unlike soap operas based on fantasy and kitchen politics, DD1 will air a refreshing serial on socially-relevant issues beginning Monday.

Set against the backdrop of Rajpura village, “Kyunki Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai” is aimed at enlightening viewers about issues like education of girl child up to the primary level, gender equality, child protection issues, self efficacy at grassroots and empowerment of Panchayati Raj institutions. The serial will be an amalgamation between education and entertainment and it will compete with soap operas -- based on daily squabbles between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law -- for higher ratings.

Created by United Nations Children’s Fund, the social drama’s powerful lyrics have been penned down by Gulzar.

According to UNICEF’s programme communication officer Naysan Sahba, his organisation is embarking on the serial with a mission to support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s initiatives.

“The soap opera is based on a publication “Facts of Life” which is a collaboration between UNICEF and UNO agencies. The publication has 13 life-enhancing messages including safe immunisation so that a mother knows how to protect her baby during the time of maternity. These messages would be extremely relevant to people living in India. We want to strengthen our community messages through the grassroots level. We don’t want preachy, didactic type of characters in the serial but the messages would be carefully woven in the story. The serial will be on the lines of ‘Hum Log’ that passed on socially relevant messages.”

Naysan says “Kyunki Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai” has been designed in such a way that it would compete with other soap operas for higher ratings. “The message design unit will work in synchronisation with the script design unit so that there is fine balance between the two.”

While Shweta Munshi, who plays the role of Savita, says she is shown as a Delhi University student who later becomes an auxiliary nurse mid-wife in the Rajpura village, emerging actor Geetanjali Gill says she is playing Kamla, a widow, whose whole family expires and to find some meaning in her life she works for ASHA.

Geeta Bhisht plays the feisty character of Shabnam, an “angandwadi” worker. “The role offered to me is a big break. Moreover I am not doing this serial for name, fame and money but to create social awareness about issues plaguing our country, especially in rural areas,” says this alumnus of Dayal Singh (Evening) College.

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