My Guide To Expertly Navigating The World Of Saas-Bahu Sagas...

Saas-Bahu sagas. The name just says it all. The trend of saas-bahu sagas is what made the Indian TV industry what is it today. What started out as educational, informative, satirical or even comedy shows all melded together and gave rise to the saas-bahu sagas. The sagas of today have a bit of everything - romance, drama, tragedy and comedy. Apart from that, the one aspect of these shows that provides the most entertainment would be the of all dhamakedar dialogue bazi between the saas and the bahu. Who could forget the first time Tulsi stood up to her saas? Those dialogues were just epic! I will not deny that saas-bahu sagas were once a novel concept. It had never been explored on TV before and I have to applaud Ekta Kapoor for exploring every aspect of the relationship and its consequences. But year after year when every show on TV became a version of a saas-bahu saga, things became a bit repetitive and predictable.

I personally feel like there are no more twists and turns left to explore! Every version of the same twist has been used in a previous show and no matter how creative the writers think they are getting, the story is still predictable. Nonetheless, I will not deny that the shows are highly addictive. For someone who has watched these shows for a long time these shows no longer have anything new to offer but a person who is new to these types of shows, I have complied helpful list that will help you navigate these treacherous waters that is the Indian TV Daily Soap! I've divided the plot devices into two main categories - story related and character related. The story related plot devices can be used with any kind of show, not necessarily saas-bahu sagas, and deal with the overall story of the show. The character related plot devices are used for a particular character, most probably the main character.

Story Related:

Flashback

In a flashback, one of the characters, preferably an older and wiser character, talks about the past in the present. The main character of these shows tends to be a younger individual who doesn't seem to understand certain things, like a certain custom that the family practices or certain relationships that no longer exist. In this situation, the elder of the family goes into a flashback to explain why things are the way they are. Their hope is that the younger individual will either maintain the tradition or rebel against it and make things different depending on the main theme of the show. For example, the saas could be talking to her bahu about her experiences as a bahu. Most of the time this device is used to explain present circumstances. 

Leap

Tulsi in the beginning...

Tulsi towards the end...

A leap basically translates into a time leap forward in the story. For most saas-bahu sagas, the time leap translates into introducing the audience to the next generation. The leap helps the writes to move the story forward now that they have a dozen or so new characters to play with. Leaps are sometimes beneficial but they can also backfire if not dealt with appropriately. Ekta Kapoor is famous for her leaps forward when things get rocky on her shows. Some characters are written off but the main characters never die! Remember Baa from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, she was probably more than 300 years old when her character was finally written off the show! They may get a bit gray but they are still around. Sometimes they may even look younger than their adult children but that's just for the picky people to worry about! I have lost count of all the shows that I have watched with leaps in them! 

Character Related:

Assumed Death

Just when things are fine and dandy, something horrible happens. The hero or the heroine of the story gets into a major accident of some sort. Their remains are never found but some part of their clothing or belonging gets left behind. Most of the time the police suggests that the accident was just too severe for any of the individuals involved to have survived it. This forces the family to assume that their bahu or damaad has perished in the accident. Cue the tears, emotional background music, flashbacks and a whole lot of drama. Who can forget the mayhem that took over India when Mihir Virani was assumed to be dead?

Rebirth aka Punar Janam

Sometimes, things just don't go to well for our main leads the first time around. They go up against the villain and are defeated. But just when the villain thinks he or she has the upper hand, our hero and/or heroine is reborn Aha! And thus good always prevails over evil in TVdom and filmdom. Now I must be honest and state that most regular saas-bahu sagas don't really use this plot device. Even then I couldn't ignore this character related plot device. One example of this plot device being used would be the rebirth of Shaina and Kunal in Kahin Kissii Roz.

Memory Loss or Short-term/Long-term Amnesia

When things are going well for the hero and the heroine, something has to happen to keep viewers engaged. Now if there story does not involve the entry of a parallel lead to spice things up between the lead pair, the writers resort to another tried and test formula - memory loss. What else can prove that the love the hero and heroine share for each other transcends memory loss? Now this problem can be resolved in two ways - the person regains their memory, in which case everything is fine and dandy again or the person does not regain their memory but end up falling for their original love interest. In Dill Mill Gayye, Armaan meets with an accident and as a result ends up losing his memory. He wonders about his past life and when he finds out that he was in love with Riddhima, he ends up falling for her again.  

Same Face But Different Person aka Humshakal

This plot device goes along with assumed death. Now it so happens that the writers don't want to reveal  what happened to the main character. In such a situation when the humshakal device is used in conjunction with assumed death. To add to the drama, a look-alike enters the life of the partner. At first the partner assumes that the look-alike is their loved one. A few episodes later when they realize that the look-alike is not their loved one they are devastated. A few more episodes later, they come to the conclusion that the look-alike is indeed their loved one who is suffering from memory loss. Some more episodes later, the partner finally realizes that the look-alike is not their loved one after all. At this junction, two things can happen either the loved one is actually no more and the story moves forwards with the look-alike or the loved one is alive somewhere and in the meanwhile the look-alike has fallen for the partner. See the drama potential of this plot device?!

Plastic Surgery aka Same Person But Different Face

This one is a rather creative plot device to introduce a new actor playing a certain character. Sometimes, the actors playing a certain part get tired of playing the character for a long time. Sometimes, they want a raise but don't get it. Some other times, they get other lucrative offers but can't say yes because they are bound to a certain show. In these situations, the original actor playing the part leaves the show and a new actor is brought in. In saas-bahu sagas where the emphasis is on drama, the new actor is introduced in this dhamakedar way. There is always some sort of accident which leaves the character unrecognizable. Then the long process of healing begins and in the end viola - a new face!


Now it is safe to say that these are not the only plot devices that are employed in saas-bahu sagas but you can be assured that these are the most popular ones nonetheless. Now that I have given you all the tools you need to navigate the trecherous world of saas-bahu sagas, have a wonderful time watching them and being sucked into their twisted world!

Essential Characters In Every Saas-Bahu Saga...

For those who watch Saas-Bahu sagas, you can't help but notice that each show has the same set of main characters. The setting for the show may be different and in some cases the gender of the main characters may be different but they are still essentially the same. Most of the time the stories intersect as well. We'll leave that for another post. Let's focus on the main characters first. Think of any Saas-Bahu that you've watched while you're reading this list and I bet you will think of a character that matches the list I have come up with. 

So without further adieu here they are:

Elderly Person: This person can be male or female. They are essentially the voice of reason in the show. They typically sit back and watch as mayhem takes over their household. All they have to offer the main character is courage and blessings. Just in case you forget, they are very 'elderly' and hence very fragile. They can't do much but they are always the sharpest tool in the entire household. An example of this type of character would be Baa from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi.

Dutiful Bahu/Beta: This person is typically the heart of the show. Most of the time it is the Bahu but sometimes it can be a combination of Beta and Bahu. They are the ones who make the world go round, literally. They are the center of the show's universe. They are smart and dutiful as their name suggests. They work hard so that their family has whatever they want no matter how irrational. They are also the ones who end up fighting the negative characters singlehandedly. In the beginning of the fight, they lose badly but then the Gods are with them and they prevail in the end.  An example would be Om and Parvati from Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii.

The Vamp aka Femme Fatale aka female villain: She is sly, conniving, beautiful and extremely over the top. She is always after the family money and will do anything to get her dirty hands on it. She also hates getting her hands dirty so she undoubtedly creates a plan that makes the family believe that the Dutiful Bahu/Beta are behind all the destruction. Another important characteristic to point out would be the fashion. Her clothes are over the top and often revealing. Her makeup is crazy to the point of being frightening. She also commands her own background music. And most of the time she has a distinctive mannerism or saying that she has to perform in every episode. An example would be Komolika Basu from Kasautii Zindagi Kay.

Check out my full post on The Vamp - Komolika Base here...

Maa or Saas: Depending of whether the show has a Dutiful Beta or Bahu, there is a Maa or a Saas. If the show has a Beta and a Bahu, then there will be both a Maa and a Saas, most of the time. This character has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is responsible for the happiness of the household. She is a big proponent of customs and rites and makes sure that every occasion celebrated in the household is done as per the approval of her husband. She is a dutiful wife to the point of becoming a doormat in the face of her husband's desires. She never questions authority until the Dutiful Bahu or Beta give her courage to hold her head up high. An example would be Devyani Bhramanand Jhakkar from Maryada.

The Snake aka male villain: This character is capable of anything. He is will go against his own mother to get what he wants. He will cheat, fight, insult, steal and most importantly rape or torture to get his way. He first gains the trust of the household, then he begins to strike. At first no one knows that he is responsible, but then the Dutiful Beta or Bahu finds outs about his intentions and confronts him. Now this confrontation can end two ways: a challenge if it is the Dutiful Beta or a rape/molestation type thing if it is the Dutiful Bahu. As I said earlier, he would kill his own mother if she was in his way. An example would be Shyam Manohar Jha from Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?  

Almost every successful Saas-Bahu saga has these characters present at one time or another. With the help of certain plot devices they can mix and match characters and create a crazy mix of Vamps and Snakes, Bahus and Betas and Maas and Saases. Everything is possible in the world of Saas-Bahu sagas. All you have to do is sit back and keep watching...