Tougher than it seems

Writing multiple tracks for connected characters and managing a balance is tougher than it seems. And I think most writers of tv shows land up having their own favorites, whether they acknowledge it or not. Two factors which disrupt good writing. In American series like Friends, they have a team of writers, plus the shows are once a week, so they have far more time to come up with quality and plug loopholes. Here, with the plethora of channels and shows, and the trps race, writers and actors of daily shows have hardly any time to deliver quality. And that's a fact. Plus of course, the egos of all involved - actors are the faces of the show, but it seems to me that the writers, directors have the bigger egos, and more importantly, they have the power to make or destroy the characters. Unfortunately, this power is not alwys used wisely or impartially. After hearing from various friends in the business, I have to believe this.

Not that this excuses lack of quality and the glaring bloopers that have been seen recently in MJHT. The director, the actors and the people on the sets are busy - agreed. But the writer and screenplay writer are not so busy and they should have a bank of episodes ready and in hand well in time, also isn't there someone who looks into the bloopers that show up on screen? The passport details in the Sam Suhani track are a glaring example! Also the bloopers on their age - is it that difficult to write in an age and stick to it when you're planning a track?
But the biggest bloopers, which can really destroy a show for me, are the holes in characterisation. And that's what is happening in MJHT these days. If you write a story, you should know your characters inside out - they should be living breathing people to you, you should know how they would think and react and feel, and you should write accordingly. Also you should be able to show their development in a realistic way, especially when you're writing a show about young people. They are going to change, grow, develop and this should be reflected in the initial character graph as well as in any modifications you make.

It was easy for me to write for DMG, both predictions and ff. Because the characters were well defined, their mannerisms and way of talking was distinct and unique - and the actors were very good and gave the characters life. What I wrote for Riddhima and Muskaan and Anjali was what I could visualise them actually saying, same for Armaan, Atul and Rahul. Same for most of the other older writers - niha, nia, anjaan - Their predictions were great because they too knew the characters.

In MJHT, although the characters are younger and therefore there is leeway for a lot of change, this hasn't happened. At least I can't see it. I can't predict how a particular character will behave at any time - they change too much. And this makes them much less real for one thing, and completely stops me from writing anything on them - I can't visualise them talking in my head - a prerequisite for me to write on them. And when they do become real for a length of time, something happens - some really stupid scene - and they become unreal again.

Take Nupur. What she was when she started and what she has become. I can't even laugh at her now, she has become so irritating and over the top filmy. She's been reduced to a cartoon, good for laughs but nothing else. Janam janam ka saath - belongs to a saas bahu show, not to a youth show. And Mayank has joined her. What he was and what he become. Either he's stern headmaster or he's as nautanki as her. They have really become the comedy couple of MJHT. Total disconnect. Laugh at them when they're on screen and forget them immediately when they're off.

Take Samrat. I didn't like his character when he started - now I wonder if that was deliberate, a flawed hero. But somehow I don't think Priya and the others have so much imagination. Because he had too many flaws - he lied, cheated, made fun of others, and had an ego the size of an elephant. His development has been in fits and bursts - he improved a lot during the post talent parade days in terms of character, I really liked him during the 'gunjan finds out about the bet' and post 'friendship break days'. Then he turned into an unbelievable retard during Sheena - there were about ten episodes in the whole track when I liked Samrat, the character. Anyway that was the worst phase of MJHT, the Mayank realisation and Samrat Sheena. They both died completely during that phase, and so did Gunjan as she went into weeping willow, and Nupur - I don't know what exactly was happening to her. There was no story for Nupur at that time - she seemed to be just reacting to Mayank, who was totally irrational anyway.

Anyway, I lost any attachment I had for MN, but a few gems of SG kept me watching them. Gunjan post her play rehearsal confession was one. Samrat's dates with Sheena, both dominated by Gunjan, were another. Samrat's phone call to Gunjan after Sheena's condition of break your friendship was a third. Jail track was more relief that Sheena was out of the picture than any appreciation of the track.

And of course Morena and post confession I have enjoyed.
Until the last few scenes of the last week.

It was a good track. The bro-sis meeting with Gunjan as mediator. What have they done to it? They shoot promos, then put in scenes haphazardly - kheer episode case in point. Adhiraj's character is half baked in the extreme - I see the reason for his being there, but his characterisationas per what he was supposed to be in tellybuzz and what he actually turned out to be, are two completely different things. As for Suhani, she is a bumblehead - as dotty as her brother. Is she here for her bro, or is she here to fall in love? And she's supposed to be smart - what exactly is she doing? She doesn't want to tell Samrat who she is - okay. So she's happily encouraging Adhiraj, knowing she's lying to him as well? If she was real, she would stay guarded, acknowledge her growing feelings maybe, but at least equally worried about what he would feel when the truth comes out. So there's a complete disconnect - she seems to be playing two roles, one of sister and one of love struck girl, but she's not connecting the two roles at all.

And neither, to my disappointment, is Gunjan. She, apart from Suhani is the only one who knew the entire truth - she wouldn't be too bothered about Adhiraj when Suhani has started letting it out that she likes Adh, but shouldn't Gunjan be worried about the repurcussions for Nupur if Suhani likes Adhiraj and lets him know. Shouldn't she be nipping Su in the bud and saying - look, if u like the guy, then all the more reason to tell the truth to both your brother and Adh - till you do, you're deceiving Adh, so either hold back on expressing it, or tell him now. And for Suhani to tell Adhiraj is not a problem for Gunjan as it will solve her sister's problem. She should be as concerned for Nupur if she knows Su is falling for Adh and he for her - the repurcussions on Nupur are as catastrophic as for Suhani, and Gunjan should in fact be more worried for her sister right now than for Suhani. Rather than encouraging Su to fall for Adhiraj.

As for the last scene in the mega episode - unless Samrat does something drastic to resurrect himself, he's dead for me. That was a pathetic scene.

MJHT writers just don't see the whole picture - it's much tougher than it seems to write interconnected threads and write them well - but that's their job. I don't think I'm going to like what's coming up. All to the good - next few weeks are busy - time to disconnect.