Men and TV are considered to be friends with each other only if news or sports are being played on some channel. Otherwise, they are arch rivals since both vie for female attention 24X7!
In a way it is true as well since none of the fictional or even non-fictional shows have much to offer to male audience in terms of exciting entertainment. Most men watch channels other than sports or news as they have no option! Yes, once back at home after work, they have to watch what the women of the house are watching and they meekly surrender!
Things are changing though! Well, we at least hope that things are changing and in fact should change since men are also an important part of audience and their taste in entertainment has to be respected. There are enough advertisements out there to attract and engage male audiences, so there should be fictional shows which should cater to their sensibilities as well. With the success of youth-based fictional shows like Saadda Haq, Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan on channels like MTV, Bindaas, Channel V etc., it is no rocket science to understand that such shows have gained mass popularity due to the following from both the sexes and not just young female fans.
On the sets of Kaisi Hai Yeh Yaariyan
Since youth wants to watch shows that connect with them on an emotional level, there are grown-up men as well who would want to watch something that satisfies their emotional needs in entertainment. Hence the need to create such shows with strong content!
Scene from Saada Haq
No one is saying that suddenly the whole programming brief of the channels should undergo change, but instead of having shows with only strong female protagonists with men only for decorative value, the shows need to balance out the content in favour of both the sexes. Even if the story is about a girl, the boy should have equally engaging presence. Even better would be to have a story revolving around a guy, his inner turmoil, dreams, aspirations etc. The way society is changing, men are not playing the usual roles of being a bread-winner in real life. They also have a story to share, an emotional roller-coaster to showcase to the world at large.
If some brave producer or channel doesn’t take the plunge today in bringing alive the journey of a contemporary man, sooner or later it will become a reality. The ones who take this gamble will be richly rewarded in the long run, for others there could be a left-over bounty for sure.
TV shows for men are the need of the hour to provide a balanced entertainment! Hope it becomes a reality real soon!
