TV serials come with many seasons. Is it due to lack of ideas or the new success mantra to grab TRP?

Sheetal

Like the pandemic’s many waves, TV serials in India now have many seasons. The trend started with the spin-off Kundali Bhagya from the successful Kumkum Bhagya, and soon Naagin followed suit with six seasons and so did Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2.

After the premier of Balika Vadhu 2 on Monday, the makers of Thapki Pyar Ki 2, Naagin 6 and Pavitra Rishta 2 will soon announce the telecast dates.

We talk to actors and producers to know if this trend is really benefitting them and why this trend –is it because of dearth of ideas or is it the new success mantra for the TV industry?

The best bid

It seems a fresh premise with a fresh pair of lead actors for a popular old show has become the best shot to gain TRPs. For some sequels, such as Thapki Pyaar Ki 2, Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2, the lead cast remained more or less the same. And if the star cast is fresh, then the names of popular characters are the same to keep that relatable factor going.

The other factor

Last year, after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide when Ekta announced the sequel to his debut show Pavitra Rishta, the heartwarming response was but obvious. Shaheer Sheikh will play Sushant’s character. The audience couldn’t keep calm after Ankita shared the first look on her Instagram handle. Coincidentally, Shaheer’s own show, Kuch Rang Aise Bhi Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, post his iconic role of Arjuna in Mahabharata, has also been renewed for the third season. He is currently portraying Dev in Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi- Nayi Kahaani with Erica Fernandes, who has also worked in Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 as Prerna which wrapped up in just two years. Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2 also had a short stint for a new season and will come to a conclusion by the end of this month.

Instances like this assure that the reins are still pretty much in the hand of the viewers and no one can predict what the audience will accept or reject. After all, it was a song, Rasode Mein Kaun Tha, of music producer Yashraj Mukhate, during the lockdown, which made the makers of Saath Nibhaana Saathiya come back with a new season.

Personal notes

Warm welcome

Be it a sequel or a prequel or new season of any successful show, it is usually welcomed by the audience. As the viewers are familiar with the characters and actors, so the relatability factor is very high. If they have loved the previous season, they’ll surely check out the new season or a sequel. Kundali and Kumkum Bhagya have clicked with everyone and are still running. Surely the audience loved them. Parull Chaudhry, actor

Going the organic way

Kuchh Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi is in its third season and it’s our fourth IP to have multiple seasons. In the past, we have produced multiple seasons of our IPs like Rang Badalti Odhni, Sadda Haq, Ishq Main Marjawan. Apart from popularity, it’s the scope in the story which helps us decide the possibilities of prequels or sequels. All these stories are about characters and their journey hence we explored seasons. Not all stories offer this opportunity organically. Producer Yash Patnaik

Play it again

TV shows are like dal-chawal. When people watch a TV show, the characters become a part of their life. When a sequel or a new season comes, the chances of acceptance is more as they are used to the show’s characters. If I am offered Madhubala 2, I would like to do it for sure. Vivian Dsena, Actor

All game

I’ve worked in Naagin and almost all seasons of Naagin generated a lot of hype. The only concern is people have high expectations and people compare it with the previous seasons. Sharad Malhotra, Actor