A TV writer’s blog STORYVORY

There are at least two big groups within the Indian Diaspora.  One, that cringes at the mere mention, or even a distant echo, of the phrase “Indian soap opera”.  And two, the group that calls the first group snobs. 

Somewhere in between is a group that I call the average Indians.  And in each and every soap opera that is produced and telecast, there is a heterogeneous mix of people from all three groups, and together they decide about what gets dished out. 

The result is there for all of us to see – twenty-four hours a day, on over a seemingly zillion channels.  Call it mindless, call it cacophony, but it “works” – even if only at some temporary bottom-line level.

After twenty-plus years of writing for all kinds of television fiction shows – mostly Hindi, but also for shows in three other Indian languages – I felt like a success and a failure. 

With the boom in the reach of television combined with my constant learning  and dedication, I did make a decent livelihood – truth be told, much better than I set out to, given that I was a ‘jholawala’ at heart from the beginning. Therefore, success.

And failure, because despite television having grown to reach one and almost all, and despite its power to influence mass mindsets for the better, we’ve continued to dish out only teaspoonful doses of any worldview whatsoever, when it could have been truckloads.  Even if we keep the values aside and agree with the content itself, a lot of my colleagues agree that the craft hasn’t ever come close to what it could have been. (The reasons are many and not very relevant here.)

Presently, in order to address my own concerns, I’ve decided to check out if more meaningful and, dare I say, more entertaining content can be created.  I could have collaborated with some others, and maybe I’ll do so in the longer run.  But for now, I, by myself, have started a blog which shall churn out stories in a web-serial, episodic format – even though only in a readable form. 

I wish for my stories to cater to a very wide spectrum of the Indian Diaspora – both the groups that I mentioned above, and mainly to the one in between:  the average Indian.

Consequently, my blog “Storyvory: Stories for the average Indian” started in June 2015 by announcing three stories, and the first one has already started getting its episodes published.

Several secrets come out of the shadows when a mysterious young woman enters a rich family.  “Reborn Moon” – Started 29^th June 2015. A new episode every Monday.

The story of a footballer girl in a male-dominated world. “Chinni” – Starts 29^th July, 2015. A new episode every Wednesday.

Having woken up from coma after ten years, being loved is like a beautiful waking dream for Iksha Chandra. Till the past catches up and turns it into a nightmare. “When Memories Change” – Starts 29^th August, 2015. A new episode every Saturday.

All episodes have two options to read in – English and Hindi – both written by me. The illustrations, too, are by me.

Though the blog is only a newborn as of today, the response has been very encouraging, especially from certain respectable and successful names in the television business.  It makes me want to strive even more to achieve what I set out to – striking the best possible balance between entertainment and worldview, and catering to the tastes of as many sub-groups of the Indian Diaspora as possible.

I’m not aiming at any business model at all, leave alone any fund-raising, at least so far. The main objective is to reach out to as many people as possible, people who wish to be a little more proud of everyday Indian stories beyond mythology and the like.

All are welcome to visit the blog https://storyvory.wordpress.com and requested to spread the word if it is found worthy.

Best wishes always,

Praveen Raj

praveenrajwrites@gmail.com

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