Tamil teledramas creates a generation of couch potatoes

Kanagar Raveendran from UK writes....

While on holiday in Colombo last December, I was appalled to see the effect of ‘Tamil Teledrams’ that are shown one after the other during prime time, in various channels of Sri Lankan TV.

What prompted me to write this is to pin-point the disastrous consequence these teledramas are introducing to the Tamil community. Watching these programmes for entertainment is one thing, but getting 'addicted' is a different story.

Unlike the good old days, one has to phone and let the host know that we are visiting them. In spite of doing this before visiting a few relatives, I was surprised to note that I was an un-invited guest in most of the houses while a teledrama was on the air.

They just said 'hello' and kept on watching the TV, much to my embarrassment. The greetings and conversation started when once the programme ended. In one house the parents were watching their favourite programme in one corner of the room, while in one corner their child was being given lessons by a private tutor. No one cared about the distraction caused to the child while studying. In another place I visited, there were already some visitors and their talks were oriented about the happenings from various teledramas. The same with people who meet at functions and in the market places.

I was invited for dinner to a house and when I walked in the master of the house was glued to the TV and the lady of the house who was busy cooking, was seen peeping through the kitchen door every now-and-then, indicating that she too was not prepared to miss the days episode. Need I say dinner was served late. Worst of all, in one place they have deliberately taken the receiver of the phone from the hook which was lying one the desk like an orphan, while the whole inmates of the house were glued to the box. There are more interesting things I saw, but lack of space prevents me from including all that.

Non of these teledramas are of any educational value. All are oriented in portraying domestic violence, problems between in-laws, family disputes over money transactions, jewellery, properties and dowry matters.

All what I want to know is are these teledramas worth more than a person on holiday, sacrificing his or her valuable time, to visit kith and kin after a long period. As for the producers and broadcasters of these programmes - well done and congratulations for successfully helping to create a generation of couch potatoes.