Call it resurgence or revival, the Hindi serials dubbed into Tamil have slowly but surely started to reign the TV channels of late. It’s not just those epic serials like Ramayana and Mahabharatha, but the commercial soaps, which are successful in their original Hindi versions, get dubbed in Tamil. The increasing number of such dubbed serials being telecast by the channels is an obvious proof of the trend.
And interestingly, the Tamil audiences have developed a liking for them too. Geetha, a housewife in Saidapet, never misses the serial, Uravugal Thodarkathai (Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlatha Hai), which is aired on Star Vijay daily from 8pm to 8.30pm. “One of my close relatives’ son recently married a north Indian girl. So I was just curious about north Indian lifestyle and marriage practices and started watching Uravugal Thodarkathai,” says Geetha.
But soon, she began watching it every day at 8pm. The other dubbed serial she watches is Anbalae Azhagana Veedu (Behenein), which is telecast in the same channel at 5.30pm. But what irritates Geetha is the change of airing time. “Anbalae Azhagana Veedu was initially telecast at noon, which was convenient for me. Now the timings have changed and I can’t watch the serial,” says Geetha.
Even college students like Uthra Rajagopal have taken a liking to these dubbed serials. Apart from watching the two Star Vijay serials, this final year BCom student watches Sindhu Bhairavi daily, which is aired on Raj TV from 7pm to 8pm. But she has a different reason for watching the dubbed serials. “The dubbed serials are more story oriented than the original Tamil serials. The stories will move smoothly and all the characters look pleasant, including the villains,” says Uthra.
It is her Jain friend, who recommended Anbalae Azhagana Veedu to her. So, do they discuss about the serials in classrooms as well? “No. She watches the original Hindi version, Behenein, but never reveals me what will happen next,” says Uthra. Her favourite character is Vandhana, wife of the heroine’s brother. “She is very adjustable character. She know how to handle critical family situations,” Uthra elaborates.
College student, S Subha’s favourites are Jancirani (Jhansi Ki Rani) and Radha Kalyanam, both aired on Zee Tamil. “Radha Kalyanam is about a girl child and I’m not sure how many people will be interested to watch it. Because, we are used to Tamil serials,” says Subha. She feels we get to know other cultures through theses dubbed sops.
“These serials reflect the culture authentically — from clothes to food differs. Even the scripts are different, while in Tamil it’s the same age-old plots,” adds Subha.
Doesn’t the bad lipsink bother her? “Once you get involved in the story, you don’t notice the lip sink,” she says. What if she misses some episodes? “I have my mom for that,” she smiles.