To state the obvious, it is evident that the making of a serial, is very different from that of a movie. The latter has a very short time frame (a mere two hours), thus directors have to take utmost care to logically connect every scene to give audiences a complete package. On the flip side, a serial may run for years together and there is always flexibility in terms of twists and turns in the storyline.
One way to sustain the interest of audiences is the introduction of new characters at opportune points in the storyline and then and weaving a sub-plot around them. After a few episodes, they sometimes also become a part of the main plot as well.
Take for instance, Nadhaswaram that is aired on Sun TV from Monday to Friday between 7.30pm and 8pm. It is Thirumurugan’s second serial after Metti Oli, which ruled the TRPs throughout its running period. Nadhaswaram is another a family drama that revolves around a family of Nadhaswara vidhwans in Karaikudi. Having run up to 324 episodes until Friday, there are already many sub-stories, as well as detailed tracks of noted individual characters that viewers follow with bated interest. Recently, two new characters, a mother and her daughter, were brought in as Chokkaligam’s (the protagonist played by Mouli) relatives. They play the roles of wife and daughter of Chokkalingam’s father-in-law’s brother and their story has also started occupying the fair time of the serial.
However, director Thirumurugan clarifies that the new characters were necessary for the plots unravelling and had this decided upon for awhile. “We decided even while conceiving the story that a destitute mother and her daughter will join the story after a year, though we weren’t sure how to introduce them. And only recently we thought of weaving them in as Chokkalingam’s relatives,” he says.
He further justifies why he introduced them. “Nadhaswaram is all about family relationships. It is very difficult nowadays to keep in touch with all our relatives. But we attempt to remind the audiences of our culture and how we used to live.” He emphasises, there is no hero or heroine in Nadhaswaram and that every character is equally important.
Also, one recognises, that sometimes these characters that enter in the middle become hugely popular among viewers and the director does endeavour to give them more prominence. Script writer, Bhaskar Sakthi who has written dialogues for Metti Oli, Nadhaswaram and Meghala points out, “In Metti Oli, Santhosh’s character (played by Thiruselvam) became very popular. So we developed the character a little more and added to his dialogues. But the main plot remained the same.” Of course, there is always the exception to the rule.
Uravuku Kai Kodupom (Kalaignar TV, Monday to Thursday from 7pm to 7.30pm) was initially a story that revolved around three brothers and their families. However, after the introduction of a child as a reincarnation of their mother, ‘Deivanayagi Amma’, she has become centre point of the story.
There is also Ilavarasi, (Sun TV, from Monday to Friday between 1.30pm and 2pm), where a new ladycharacter has come in and the relationship between her and Ilavarasi’s husband remains undisclosed. It seems a controversial ingredient, added to the mixing pot always does the trick!