An Analytical Study of Content and Language of Indian Webs Series
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Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 An Analytical Study of Content and Language of Indian Webs Series Dr. Subhash Kumar Associate Professor, Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, Manipal University Jaipur, India Dr. Atanu Kumar Mohapatra Chairperson, Centre for Diaspora Studies, Central University of Gujrat, Gandhinagar, Gujrat, India Abstract: The trend of web series started almost two decades ago but the current viewing trends suggest that web series are posing a stiff competition to movies and television nowadays. Web series is becoming the heart of the young generation. Like Netflix, Amazon Prime, TVF, Hotstar and many more apps are providing the platforms to view web series. It seems that Television serials are being replaced by the Internet web series, which are becoming the main source of entertainment. But the content and language of the Hindi web series have become a major concern. The paper is an attempt to analyze the content and language of web series and its impact on youth. The study has found that the vulgar content and abusive language used in most of the web series have a serious impact on youth. The study has used quantitative method by circulating a questionnaire among the youth. Hence, the paper is an attempt to analysis the various aspects of web series impact among the young generation of the society. Key words: web, series, internet, young, television, serials. I. INTRODUCTION In the 1990s web series had emerged and popularized more prominent in the year 2000s. “The Spot, or thespot.com, was the first episodic online story, and the first website to integrate photos, videos and what later became known as blogs into the story line created by Scott Zakarin in 1995”. A web series is a series of scripted videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet and part of the web television, a single instance of a web series program can be called an episode. “The decades-old, traditional Indian television shows fail to generate interest among the in contemporary youth of India. Desi web series are now an exciting and emerging form of entertainment for the youth. They are now gaining in prominence in urban India”. In the year 2016, “there are a number of awards that have been established to award excellence in web series production, including the Streamys, Webbys, IAWTV, and Indie Series Awards, there are also several web series festivals, most notably in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Most major award ceremonies have also created web series and digital media award categories, including the Emmy Awards and the Canadian Screen Awards”. Web series are seen replacing movies and television nowadays. “The dubbing trend in Indian entertainment industry started with the kids’ related program and the trend was extended to the dubbing of some Hollywood block buster movies in Hindi which enjoyed a great success in terms of popularity and acceptability among the Indian Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 919 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 audience. The trend was then followed by a number of channels in the light of popularity among the audience”. [1] Web series is becoming the heart of the young generation. Like Netflix, Amazon Prime, TVF, Hotstar and many more apps are there which consist of web series. “Nowadays the trends have provided renaissance to many web series in hindi too due to completely bored with the daily melodrama serials and situations especially the young generation. Television serials are being replaced by the Internet web series, which are gaining popularity in India”. [2] In 2013, “streaming video website Netflix earned the first Primetime Emmy Award nominations for original online only web television at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. Three of its web series, House of Cards, Arrested Development, and Hemlock Grove, earned nominations that year”. A web series is general in episodic form, and it is a series of scripted or non-scripted videos released on the Internet. It can be watched on a range of platforms, including desktop, laptops, mobile phones etc. “Web series offers something that the Television serials just don’t mature content. Unlike television dramas, web series has taken a different direction. Melodrama has become a 90’s object. Content is what the viewer is focused on or looking for. Content isn’t the main reason why web series has been successful they have additionally made it a point to fulfill our thirst for diverse subject and issues. Such Live in relationships, horror series, documentaries, stand-up comedies, homosexual love stories, sci-fi thrillers, crime thrillers. These web series content developers are trying to bring us concepts that televisions wouldn’t dare to touch. Most of this content in series or movies created by them work because the person viewing is able to relate the issues they raise”. [3] In the year 2008 ‘Application software’ we popularly knew as APPS. “This application had exploded the demand for smart phone, tabs, laptop, computer and other electronics devices. “Apps emerged from early PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant), through the addictively simple game Snake on the Nokia 6110 phone”. “The sudden increase in quantity and variation of news apps, owing to the consumer necessities, takes cemented the way in the formation of an extensive choice of review, recommendation, blogs”. [4] Indian Web Series The Indian film industry and the television industry have been in two different leagues. While Bollywood has been making waves globally with its content, our television industry has refused to reinvent itself and remained stuck to the same melodrama which we have been watching for years. The introduction of Indian web series in the country brought about a fresh wave of new and innovative content. Creators are not shying away from trying to think and create content that is out of the box. The biggest motivating factor in this is the lack of censorship. The battle of creators with the censors has been going on since ages. While the creators feel that their content is actually putting a mirror on the things that are happening in our society, the censors think otherwise. With the lack of censorship, creators on the webspace are now free to present their story the way they actually want to. While the web space in the country is still relatively young, we have got enough glimpses of the potential of the content which we are able to produce. So, list down some of our favorite Indian web series as below. Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 920 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 Stories by Rabindranath Tagore A standout factor of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s literary work is that he mainly focused on relationships that were tainted by the weaknesses and idiosyncrasies of human nature. Another interesting fact is that female characters were more often than not the protagonists in these tales. He portrayed women as a strong and dynamic figure in his stories which differs from the conservative mindset that existed in the country at the time. While each story has a different concept, the feel of that era has been captured well in almost every story. The web series features a bunch of talented actors like Radhika Apte, Sumeet Vyas, Rohan Shah and Amrita Puri amongst others. Sacred Games “When the first scene in the show is of a dog falling from the height of a skyscraper, you know that this Indian web series isn’t going for subtlety. In fact, it’s the level of brutality the marks the cornerstone of this web series in the Sacred Games”. Sacred Games was the first web series produced by Netflix in India and with a duo of talented directors like Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane pulling the strings, people naturally expected big things. Since it is Netflix, obviously they weren’t holding back as along with getting ace directors on-board, they also went all out with the casting of this Indian web series. Having stars like Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte is an Indian web series that proves that even Bollywood stars are realising the massive potential of the platform. Scared Games is based on Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same title. While the storyline won’t be termed as extraordinary, it is the visual craftsmanship of the directors that distinguishes Sacred Games from following the footsteps of other crime dramas. The acting by the cast too is absolutely spot on. Saif Ali Khan is convincing as a Sikh police officer and even nails his Punjabi accent while he is at it. It seems that playing a ruthless gangster can come to Nawaz even in his sleep as like his past performances he fits this role like a glove. Radhika Apte delivers an impactful performance as a RAW agent. Another standout performance in the Indian web series is by Kubra Sait, who plays a transgender singer and dancer Kukoo. She mesmerises the audience and Gaitonde. Mirzapur Mirzapur is a typical gang war drama in which people are ready to go to any extent for securing power. Right from the first scene itself, this seemingly lawless land is ruled by Akhanda Tripathi aka Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi). Carrying out a carpet business as a cover, Kaleen Bhaiya carries out every illegal activity imaginable like dealing in desi kattas (guns), drugs and blackmail to name a few. His son Munna, played by Divyendu Sharma, is extremely hungry for power and wishes to take over control from his father as soon as possible. In walk two brothers Guddu (Ali Fazal) and Bablu Pandit (Vikrant Massey), who join Kaleen’s business activities as they catch his attention thanks to their impressive hustling skills.