Here is a show that upholds feminism not by portraying women as cigarette puffing, free willers belting abuses "like men", but in a way that actually delivers impact. The drama is well-controlled, the dialogues are sharp, the performances measured. Most importantly, the characters are real, and the issue at hand is very very pertinent.
Here are some of the things in the Sampurna that any level-headed man or woman will be able to relate with:
1. The my-son-can-do-no-wrong mother of the family
2. The psychologically disturbed yet perfectly functioning young man with a thriving career
3. The aloof and spineless elder brother of said young man
4. The hapless O-God-what's happening-to-my-family father who is typically always the last to know about any family catastrophe
5. Meddlesome neighbours and relatives
6. The kickass homemaker of a daughter-in-law, who earns the "activist" tag just because she wants to do the right thing.
And then there is the subtle use of loads of much prevalent stereotypes that bring the script alive. Some examples:
1. Childlessness is solely the woman's problem,
2. The man who works hard to earn for the family may as well rape and torture the legally wedded wife a bit
3. A woman complaining about marital r#pe is mentally unhinged
4. Even if it may be rampant within the family, talking about marital r-#pe and torture goes against the family's culture, etc.)
Go watch Sampurna. These are the kind of shows that make me feel like doing something to change the various wrongs happening around us.
