DD scores a default hit with Pambaram
With those mega serials on Asianet, Surya and Kairali ruling the roost DD, Trivandrum had almost gone into oblivion, what with those regular serials with the usual 13 episodes and outdated marketing policies fast becoming a joke in the TV industry. However, they now have a default hit in Pambaram, a weekly 15-minute serial which is aired every Thursday at 7.15 pm. The show, interestingly, has entered the top slot on TRP ratings, putting back such past favourites as Sthree and Manasu. This serial, directed by Harison, is comedy with a new funny incident in each episode. Thankfully, without resorting to vulgarity or the slipping-on-the-banana-peel style of outdated comedy, the show has captured family audiences looking for a good laugh.

Yet another programme that has captured the imagination of the public is that one which takes a critical look at the media, by Dr Sebastian Paul MLA, a former journalist. The flaws in the reports by the media are well portrayed by the anchor, and his incisive comments are getting good viewership. It appears to be a shade better than another programme of the same type on Asianet.
Sthree completed a 75-episode run in its second coming. The serial which is a daily soap telecast at 7.30 pm from Monday to Friday is about a woman police officer, a lady journalist and a woman doctor who unite to fight for the emancipation of the woman. Vinaya Prasad, Beena Antony and Pragati are the three actresses who play the central roles. The serial is directed by P C Venugopal, and is produced by Shyam Sundar. Another serial on Asianet which is receiving good attention is Mahatma Gandhi Colony, a comedy entertainer directed by Film Director Viji Thampi. This daily soap telecast at 9.35 pm is about the funny happenings in a colony, and has a host of film artistes like Janardhan, Maniyan Pillai Raju, Jagadish, Mala Aravindan, and Indrans in the cast.

Sreekumaran Thampi who has directed many hit serials and films too, gives a very heart-rending story of a woman who married into a family with alien materialistic culture fights for the rights of her husband’s stepmother and her daughter. Adapted from a novel by Chandrakala S Kamath, the serial has Sukumari, Abirami, Ganesan, Reshmi Soman and Kaviyoor Ponamma in major roles. Jagathy Sreekumar’s serial Huko Huvo Mikado is surprisingly only on the 10th place on the TRP chart despite the presence of Kerala’s top comedian.

Filmi goings-on
In Maya Maya, a daily soap on the Kairali channel directed by Shajiem deals with the goings-on in filmdom and sheds light on the directors and artistes who manipulate and get manipulated to obtain stardom. Telecast at 9.30 pm the serial is written by Ranjith Sankar, and has Srinath, Beena Antony, Bharat Gopi, Sivaji and Thara Kalyan in main roles. It’s produced by Sagari Communications.

Directors’ special on Kairali comes to an end
A new concept introduced by Kairali to give seven episodes to reputed directors to make a serial has come to an end. The end is attributed to the fact that sponsors were not willing to issue advertisements for seven episodes, since the trend so far has been to sponsor only mega serials and daily soaps. Since viewership tends to pick up only after 30 episodes, sponsors felt a seven-episode show might not sustain audience interest. Sadly, almost Rs 1.5 crores was spent on these funded serials before the channel found that the directors were cutting corners on production and making a profit on the money at the the cost of quality.

Ayyappa Prasad