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INTERVIEW
WITH MALATHI VALEESWARAN, TELEVISION SCRIPT WRITER
She confesses that she is not a regular Television viewer and
that she actually does not like the visual medium. Surprising, when
you know that writer-poet Malathi's story 'Oru Karu
Uruvanapodhu' was adapted into 'Iru Mugangal' the
fiction serial telecast on Raj TV. She has also written episodes
for popular serials Alli Durbar and Ramani vs
Ramani on Raj TV, 22 short stories and around 500 non-fiction
articles in Tamil spanning a whole gamut of issues. Chennaibest.com
spoke to her on Tamil Television's approach to Fiction serials
today.
What is the current trend in terms of popular
programme genre?
Family-oriented stories are very popular now. The Intellectuals
may have a very different opinion of the concept of Family. But
Family, at least in the Eastern parts of the world, is still a very
big institution.
What do you feel needs correction in terms
of the present approach to Fiction serials?
 Today's
serials have warped portrayals of Men and Women. In fact, Men are
being portrayed with apparently feminine characteristics; like being
helpless and frustrated. And Women are being portrayed with attributes
normally associated with the Male; like seeking revenge, seeking
power, displaying extreme anger and so on. I would rather that Television
depicted Women as they are meant to be - loving, reliable and more
prudent than Men.
Another point I would like to make is that present-day Serials
tend to be extremely confusing, with entangled plots and repetitive
sequences.
Also, Tamil Serials still hold on to the concept of Varisu (heir).
This concept should go. Why is Patriotism not a subject today? Because
your viewers are youngsters looking at going abroad to work or settle
down. If the barrier of "My country, My nation" has
gone, then there should be no meaning in this claim of "My
blood" or "My gene". A baby is a baby;
whether it is made of your genes or mine. As a creator, I would
expect Television as a medium to help people think differently.
How different is the programme content when
you look at an age-group break-up of viewers?
When we target our primary audience of youngsters, we should cater
to their needs. Our programmes should address what they cannot ask
their Parents or discuss with their Teachers. On the other hand,
when you look at Afternoon timeslots, the primary target is the
older, at-home viewer segment. Even though senior citizens wait
for the youngsters to get back in the evening, there is little or
no interaction between them. So the seniors rely almost entirely
on Television.
Is there any characteristic of the Tamil TV
viewer that differentiates him from other language viewers?
Tamil viewers think in terms of words, not in terms of the senses.
There are stereotyped expressions that are still in use for a specific
set of situations. For instance, if the character has a headache,
the viewer would expect him to announce it by exclaiming "Ayyo
mandey polakaradhu" (My head is splitting). The viewer
will not be satisfied with a mild statement of the problem.
What would you see as positive in the Tamil
TV viewer's approach to the medium?
I think the great love that the viewer has for Television is the
strongest positive point. This loyalty to the medium is seen across
all strata of society. That means we have a ready target audience.
What sources of inspiration do you use for
scripting?
My focus has been on the Man-Woman relationship. I look at Men
with curiosity and observe how they tackle challenges that come
their way. I don't observe women as such, but I sympathise with
them.
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