Indian TV's old obsession... bankruptcy of creativity

Indian TV is in a weird spot right now. The old classics, such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, CID, and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, are making a comeback. It’s pretty obvious—they’re banking on nostalgia because streaming apps and short videos are stealing their viewers. So, are these throwbacks a smart move, or just a sign that no one has fresh ideas anymore? Maybe it’s both.

Honestly, it looks like the industry is stuck, hoping the old hits will bring people back. New shows aren’t clicking the same way. Either way, it’s clear they’re struggling to keep up with what people want now. Let’s see if this gamble pays off, but right now, it’s all about what’s familiar, not what’s new.

Now, why’s this happening? Simple: Indian TV’s having a bit of an identity crisis. Streaming platforms and TikTok reels are stealing all the cool kids, so what do the bigwigs do? They haul out the classics, slap a new coat of paint on them, and pray to the TRP gods. It’s like your favourite band reuniting for a comeback tour, even though no one asked for it, but hey, the tickets still sell out.

And you can’t blame them entirely. Nostalgia is a cheat code straight to our mushy hearts. Who doesn’t get a little misty-eyed hearing that Kyunki theme song, or watching ACP Pradyuman say “Daya, darwaza tod do!” for the millionth time? Star Plus is basically banking on your childhood memories to glue you back to the screen, running the old shows at the same late-night slot and streaming them everywhere else for the Netflix generation.

But, plot twist: this nostalgia isn’t just a warm hug. It’s a red flag. The so-called “fresh” content on TV? Yawn. Same saas-bahu feuds, same love triangles, same “modern women are evil” nonsense. New shows like Anupamaa and Kundali Bhagya are churning out episodes faster than you can say “kitchen politics,” but let’s be honest—the IMDb scores are so low, you’d think they were grading on a curve designed by your strictest schoolteacher.

Writers are stuck in a loop, and it shows. Even the actors are rolling their eyes! Rohit Roy straight-up called the storylines “dakiyanusi,” which is just the polite way of saying “stuck in the Stone Age.” Ekta Kapoor tried to shake things up, but her new ideas got the cold shoulder and, well, back to the drawing board.

So here we are, stuck in a rerun spiral. Will anyone break the cycle? Maybe. But until then, grab your popcorn, because the past isn’t just prologue on Indian TV—it’s the whole damn script. Forget stodgy TV dramas stuck in the past—OTT is out here serving gourmet content while Indian television’s still microwaving leftovers. Sacred Games, Paatal Lok, Scam 1992—these aren’t just shows; they’re rollercoasters, baby! Each one’s a wild ride with twists, turns, and characters who feel more real than your own family WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, good luck getting Gen Z to sit through 2,000 episodes of melodrama when there’s a new meme or a five-minute Insta Reel dropping every second. Who’s got that kind of attention span anymore? Spoiler: no one under 30.

The numbers don’t lie, either. Sure, TV channels still hog the remote during prime time, but the audience is getting younger and way more restless. They’re double-screening, flipping back and forth between soaps and streaming, because why settle for just one flavor when you can binge the whole buffet? Broadcasters see the writing on the wall—they’re trying everything, from streaming CID on Netflix to rebooting Kyunki for the digital crowd. It’s a bit like putting a new paint job on an old Maruti and hoping it’ll outrun a Tesla.

And honestly, OTT’s playground is wild. You’ve got creators running free, genres getting mashed up, visuals that pop brighter than Holi. TV’s old tropes just can’t keep up, especially when people have tasted the pure adrenaline of Breaking Bad-style storytelling. Short-form content? That’s the new espresso shot. Quick, strong, and wakes you up faster than your morning chai.

So what’s TV’s master plan? Stitch together old hits with new platforms and hope for a miracle. It’s nostalgia on tap, but let’s not kid ourselves—without some real innovation, this reboot train’s running on fumes. Sure, Kyunki’s promising to tackle juicy modern issues, but if it slips into the same tired tropes, viewers will ghost it faster than a bad Tinder match.

TV needs to take risks, experiment with genres, and—please!—ditch the perfect bahu routine. Bring on the flawed heroines, the messy families, the sci-fi sagas, the workplace drama. We want to laugh, cry, and scream “WHAT?!” at the screen, not just watch another sanskari daughter-in-law get bullied for 900 episodes. Give the writers some breathing room, let the actors off the leash, and maybe something magical will happen.

In the end, Indian TV’s obsession with nostalgia is like comfort food—it’s nice, but you can’t live on dal-chawal alone. To survive in this OTT jungle, the industry needs to spice things up, mix old flavours with new recipes, and stop being afraid of bold, fresh storytelling. Only then will it stand a chance of winning back hearts—and eyeballs—in this wild, streaming-first world.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com.