Tamil TV serials have begun to lose their charm in Tamil Nadu.
Dubbed Hindi and Korean serials have taken their place, edging out the local competition.
With more and more TV channels preferring to air dubbed serials, the Tamil serial industry is slowly going out of business.
Thousands of artists and technicians, who depended on this industry, are now out of jobs and struggling to survive.
Matters came to a head with the suicide of Balaji Yadav, director of popular serials Arasi and Uravugal.
He allegedly committed suicide due to mounting debts and no job.
His death triggered protests, with unions of artists and technicians demanding a complete ban on dubbed serials.
But why has a state so vehemently opposed to the Hindi language, suddenly shifted loyalty to these dubbed serials?
Is it the glitz and glamour of Hindi serials, or are viewers simply tired of the deteriorating quality of Tamil serials over the years?
Here is what some hardcore TV serial fans have to say.
Palaniamma, 59, from Velachery, Chennai, is quite content with the Tamil serials and is a huge fan of Sun TV.
"I have a lot of time on my hands and Sun TV is my biggest source of entertainment. I especially love their serials,” she says.
“Chandralekha and Vani Rani are my favourites. I also watch Sontha Bandham and Deivamagal.
“Most of these serials explore human nature and relationships. They highlight everyday issues and feature characters that are very real. This is their biggest strength. Even my young grandchildren watch these serials."
She is not interested in the dubbed serials.
"I have watched a few episodes of Moondru Mudichu (the dubbed version of Hindi serial Sasural Simar Ka). It does not interest me. I prefer the Tamil serials."
Subha, 36, a housemaid, is a fan of dubbed Hindi serials.
"Jodha Akbar on Zee TV is the best," she claims.
"There was a time when I never missed the Tamil serials. But now they have become too tiresome. Most of them are sad and depressing or deal with illicit relationships.
“It is really funny; someone's wife or husband is always falling in love with someone else's wife or husband.
“My daughter first started watching the dubbed serials and now I too have got hooked.
“We watch En Kanavan En Thozhan (dubbed from the Hindi serial Diya Aur Baati Hum), Moondru Mudichu and most of the other dubbed serials on Star Vijay and Polimer TV."
It’s not the lavish sets, but the content that attracts them, she says.
"The sets are quite different from what we usually see in Tamil serials, but how long can that hold our attention? Without a good story, the sets alone have no attraction.
“Though the cast is glamorously dressed, they are very decent. They often have their pallu over their heads and are very respectful to their elders.
“Initially I watched out of curiosity, but today most of my neighbours, family and friends are also watching these serials."
But what of the dying Tamil serial industry?
"I had not heard of the death of director Balaji Yadav. I watched his serial Arasi, it was quite good. It is really sad that he committed suicide.
“Tamil artists and technicians should not have to go without work. This connection between my watching certain serials and Tamilians going out of work has never occurred to me.
“If the serials are banned, then perhaps we will be forced to go back to watching Tamil serials," she says.
Raji, an IT professional, also watches Hindi serials, but prefers to watch the originals on Star Plus and Colors
"I have been watching Hindi serials from my college days. I remember Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi way back in 2000 on Star Plus.
“Since then Hindi serials have come a long way, but the Tamil ones still seem stuck in the same old template. Except for a couple of primetime serials featuring popular actors, the others are totally out of date and boring. Also, you are forced to watch the same faces again and again in different roles.
“Today, if people are watching Vani Rani, it is only because of Raadhika. In any serial, the lead actors are the biggest attraction. Hindi serial actors command a fan following almost equal to that of movie stars, but the same cannot be said about Tamil TV artists. Most of them are uninspiring.
Raji too insists Hindi serials work mainly because of their content, “everything else is just an added bonus.”
Since most of the serials on Star Vijay and Polimer TV are dubbed, she queries if it is possible to completely ban all of them.
Pethanachi is a 22-year-old B.Com graduate currently doing an advanced Cost and Management accounting programme from Vellore.
She, along with her mother and grandmother are loyal followers of the dubbed Hindi serials.
"I was tired of the endless sob stories that were being telecast in the name of serials. Today, it just Star Vijay and Polimer TV for me. Even my mother and grandmother have stopped watching Tamil serials.
“You just have to visit the various social networking sites to know how popular these serials have become. Individual characters have their own fan page, which is constantly updated by the actors themselves.
“They have hundreds of followers. If we miss a particular episode and post a message, someone will immediately give a complete recap along with a collage of screenshots of the entire episode.
“It is a new and exciting world that is so much more fun and refreshing. I love all the colour, celebrations and joy that are such an essential part of Hindi serials.
“We also get to understand the customs they follow, their festivals and functions. There is so much energy and life in these serials, it lifts your spirits and you feel good.
“Tamil serials are over-dramatic and sentimental, often focusing on negative and depressing emotions,” says Pethanachi.
Banning the dubbed serials is no solution, she says, because you cannot force people to watch a particular serial.
“Why not make better serials instead? Kalyanam Mudhal Kadhal Varai is a proper remake of the popular Hindi serial Ye Hai Mohabbatein featuring Tamil artists. It has become so popular now. This proves that if the serial is good, people are going to watch.”
The product has to be good, she insists. “You need to constantly improvise, bring in new concepts.”
