To whom it may concern:
We, the viewers of your current most popular fictional show on Sony, have talked time and again about why we want this show to go on. We have mentioned why the story, with its originality and novelty in its treatment of issues (such as body shaming, victim blaming, sociocultural prejudices, unrealistic/unfair standards set by the society and so on) is so close to our hearts and minds. It goes way beyond being a mere means of entertainment, and with respect to both your time and ours, we would briefly explain why. Please bear with us.
The world right now is going through a crisis we never thought we would experience. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown resulting from it have affected us all on many levels, personally and professionally. Many of us already deal with the trials of life on an everyday basis and struggle to be physically and mentally strong through it all, and this global crisis has further aggravated these struggles. While it may sound inconsequential and superficial, this show in question has somehow managed to become a coping mechanism for many viewers, teenagers and adults alike. It has been able to promote positivity and hope by the way it handles its subject matter and portrays it through sensible dialogues and realistic performance. As a study has shown, such positive emotions can “also have a direct impact on the body” by ‘undoing’ “the negative consequences of experiencing unpleasant physical symptoms associated with emotions such as stress or anxiety” (Fredrickson et al. as cited by van Nieuwerburgh & Gardiner, 2021). The show has not only attempted to push the boundaries by challenging certain norms/practices but also given many viewers a sense of belonging, be it through the fictional characters or through the fellow viewers from the fandom whom they have interacted with across various social media platforms.
In order to see if this show has had any such effect on its viewers, an impromptu poll was conducted on Twitter and India Forums websites. At the time of writing this piece, the central question “Has IPZN been a therapy for you in this/these tough times of pandemic? Help us know by this poll. Also you can share your thoughts in comments that how much this show have helped you survive this pandemic” indicated that approximately 70.2% of the total Twitter participants thought it had helped them “Significantly a lot” and about 25.8% responded that it had helped “Very much”. Out of the India Forums participants, about 83% responded saying it helped “Significantly a lot” and approximately 16% considered it helped them “Very much”. Moreover, some of the participants on Twitter and India Forums have shared how this show has been “a complete therapy” while going through family issues and depression, a reason for “being happy” forgetting all the problems, “something to look forward to”, as a diversion and a source of happiness after losing “near ones to covid”, a “stress buster”, something that highlighted women empowerment and taught to “fight the situation fearlessly”, a way to “overcome [my] fears and crisis” and so on.
The show ISHK PAR ZOR NAHI is therapeutic for many of us viewers, and that does not mean we want it to go on for an indefinite period of time. All we ask for is a viable alternative to your current decision of taking the show off-air, and a timely and meaningful farewell that the show and its viewers (who rely on it and have invested so much emotionally) deserve. All we can do is request you, once again, to reconsider your decision and be remembered as a leading Indian television channel that made a difference during the pandemic through its content which helped people do better, be better.
Source:
van Nieuwerburgh, C. and Gardiner, K., 2021. Watching TV can boost your mental health during lockdown, study says. [online] World Economic Forum.
