Independence, they say, comes with a price. Some have it and make extreme use of it while others try so hard to hold on that they don't get to enjoy it. In both cases, the meaning of independence is lost. But, first the question is what independence is? What does it mean to you and me and do we understand the importance of it? On the occasion of Independence Day we have a look at people who make us rethink if we are using our freedom in the right way.
To answer our earlier question, Independence for many of us is now just a part of life. It's that bank holiday which we spend in sleeping or catching up on pending work. The basic definition of Independence Day is to feel the value of our freedom which our ancestors have fought so hard to achieve. We, in our ignorance, do not see that we are surrounded by people who in some small way or the other are showing us that it is our birthright to enjoy freedom and wasting it would be insulting the sheer efforts of our freedom fighters.
Let's take TV as an example. TV has proven to be an impressionable medium and via daily soaps and reality shows we have seen many facets of different generations. Be it an Anandi, who stood up for her rights and broke the shackles of her child marriage and now stands proud as the Sarpanch of her zilla. She not only saved her life but has also helped many others around her who have been through similar predicament. She is a shining example from the list of TV bahus who, even as a fictional character, have been an inspiration to womenfolk around the country and have given them the strength to fight for their independence. Just recently when Balika Vadhu completed 1000 episodes, they brought forward the case of Laksmi of Jodhpur who took inspiration from the character of Anandi and annulled her own child marriage. She now has the freedom to live her life the way she wants and after this case she got termed as the 'real life Anandi'. Such examples just go to prove the reach of TV and its impact on people's lives. Today this Lakshmi took a stand and decided to change her life, tomorrow there will be another Anandi & many more such example. Let’s note that this change started from a fictional character.
Another good example would be the character Megha Vyas who used to play a widow in Na Bole Tum. The character faced many ups and downs in her life and just like real life, the show focused on society and its indifference to widows. Just because Megha is a widow she had a hard time dealing with neighbors and some family members. Her boss thinks that because she is alone she is vulnerable and tries to take advantage of her physically. The show truly depicts the journey of a widowed Megha who goes through all the atrocities and finally breaks the so-called society rules and ties the knot once again with Mohan. Just like Anandi, Megha too strived for her independence and has now embarked on a new journey. We recently spoke to a big-time fan of Na Bole Tum (check video here) who confessed that she looks up to Megha and has changed her life drastically and for the better because she saw her favorite celebrity doing it on TV.
Even though these are fictional characters, they paved the way for many who were struggling to free themselves from their problems. These TV bahus helped others achieve independence in the true sense and brought them new life.
