Serials Like ‘Dr. Bhanumati on Duty’ Are Sexist And Unfortunately, Not Funny Either

Posted: July 29, 2016

Many serials like ‘Dr.Bhanumati On Duty’ are in reality sexist in nature and so out of tune with progressive though. Read to know what this serial is all about.

‘Dr. Bhanumati On Duty’ was launched on Sab TV with much fanfare in June. The lead protagonist Kavita Kaushik is a much loved face on TV and had played the immensely popular Haryanvi cop in the series – FIR.

However, the new show advertised as a comedy is sexist and resorts to various sorts of discrimination to elicit a few laughs.

The female protagonist is an army doctor who thrashes and intimidates patients and peers alike. The hospital has a variety of item girls and actors around the hospital, all in the name of being funny. In fact to treat one of her patients, she actually gets an item girl to dance and prance around him.

Needless to say the handling of the scene was crude and undignified. That particular episode ends with a cheesy moral lesson on how classism is wrong. It’s a different matter altogether that one of the main characters is forever talking about his wife’s elopement with a ‘poor doodhwala’.

The characterization of the female protagonist is decidedly masculine, hence showing her superiority. The other female actors are typecasted in the role of weepy hysterical women. The end statement seems to be that if you want to succeed, let go of your feminine side. Also being feminine means being an air-head.

The lead actor soon expressed her displeasure with the show’s content and walked off. Kavita, who was eagerly awaiting the show to hit the screens decided to leave it within a month’s time. She was unhappy with the way her character was shaping up on the show and she felt that her character had a hangover of Chandramukhi Chautala from her earlier show FIR. TV actress Debina Bonnerjee was roped in to replace her on the show.

In an era, where content is the king, this kind of slapstick is not appreciated. Till a decades ago, we were hounded with the saas-bahu serials. Female actors in trademark sindoor and manglasutra were either suffering one calamity after another, shedding copious tears or scheming against another character.

This trend recently changed with newer and better serials coming into vogue, which showed women in a more positive light.

If written and directed in a better manner, the series could be both interesting and hilarious. Showing a female army doctor was definitely a first, however due to mishandling the series, it lost a chance to be different.

Currently the show is off air and may be back with a new face and hopefully, fresher content!

Image Source: Youtube