Sonal Jha Talks About Changing TV Trends, Blames Ekta Kapoor For ‘Making Regressive Content’

Television actress Sonal Jha is known for shows like Balika Vadhu. In the show, she played the role of Sidharth Shukla’s mother. Besides Balika Vadhu, Jha also featured in Na Aana Is Des Laado (2009-2012). In a recent interview, the actress was asked how television content has changed since Balika Vadhu and if it has become regressive over the years.

Sonal Khan revealed that she stopped watching TV after 2016 and blamed Ekta Kapoor for making ‘regressive content’. “When Balika Vadhu was being made, Ekta Kapoor was also making her serials on kitchen politics and (that kind of) regressive content. So, I am sure good stories are still there but maximum stuff is just the same as what has been going on (all these years). If there is any change visible, it is too frivolous. There are times when I get calls offering me ‘a strong and progressive character’,” she told Hindustan Times.

Jha further claimed that the ‘agenda’ of the makers is not to show progressive content on television and therefore she has distanced herself from the medium. She also explained why she thinks that TV is a ‘difficult medium to work with’. “All these companies are now talking about positive discussions around skin colour and body images but how much has actually changed? TV is a difficult medium to work with, if you want to work with a particular ideology or something,” the actress added.

Sonal Jha concluded by saying, “They could easily switch my Balika Vadhu character from progressive to orthodox according to their will. I would often fight with the creative team asking why my character was behaving in a manner completely opposite of what she had said only two episodes ago)? But, you cannot say much in TV. The channel can do it, but we felt powerless.”

Balika Vadhu ran successfully from 2008 to 2016. The show revolved around the life of a child bride. It starred Avika Gor and Avinash Mukherjee originally but their grown-up versions were played by Pratyusha Banerjee and Shashank Vyas respectively. Among others, Siddharth Shukla, Sargun Mehta and Mahhi Vij also featured in Balika Vadhu.

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