Meet the new-age trouble-makers!

Just a few years ago, glamourous vamps ruled the roost. They were trendsetters, whether it was their bindis, sarees or just their adas, it made an impact.
Times have changed now. The young vamps are hardly seen on screen anymore. A new crop of villainous women have taken over, but they are much older. The story-telling in serials too has changed. The days of the on-screen saas creating havoc in the life of the dutiful bahu is over.It’s now time to say hello to the evil daadis and naanis.
Uttaran has Pratima Kazmi playing the mean grandmom, Meghna Malik’s the mean Ammaji in Na Ana Is Des Mere Laado, while Naaniji in Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai is causing roadblocks in Alekh’s successful treatment by shattering his confidence, Surekha Sikri is the much-feared daadisa, and Amma in Chhoti Bahu ensures that she’s making Radhika’s life miserable. It’s the daadi show all the way.
Breaking away from the traditional and lovable portrayal of grandmothers in the shows, soapmakers have chalked out a different character route for the matriarch of the family. The makers believe that external forces bringing about negativity in family dramas don’t go down well with the audience. Production houses insist that the portrayal of the daadi/naani as the negative character is not just for the sake of ‘change’.
“If one observes the so-called negative characters, he/she will notice that they are not completely negative,” explains a channel official. “The grandmother is the matriarch of the family and rules with an iron hand. It’s natural for humans to err and her character is very human and real,” he says.
The actresses meanwhile are loving their roles. Says Surekha, “Initially the producers told me dadisa’s role is a negative role. But while playing it, I discovered that there isn’t anything called negative as such. It’s just a person’s beliefs which sometimes might differ from the likes of the others, let’s say the majority. The so-called negative person also has emotions, has his own thinking and set of rights and wrongs.” She further adds, “While playing this role, or any role for that matter you have to be into the character, you have to live the person you are enacting. So, whether you eye it as negative or not, for me, this character too has its own positive light.”
The grannies, it seems, are here to stay, at least for a while till some others take over. Everything that happens should be within the house, even if it’s a person spreading bad vibes. And honestly, people are tired of watching the same saas-bahu struggles,” says Sara Khan. Well looks like no one’s complaining. Sara adds, “It’s a family drama after all.”