India TV shows continue to be regressive in today’s world. These shows back in the 90s were way ahead of their time, portraying stories that were meaningful, leading to the expectations of people increasing in terms of the quality of the content they will create in the future, however, from that point onwards everything regarding Indian TV shows changed for the worse. India TV shows despite being very problematic continue to run for years and are somehow able to maintain their viewership. Some of the examples of problematic TV shows which were in fact very famous at their time are, Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah which portrayed patriarchal values and stereotypical beliefs in the name of humor. Another example is Naagin, which got released in 2015 and was a mockery of science. Moreover, this drama romanticized toxic relationships. Susral Simar ka is another example, clips of which have made its way to social media several times due to how absurd the content of the show is. From the main lead actress changing her avatars, to her suddenly gaining superpowers, the show continues to get regressive with time. There are several other examples which prove that Indian TV shows continue to be a disappointment. The same storylines are repeated with no consideration of the fact the world has progressed a lot in the past years. Moreover, there are simply no take-aways from these dramas, as all of them continue to show patriarchal values. Female characters fail to represent the reality of the women in today’s world. They are still portrayed using the binary of good and a bad woman, where a good woman is defined as someone who obliges to the orders of the men in her life. It is important that the makers realize that they need to move away from the content that they have been creating for years and create room for stories that matter as television is the most powerful mass media in India and continues to influence the worldview of people.

Over the past decade, the issue of plagiarism in Bollywood movies has become more prominent. Filmmakers are so fixated on making money that they aren't willing to take the risk that comes with making an original story. In recent years, almost every Bollywood movie has been inspired by either a Hollywood movie, or from some other global cinema. Being inspired by a certain story is not something uncommon in the industry, but not acknowledging that the ideas belong to someone else and the exact replication of the work is what raises concerns. Several bollywood blockbusters have been accused of plagiarism, examples include Ghajini which was accused of having similarities with Christopher Nolan’s movie, Memento. The movie, Satte Pe Satta, is considered to be a copy of the Hollywood movie, Seven Brides for Seven Sisters. Another example is, Meray Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, which has a lot of similarities with My Best Friend’s wedding. Plagiriams is not just limited to storylines but also extends to posters of movies and songs. An example of a movie poster being copied is Kangana Ranauat’s Judgmental Hai Kya, which according to Flora Borsi, a Hungarian visual artist , is a copy of her work. To deal with the issue of plagiarism it is imperative to implement laws regarding copyright which ensure that filmmakers don’t blatantly copy each other’s work. Moreover, it is essential to stress more on original content and encourage filmmakers to come up with new storylines and move away from narratives that have already been told by others.

Bollywood has played an imperative role in the worldwide entertainment industry since ages. Despite having a wide impact on the audience, Bollywood continues to reiterate the stereotypical representation of women particularly through the songs in which women are primary defined using the binary of a good woman and bad woman. Most of these songs are created to appease the male gaze, and putting forward how they perceive women to be. These songs continue to reiterate sexist beliefs by portraying women as objects which are needed by men. Such songs continue to limit the existence of a woman in relation to a man. The objectification of women in Bollywood songs is so widespread that people are desensitized towards it. Examples of Bollywood songs which objectify women are, munni badnam, shelia ki jaawani, feviocol se and many others. Most individuals listen to these songs without even realizing how problematic these are, reinforcing these beliefs and making these songs a hit. Many of our favorite songs propagate sexist beliefs and continue to be famous among the masses. Examples include Makhna, a Honey Singh song which became very famous recently. It starts off with the line “tujhe diamond jaise sambhal ke rakhna” implying that women are a commodity that men need to take care of. Similarly, there is another song which released recently Ek Chumma, which implies through its lyrics that a no is a disguised yes. Hence, men are entitled to tease women even if they have said no because of the assumption that women don’t mean it. Another example is the song, Pinky, which has this one line, “Mumbai ki na Dilli walon ki, Pinky hai paise walon ki” implying that women are a commodity who anyone with money can own, which not only objectifies women but also degrades them. It is essential for the makers of such songs as well as the viewers to take some accountability for the content that they are creating and watching. The negative implications that these songs have on the youth are unimaginable, and hence it is imperative that the art that is being produced doesn’t propagate sexist beliefs and doesn’t negatively impact the societal attitudes and behaviors towards women.