25 July 2008

U-turn in Depiction Madheshi in Tito Satya, Comedy Serial of Nepal Television

By Harsha Man Maharjan

I was happy to watch July 24 2008 episode of Tito Satya(Better Sweet). It is a popular tv comedy serial in Nepal. Long ads during this program, proves this.

I used to blame these kinds of comedy teleserials for portraying stereotypical images of disables, women, non-Nepali speaking people. Usually it laugh at Newari, Hindhi accents.
Is it a big think when a BBC newscaster pronounces Sher Bahadur Deuba in different way as we do? It is obvious to do mistakes when a person lacks certain sounds in her/his native language. But Tito Satya always derides Newars for non announcing Nepali words properly.

However this trend got u-turn on July 24. It presents a Madheshi as citizen of Nepal, who has equal rights as other Nepali. It links power of Madheshi with the first President and Vice-president of Madheshi community. In the episode a Madheshi threatens to inform President and Vice-president about the discrimination.

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