The jury's decision not to award any of the TV serials this year for failing to achieve any of the objectives of the award should not be a cause for concern or complaint. There are so many stories that are corrupting the human minds that takes up the evenings of Malayalee families under the name of serials. Although the vast majority of serial viewers are women, substandard products of all sorts, including misogyny, are presented in front of them.

It is no exaggeration to say that the jury observed that the majority of the serials were substandard and could not be seen with family members. Anyone who has ever seen at least one part of any serial will agree that it is extremely real. Psychologists and thinkers were the first to warn of the impact of TV serials on the growing violence against women. Not only has there been no change, but misogyny is evident in them even more intensely.

There were 39 entries in the serial category for the awards, but not a single one was shortlisted. No one won the award for best serial, second best serial, best director or even in the art direction category. Last year too, the serials were rejected due to poor quality. Those who work behind the scenes do not remember how annoying the serials are, which compete with each other in portraying women and children in the worst possible terms. They do not even have the technical advantages and are taken forward by the stories of sexual harassment.

Most of the serials presented in the name of attracting women are actually degrading them. The government should take seriously the jury's remark that serials that insult femininity and portray them badly in various ways are taking the Malayalee community back half a century. Prudent people are of the opinion that it would be desirable to impose censorship on serials. The preference is for the opinion that there should be no control over the arts. But the path taken by serials are in such a way that some kind of control over them has become necessary. The department minister said the channels themselves should be more responsible in this regard and that censorship is impractical. The minister has said that action will be taken to convene the channel chiefs to discuss the matter on the basis of the jury report. Let's wait for a good decision.