Here’s looking at you kid!

By Rinky Kumar, Team iDiva

They are cute, adorable and they strike a chord with you almost effortlessly. Kids are the new superstars on the small screen.

Saas-bahu clashes, dance reality shows, talent hunts and comedy circuses may still be boring us on prime time TV, but they are no longer the only ones that enjoy high TRPs. The scheming saas-bahus are being given a run for their money by wide-eyed kids.
After the success of Balika Vadhu and Uttaran, everyone is now jumping onto the kiddie bandwagon. The logic is simple: If the protagonist is a kid, the audience can’t help but gush over how cute he/she looks and feel sad when the hapless kid is oppressed or cheer when they face a challenge and come out a winner.

Here’s looking at four kiddie serials that are cashing in on the cute quotient:

Aap ki Antara

The promos of this show reminded us of Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par. So we waited for the serial to begin. And we were not surprised. Like TZP’s Darsheel Safary who was a dyslexic, Aap Ki Antara too has a protagonist who is an autistic child. She is unable to cope with her family members and has no friends. How the lonely child warms everyone’s hearts forms the crux of the story.

Five-year-old Zaina Vastani as Antara is adorable. The show stars quite a few new faces. The show has had its share of controversies even before it went on air. Apple Reetoria, who was initially roped in to play the title role of Antara, quit the show after her mother accused the channel of hostile work conditions.

Chote Miyan Bade Miyan

Earlier we had stand-up comedians trying to tickle us hard with their sad jokes and over-the-top gimmicks. Now they have been replaced by kids – read: Chote Miyan Bade Miyan. Senior comedians mentor kids in this reality show. Though some of the jokes and acts are quiet impressive, the same cannot be said about the gigs pulled off by the prolific comedians. We have had enough of their slapstick comedy.

And yes, how can we forget Rahul Mahajan’s irritating laughter. Hope we see a new judge in the show’s next season. And yes, the kids are the only saving grace!

Balika Vadhu

This is the story of Anandi – all of eight - who is married to a guy of her age before attaining puberty. The matriarch of the family is an iron-fisted regressive lady who wants things her way. Avika Gor as Anandi seen in cute ghagra cholis is simply adorable.

Though the serial tackles primarily the issue of child marriage, it also aims to highlight subjects like education for the girl child, and widowhood at a tender age or so the producers would like us to believe. We think they are only TRP-grabbing gimmicks. But Anandi’s innocent ways have most of us glued!

Uttaran

This soap revolves around the life of seven-year-old Ichcha, the daughter of a domestic help, who works in an affluent family. She gets friendly with eight-year-old Tapasya, the only daughter of that rich family. The two become bosom buddies. The contrasting worlds of these two girls and Ichcha's constant struggle to enjoy the small things in life keeps us praying for this unfortunate kid…

All in all, these kids tug at our heart strings and we can’t help but go “awwww…!”