Soap operas - both daytime and primetime - have mushroomed on Indian television, and in the process have even got the NRI audiences hooked.
To separate the wheat from the chaff, here is R.M. Vijayakar's list of the Top Ten TV shows.

Indian audiences love emotional baths in TV soaps. The artificial, vicariously-foamy lathers that these unending soaps generate has led to eight of the Top Ten TV shows falling in this genre. Though the first soap came 13 years ago, it is the daily soap that arrived around 2000-2001 that triggered the TRP (Television Rating Points) explosion in the Indian psyche. These TRPs make or break the fortunes of shows, and even production companies and satellite channels are the decision-makers of content on television today.
The Top Ten TV shows, as per TRPs in July, follow. In a grandslam, Balaji annexes five of them, while Star Plus bags a record six.

1. "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi"
Producers: Balaji Telefilms
Channel: Star Plus
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
Today, Tulsi Virani, the character essayed by Smriti Irani-Malhotra, is a byword in Indian society, in spoofs, and even in articles on social influences. The model modern Indian bahu (daughter-in-law) has now made way for Krishna Tulsi, the Generation X icon, after the show took a second 20-year leap some weeks ago. Since 2000, nothing has been quite able to usurp this never-ending bore-a-thon from the top slot, not even the controversies and litigations over the regressive and controversial substance on the show, like sex-determination tests during pregnancy. "KSBKBT" crossed 1,000 shows some months ago.

2. "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii"
Producers: Balaji Telefilms
Channel: Star Plus
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
The Agarwals replace the Viranis in another unending and pseudo-progressive but actually regressive soap from the Balaji stable. This one's icon is Parvati (played by Saakshi Tanwar). Now, Parvati's turned avenger as her husband Om has been murdered because the actor wanted to quit! What about the now-standard 20-year-leap? Oh, sure, this one's taken that too. There are limits to how many twists and turns the overworked writers and directors can give within the same bunch of characters.

3. "Kasautii Zindagi Kay"
Producers: Balaji Telefilms
Channel: Star Plus
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
No one this reporter knows seems to watch this one - strange are the ways of the rating guys. "Kasautii Zindagii Kay" is the story of Anurag and Prerna and the trials and tribulations their love faces. Prerna is the daughter of a family friend, a girl of traditional values but modern aspirations. They both resist being matched at first, but later fall in love. Circumstances, however, force Anurag to agree when his manipulative mother arranges to get him married to someone else. Prerna is shattered and decides to take revenge on Anurag. A remorseful Anurag even aids her in her quest for revenge. Now is that crazy, or is that crazy?

4. "Kaahin To Hoga"
Producers: Balaji Telefilms
Channel: Star Plus
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
This is the story of five sisters, Kashish, Kanan, Mouli, Mehek and Charu, said to symbolize the five fingers of one hand - each different from the other yet connected by the same values. "KTH" is a saga-without-end of a triangular love story of Kashish that involves and affects the life of the other four sisters. Yet again, this reporter do not seem to find anyone who watches this show. There is no accounting for TRP tastes, as the fellow said when he saw a man kiss his mother-in-law.

5. "Saat Phere -Saloni Ka Safar"
Producer: Rajshri Productions
Channel: Zee TV
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
The slumberous TRP fortunes of Zee TV woke up with this soap-with-a-teeny-weenie-difference. This is a story of Saloni's struggles against the stigmas forced upon her by society and of her quest for her unique identity. Although India has progressed in technology, science and education, discrimination against women remains the root cause of regression in many societies. Saloni's talent is overshadowed by her dark complexion. But Saloni is determined not to let society ruin her will and spirit.
The problem about soaps that begin "differently" is that they soon take the highway to conformism. Let us hope that this patently Rajshri fare of positive family values and subtle messages does not succumb to the epidemic prognosis.

6. "Baa Bahoo Aur Baby"
Producer: Hats Off Productions
Channel: Star Plus
Genre: Weekend Soap
"Baa Bahoo Aur Baby" is Aatish Kapadia's and JD Majethia's (of "Sarabhai vs Sarabhai" and "Instant Khichdi") baby. It presents the hues of life packed with high emotions, idiosyncrasies and even more real situations of real people through Godavari Thakker's family of 6 sons, 2 daughters and their spouses and children.
The authoritative matriarch has worked very hard to raise her eight children and rules with an iron hand. The men go at work while the women are busy doing their bit to run the house and also try and win over the goodwill of 'ironhand' Baa. Kapadia and JD are best-known for their comedies and this one is a good blend of melodrama and humor.

7. "Kasamh Se..."
Producer: Balaji Telefilms
Channel: Zee
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
Bani, Piya and Rano are three sisters. Their father dies after making Bani promise that she will take care of her sisters. They go to live with Jai Walia, a friend of their father's, as per Dad's instructions. Complications begin when Jai's sister and her son hate the sisters, Jai falls in love with Bani despite the age differences, and Bani loves someone else.
True to the Balaji canon, this one's set for endless twists and turns with all the formula gimmicks, including tacky audio-visual effects to 'heighten' the drama.

8. "Kumkum - Ek Pyaara Sa Bandhan"
Producer: B.A.G.Films
Channel: Star Plus
Genre: Daily Soap (4 days a week)
It is irony compounded that B.A.G. Films' very relevant, hard-hitting and punchy issue-based saga "Rihaee" on Sony could not muster the all-important TRPs to survive. "Kumkum" is the story of industrialist Wadhwa's family. It is seen through the eyes of its protagonist, the favorite bahu Kumkum (Juhi Parmar). The family is riddled with internal politics and clashes, and Kumkum becomes the archetypal idealist-crusader-martyr rolled into one. Watch out for that 20-year leap - this dysfunctional family will take it any time to work up sagging lather.

9. "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya"
Producers: Endemol India
Channel: Star One
Genre: Stand-up weekly comedy show and talent hunt contest
Phew! The soaps run out of lather, as all the rest of them, across all the satellite channels (which now include Sony SAB and Sahara One), lag behind this comedy show-cum-competition that has now entered its second season. The humor caliber varies widely, depending on the contestant, judge Navjot Singh Sidhu is often an over-the-top irritant, but the show works wonders as a stress-buster. With a better time slot on Star One now vis-à-vis season one, this show is slated to move higher, hopefully. It's time for celebrations as chuckles outwit corn.

10. "C.I.D."
Producers: B.P. Singh and Pradeep Uppoor
Channel: Sony
Genre: Weekly detective thriller
The exploits and adventures of Indian television's Sherlock Holmes-rolled-into-Old Fox ACP Pradyuman (played by Shivaji Satam) continue into their ninth year. Since 2004, the production team has displayed great marketing savvy by boosting the show with media-hype around its single-shot episode, introducing the parallel series "C.I.D. Special Bureau" that ran as a daily for some months in addition to the regular weekend saga. It moved on with the times and respected today's minimum attention-span audience by narrating a complete 50-minute episode rather than breaking it into two chunks over two Fridays.
What's more, the original whiz-kid writer Sridhar Raghavan is back on board, and coming up is a big-budget two-hour feature film produced by the channel, besides a possible Guiness Book Of World Records entry as the longest-running detective series in the world.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHOW? DID IT MAKE THE LIST? WHAT DIDN'T MAKE THE LIST? SEND YOUR THOUGHTS TO US AT INFO@INDIANLIFEANDSTYLE.COM.