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<p>Mainland India should have been the last place where South Korean entertainment would find fans. Ours is a country with its own thriving television and film industries. Culturally, we have been fascinated by the West, rather than our Asian neighbours. Our audiences are not known for embracing subtitles and are so parochial that no actress from Northeast India was considered for the role of champion Manipuri boxer Mary Kom in the mainstream Bollywood film based on her life.</p><p>Yet, according to Netflix India, in 2020, there was a 370 per cent growth in the Indian viewership of Korean television serials, fondly known as K-dramas. While Korean entertainment has had a loyal following in Northeast India for about a decade, the rest of India woke up to it last year. So what is it about this genre that has convinced Indians to turn away from the macho men of <i>desi</i> entertainment and towards the feisty heroines and impossibly pretty heroes of K-drama?</p><p>The key to the popularity of K-dramas lies in the storytelling. Determined to woo the female audience in Korea, its television industry has actively hired women writers. In 2019, <i>Forbes</i> reported that almost 90 per cent of K-drama writers were women. From zombie historical dramas to crime procedurals and romances, women are writing it all. Consequently, strong female characters, sensitive male characters who support powerful women, and a minimum of two swoon-worthy male leads per show are the norm in K-drama. The tactic is simple and effective: come for the pretty faces, stay for the storytelling. </p><p>While remaining focused on audience ratings and commercial success—after all, these shows are primetime television programming in South Korea—K-dramas are often both ambitious and idealistic. Along with high jinks, melodrama and product placements for everything from Samsung flip phones to Kopiko candy, subtle social commentary is also woven into the plots. Super-rich families are invariably dysfunctional while the middle-class home with working parents and modest earnings is shown as the ideal. Big businesses tend to be the hub of all villainy. Creative professions, like authors and artists, are glorified and just when you least expect it, the dialogue will casually sneak in a reference to Adam Smith, Slavoj iek or Martin Heidegger.  </p><p>Twenty years ago, the show <i>Coffee Prince</i> explored gender and sexuality when it set up a romance between an entrepreneur and his apparently-male-but-actually-a-woman employee. <i>Crash Landing On You</i>, one of the most successful K-dramas of all time, presented a cross-border romance that didn’t reduce the North Koreans to evil caricatures. Shows like <i>Stranger</i> and <i>Vincenzo</i> examine corruption by those in positions of power, particularly in the legal system.</p><p>Writing (and directing K-drama) is an epic assignment, beset with challenges. Each show is 16-20 episodes long and the duration of each is at least 60 minutes. Scripts must follow the strict guidelines laid down by Korea Communication Standards Commission (KCSC), thanks to which K-drama romances seem practically Victorian in sensibility. Shows can take anywhere from eight to 14 episodes to build up to a single kiss, and sex scenes are about as rare as pandas copulating in captivity. Yet fans will tell you that the conversation-heavy slow burn of K-drama romances feels more satisfying than the most graphic scene. Plus, there’s the added bonus of not needing to worry about either your dad or domestic help barging in while you are watching a love scene.</p><p>In February, Netflix announced it would spend nearly $500 million (around Rs 3,746 crore) on films and television shows produced in South Korea. That’s good news for the Korean entertainment industry and perhaps it will be a wake-up call for the Indian entertainment scene. Considering the average quality of Hindi programming on streaming platforms, our writers and directors could take a few storytelling tips from K-dramas. </p><p><em>Read India Today magazine by downloading the latest issue: https://www.indiatoday.com/emag</em></p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Roshni Majumdar </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">May 1, 2021 20:47 IST</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div>

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<p>Mainland India should have been the last place where South Korean entertainment would find fans. Ours is a country with its own thriving television and film industries. Culturally, we have been fascinated by the West, rather than our Asian neighbours. Our audiences are not known for embracing subtitles and are so parochial that no actress from Northeast India was considered for the role of champion Manipuri boxer Mary Kom in the mainstream Bollywood film based on her life.</p><p align="left">Yet, according to Netflix India, in 2020, there was a 370 per cent growth in the Indian viewership of Korean television serials, fondly known as K-dramas. While Korean entertainment has had a loyal following in Northeast India for about a decade, the rest of India woke up to it last year. So what is it about this genre that has convinced Indians to turn away from the macho men of <i>desi</i> entertainment and towards the feisty heroines and impossibly pretty heroes of K-drama?</p><p align="left">The key to the popularity of K-dramas lies in the storytelling. Determined to woo the female audience in Korea, its television industry has actively hired women writers. In 2019, <i>Forbes</i> reported that almost 90 per cent of K-drama writers were women. From zombie historical dramas to crime procedurals and romances, women are writing it all. Consequently, strong female characters, sensitive male characters who support powerful women, and a minimum of two swoon-worthy male leads per show are the norm in K-drama. The tactic is simple and effective: come for the pretty faces, stay for the storytelling. </p><p align="left">While remaining focused on audience ratings and commercial success—after all, these shows are primetime television programming in South Korea—K-dramas are often both ambitious and idealistic. Along with high jinks, melodrama and product placements for everything from Samsung flip phones to Kopiko candy, subtle social commentary is also woven into the plots. Super-rich families are invariably dysfunctional while the middle-class home with working parents and modest earnings is shown as the ideal. Big businesses tend to be the hub of all villainy. Creative professions, like authors and artists, are glorified and just when you least expect it, the dialogue will casually sneak in a reference to Adam Smith, Slavoj iek or Martin Heidegger.  </p><p align="left">Twenty years ago, the show <i>Coffee Prince</i> explored gender and sexuality when it set up a romance between an entrepreneur and his apparently-male-but-actually-a-woman employee. <i>Crash Landing On You</i>, one of the most successful K-dramas of all time, presented a cross-border romance that didn’t reduce the North Koreans to evil caricatures. Shows like <i>Stranger</i> and <i>Vincenzo</i> examine corruption by those in positions of power, particularly in the legal system.</p><p align="left">Writing (and directing K-drama) is an epic assignment, beset with challenges. Each show is 16-20 episodes long and the duration of each is at least 60 minutes. Scripts must follow the strict guidelines laid down by Korea Communication Standards Commission (KCSC), thanks to which K-drama romances seem practically Victorian in sensibility. Shows can take anywhere from eight to 14 episodes to build up to a single kiss, and sex scenes are about as rare as pandas copulating in captivity. Yet fans will tell you that the conversation-heavy slow burn of K-drama romances feels more satisfying than the most graphic scene. Plus, there’s the added bonus of not needing to worry about either your dad or domestic help barging in while you are watching a love scene.</p><p align="left">In February, Netflix announced it would spend nearly $500 million (around Rs 3,746 crore) on films and television shows produced in South Korea. That’s good news for the Korean entertainment industry and perhaps it will be a wake-up call for the Indian entertainment scene. Considering the average quality of Hindi programming on streaming platforms, our writers and directors could take a few storytelling tips from K-dramas. </p><p align="left"><em>Read India Today magazine by downloading the latest issue: https://www.indiatoday.com/emag</em></p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Roshni Majumdar </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">May 1, 2021 20:47 IST</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div>

Actors in K-dramas can be impossibly pretty, but the secret to their global success is their smart storytelling

India Today

Why Indians are fascinated by K-dramas

In a joint statement with Defence Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu said the strike was ordered to "neutralize" the commander. Israeli media reported that the commander was killed.

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Why Indians are fascinated by K-dramas

Actors in K-dramas can be impossibly pretty, but the secret to their global success is their smart storytelling

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