by SUDHIR SITAPATI
The popularity in Pakistan of Indian soaps, with strong Hindu motifs, is not as odd as it seems. The content of soaps and films, like parliamentary elections, operates on the principle of the Largest One Takes All (LOTA). This means, the content of films and soaps disproportionately reflect the ‘culture’ of the largest single block of viewers (even if a minority) often to the exclusion of a fragmented majority. To understand why, think of a country with eight groups—each comprising 10 per cent and one with 20 per cent of the population. If each group watched soaps that only reflected their culture, a soap producer would rather reflect only the culture of the largest group (guaranteeing 20 per cent viewership) rather than all groups in their correct proportion (10 per cent viewership 80 per cent of the time).
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