The Indian version of The Vampire Diaries, Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal, looks just as cringe as the original one
Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal, has an IMDb rating of 7.1 and the Original vampire diaries has a rating of 7.7. Photo: dailyO
The Vampire Diaries is a classic that you must be familiar with if the world of vampires and Dracula intrigues you. I first came across this series when my 16-year-old sister suggested me to watch it during the Covid pandemic after describing it as one of the best series ever (she still thinks so).
So, I also started watching it not because I trusted my sister's recommendation, but because I had a lot of time and was looking for a series I could watch mindlessly.
I always had mixed feelings about the show, since there are parts of it which helped me to get through the pandemic, but then there were some parts of it which didn't make any sense to me (after season five).
Now, to compete with this series, we have an Indian version. The makers of the show claim is not the same as the The Vampire Diaries, my sister and I and those who have watched it do not believe so.
This Indian version, which is a soap opera, is available on Colors entertainment TV and Voot. However, I came across this show, Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal, through Instagram, when my sister shared a reel about it.
See it for yourself:
Now, as someone who has watched the TVD, I knew what it was all when I had a first look on it. But I thought it must be some reel taken from some old Indian soap opera.
However, when Instagram picked up my algorithm and started showing me reels about it till I was exhausted, I decided to look it up on Google. When I searched 'Indian Vampire Series', to my surprise, I got to know that the clip wasn't from an old shows, but a February 2023 series.
Since it was a recent release, it made me even more curious about its content. So, I started watching the highlights of the show on YouTube, and four-five highlights later (wasn't able to torture myself more), I couldn't understand why the makers of the show think it is different from the original one.
#IshqMeinGhayal teaser is looking like a mixture & sasta version of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries & Teen Wolf 🐺#IshqMeinGhayalWithKKundrra #ColorsTV #KaranKundrra
— Ishu Samar (The Dollywood Reporter) (@IshuSamarLive) January 2, 2023
Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal has an IMDb rating of 7.1 (Original Vampire Diaries has a rating of 7.7), and is receiving a lot of praise from Indian audiences, especially young ones who are loving everything about the series, from the plot to the cast.
So, first things first, let's talk about the differences: Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal revolves around the story of two brothers who are werewolves and not vampires. That being said, there aren't much differences apart from the cheap VFX, and much more cringe dialogues.
But here are some similarities that we are able to find:
Now, in Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal, the two brothers, Karan Kundra seems to be based on Damon, Gashmeer Mahajani looks inspired from Stefan and Elena or Kathrine's character in the desi version is played by Reem Shaikh.
- At the beginning of TVD, the two main male protagonists, Stefan and Damon had a hate/love relationship, which was mostly overpowered by hate because of a girl named Katherine, who Damon wants to resurrect from a tomb. Now, Damon has a soft corner for Elena, who looks like Katherine (you get the point).
Now, the plot is exactly the same:
- The vervain was a plant in the TVD that could avoid compulsion. The Indian series has a 'Shyam Tulsi' plant that has the properties to fight the compulsion from the Vampires, oh sorry, I mean the werewolves.
If you think that's all, you are in for a treat. Not only both the series have same type of cast, their characteristics are also very similar:
- Caroline, who is played here by Nalini Negi as Cherry in the Indian series has major character development within seasons, and it is very similar to the TVD.
Why are Indian Television soap operas going downhill?
The Indian soap operas have evolved a lot - from the regular Saas-Bahu dramas to now a Indian Vampire series. However, there haven't been any drastic changes in the type of content that is released from Monday to Friday for the mass audience.
Experts cite various reasons for the decline in quality, from pressure to produce an episode daily to tight budgets (producers have so many series going at a time).
This is not the first time, where we have seen Indian serials having the same content copied from the west. Check out some more: 
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.