Agence France Presse

New Delhi

She looks plain, wears thick black-rimmed glasses, teeth braces and dresses in unflattering voluminous clothes, yet she keeps many in the Indian subcontinent glued to television sets at prime time four days a week. Clumsy, gullible and simple are adjectives used to describe her but Jasmeet Walia, better-known as Jassi, is one of the most popular characters on Indian television.

The Hindi serial ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin’ aired Mondays to Thursdays on the entertainment-oriented Sony channel — is the third most watched serial in the country of more than one billion people.

It is based on a top Colombian soap opera ‘Yo Soy Betty La Fea’ (I am Betty the Ugly) with the original Spanish series becoming a small-screen sensation across Latin America and among the Hispanic community in the United States.

The sympathetic portrayal of a middle class plain Jane, who deprived of glamorous looks aspires to be accepted in high society and is determined to make it big one day, has struck a chord among viewers in India too — where appearances and looks matter and most young girls crave to be Miss Universe or Miss World.

Millions tuned in to the final episode of ‘Yo Soy Betty La Fea’ in 2001 when the constantly fumbling woman finally overcame her gaffes and wound up in the arms of her boss. Whether the Indian series will end in the same way is officially a mystery.

When asked about the similarities, Mona Singh, who plays Jassi, responded — in Spanish — “I am Betty the ugly.”

“The series had such success in Latin America that we decided to copy it,” she said casually.

Jassi’s amazing mass appeal stems from the fact that people across age groups identify with her, analysts say.

In the serial, Jassi is pitted against a number of female characters who are fashionable, perfectly groomed, intelligent, well versed in the ways of the world — yet she manages to expose their frailties.

The serial’s popularity among the masses is undeniable — with “ugly” Jassi a close second to popular Bollywood actress Preity Zinta in a poll conducted by the Hindustan Times newspaper to find the ‘Female Face of the Year (2003)’.

The serial has given a huge ratings boost to Sony, allowing it to end a three-year barren patch when Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s Star Plus channel reigned supreme.

Sevanti Ninan, media columnist with the Hindu newspaper, said the serial is popular because it differs so widely from the serials presented on Star. “In the others, you see ghastly over made-up women, part of large families in fantastic houses with elegant decor. Jassi is different. It’s a break away from the usual mother-in-law, daughter-in-law kind of serials,” Ninan said.

Jassi’s “credible” middle-class household — complete with shortage of money, father out of a job and “believable decor” contributes to its appeal, she said, pointing out that the serial in any case does have its share of glamour — courtesy of the fashion house where Jassi works.

“But the plot is slightly improbable. There is a suspension of disbelief in the loyal and earnest Jassi’s ascent from a humble secretary to chairman’s assistant to vice-president finance,” she said.