Creating misunderstandings: In the world of TV soaps, this is the easiest thing to do because good people in soaps are all very dumb and get carried away way too soon. So the villains and mostly the vamps have a great time hiding the truth and portraying things differently to all other simple characters which also includes the take-all-shit protagonists. Result ? all the good people are misunderstood most of the time. Currently, Kaaveri (Aanchal Dwivedi in Saat Phere), Jigyasa (Ashwini Kalsekar in Kasamh Se) are best at the job made popular years ago by the likes of Renuka (Tasneem Sheikh in KumKum) and Mohini (Tasneem again in Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi...).

Stealing someone else’s husband: Kavita Kapoor did it long time back in Saans. This was followed by numerous others like Isha (Shweta Kawatra) in Kkusum, Mandira (Mandira Bedi) in Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi..., Komolika (Urvashi Dholakia) in Kasautii Zindagii Kay and recently, Roshni (Rakshanda Khan) in Kasamh Se. In fact, most saas-bahu soaps thrive on this formula. Catching hold of someone else’s fiance, boyfriend and even husband (and wife sometimes) is the favourite timepass for most of our negative characters. The likes of Urvashi Dholakia (Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Rishhton Ki Dorr) just excel in the art of seducing other women’s men and can give even Sharon Stone (remember Basic Instinct?) tough competition!

Accidents and murders: TV villains and vamps are as sinister as their film counterparts and even murder comes easy to them. One of the most shocking killings was in Kasautii Zindagii Kay where the docile--sweet Aparna (Geetanjali Tikekar) turned out to be a complete black character and sent a chill down the spines of the audience by stabbing her dear husband Anurag (Cezzane Khan) to death (he being saved is another story though). There are others who have evil written all over them and do it quite openly. Like Tanisha (Preeti Puri in Mamta) who tried killing her mother-in-law along with the serial’s heroine Mamta (Nehaa Mehta) who is also her rival and did not even want to spare her two-year-old child Krish.

Baby stealing: In the world of soaps, baby stealing also takes place quite a bit. Urvashi Dholakia stole Anurag’s son Prem and he came back all grown up (as Manoj Bohra) in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Similarly, Jaya Bhattacharya recently stole heroine Rani (Reena Kapoor)’s son in Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Tanisha (Preeti Puri) was planning to do the same in Mamta and the list can go on and on.

Driving the positive characters out of home: This is something that keeps happening in every other serial and is hugely inspired by Jeetendra starring remakes of Southern films (no wonder Ekta uses them the most). Most recently, the example of this conspiracy was Saat Phere in which the vamp Kaaveri (Aanchal Dwivedi) who just acts like a good bahu at times and only has evil in her mind, succeeded in getting her husband’s mansion transferred in her name and drove her parents-in-law out of the house.

Changing face and coming back: In a layman’s language, it’s called the theory of ‘Plastic Surgery’. This formula has been used in films, too. But it has found acceptance among serial fans in a bigger way. This is the favourite of one seeking vengeance. Like Mandira (Mandira Bedi who turned into Achint Kaur) in Kyunki...Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.... Narayani Shastri became Smita Bansal and fought back in Koi Apna Sa and so on.

Being friendly and conspiring at the same time: Staying in the same house, sympathising with the character and plotting and planning against him/her at the same time ?this happens all the time. Of late Kakisaa (Apra Mehta in Saat Phere) is staying as a well-wisher with hero Nahar Singh (Sharad Kelkar)’s family. On one hand, she pretends to think about heroine Saloni (Rajashree Thakur)’s well being while in reality she wants to keep Saloni away from Nahar and wants her own niece (Natasha Singh) married to him.