'I am equally proud of all my shows' - Rajan Shahi

Your show Amrit Manthan on Life OK is doing very well. Please comment.

Bidaai like Amrit Manthan is also a story of two sisters. However in Bidaai there was a strong bond of love between them whereas in Amrit Manthan it is a story of hatred between two sisters. Love and hate are after all are two sides of the same coin.

Amrit Manthan is a very realistic show based on sibling rivalry. If you just open the newspapers you will get to read so many stories about anger, hatred and betrayal between siblings. Indeed, there can be bloodshed even when two people have been born out of the same blood. Our message is that ambition, greed and ego will result in a downfall.

Our story is constantly evolving and isn't stagnant. Thanks to Life OK, which gives us the liberty to experiment that we have been able to come up with very edgy characters.In fact we have been able to make the protagonist Amrit edgy, dark and ambitious.

Initially Adaa Khan would get panicky while essaying Amrit. She would say that her character was too edgy. I told her that this was the most challenging role that she could get. A sweet, simple and positive character wearing a pallu after all gets boring.

Kuch To Log Kahenge isn't a TRP success. Please comment. Are you happy that the show has been shifted to the 11pm slot?

We experiment with a variety of shows. Kuch To Log Kahenge may not be a tremendous TRP success, however it has a loyal fan following. This is surely not a typical daily soap. The characters wear no gaudy costumes/ jewellery. It has no kitchen politics.

I am happy that the show has been shifted to the 11pm slot. When it was running at both 8pm and 11pm, the viewers were getting bifurcated. The show always got better viewership at 11pm. So, I am happy with the time shift.

You must be very proud of your showYeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai...

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is a feather in the cap for Director's Kut. It is a show which has made us proud. This is one show with no negative characters and has very relatable emotions. There is no false hype, gimmicks and drama. We have interesting characters. The journeys of the characters have been interesting. We have been true to the texture of the show, which is about love after marriage.

The NRIs love to tune in to Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. Apart from loving the plot and characterization of our show, they feel that our characters wear very sophisticated (non-gaudy) costumes and jewellery.

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai has constantly delivered for the past three and a half years. It will complete 1000 episodes very soon.

Which show do you think has been your best work till date? Bidaai?

I really can't choose which is supposed to be my best work till date. However I can say that Bidaai laid the foundation to Director's Kut. I am proud of the show which made its actors into stars. The success of Bidaai was followed by the success of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai which added to the reputation of our company.

On Wikipedia it is written that your show Chand Chupa Badal Mein was boring. Please comment.

Perceptions are subjective. Some may have found Bangaya Hamari Laadli Dulan and Chand Chupa Badal Meinboring whereas there may have been others who liked the shows. I am equally proud of all my shows irrespective of the TRP they have garnered and length of their run. We do shows that are different in texture.

There were rumours that the sets of your show Havan were haunted?

(Laughs) Rubbish! Maybe it was haunted by the hard working people working there.

Are you working on new shows?

We are working on two new shows which are now at the scripting stage. We would like to do episodics and seasonal shows.

What was the response for your telefilm in Star Plus's series Teri Meri Love Story? Are you making any new telefilms?

People liked the characters of my telefilm. There was an organic and realistic feel of a big fat Punjabi wedding to it. We are working on a telefilm script which is a love story.

Reporter: Pallavi Bhattacharya