Rajan Shahi : “I’m very proud of Mohsin and Shivangi’s hard work”

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is one of the longest-running shows on Television which has enthralled the audience for over ten years. The show has brought a freshness to the stereotypical Saas-Bahu concept and has won various accolades in its run.

Television Producer Rajan Shahi who owns Director’s Kut Production and has multiple shows in his credits got candid about his journey in the industry, the success of Yeh Rishta and his upcoming projects among others.

1. Tell us how is it feel that fans have been giving so much love & waiting for this interview?

It’s good and we often interact with the fans. India Forums is a platform which connects the team of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and fans, I think my entire team read the comments which fans post on the portal and we even discuss it because each comment is very important for us.

2. Directors Kut Production has completed 11 years, how has the ride been?

I think we have already completed 2989 episodes and we started shooting almost 11 years ago and the success mantra of the show is teamwork. Talking about teamwork, the entire unit including the workers and technicians, 95% of our team has been working with Yeh Rishta since day one of the shoot. 90% of our Creatives and Writers are the same people who have joined us 11 years ago. So, I think a good show is made by a good team, a healthy spirit and one should have the intention to work with determination.

3. The characters you create be it Naira or Akshara, they make a place in people’s heart, how does that feel?

I was a Director for 15 years before I turned Producer with Bidaai but my maximum shows including the ones which I Directed were all character-oriented be it Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Kareena Kareena, Mili, Saath Phere, they were all character-driven shows. So, as a Producer, I always felt that TV is driven by characters and characters connect. So, during Bidaai I wanted to cast fresh faces though it was a glamorous phase when popular actors were being cast. I always wanted the characters to be established and Likewise, Akshara and Naira were established and I think they did a brilliant job.

4. Being an all-rounder, how difficult is it to keep a balance between pleasing the audience and handling behind the scenes?

I’m very proud of the fact that our popular Television actors are more popular than big film stars. You watch TV actors for years, they have huge power. So, I think there are many actors who receive success with time and get serious also while some remain very grounded. So, I think managing the actors is, of course, a very big challenge but the majority of times, the youth understand that this our seasonal time. So, it is important to understand that maintaining success is very difficult. I always ask the newcomers to keep their heads on their shoulders.

6. Being a producer you have brought so many new faces to the forefront and helped them flourish, how do you see that?

We have given a break to many actors including Parul, Hina, Karan Mehra, Angad was a total newbie. We launched Neha Sargam, I saw her audition video of Indian Idol and asked my team to track her down. We found her in Patna and she was supposed to go to college the next day. We brought Sara Khan from Bhopal after I saw her in a group picture but what I feel is that they all have worked very hard and so they have survived. We give them a platform but an actor has his own talent which he has to take forward. Today, I’m very proud of Mohsin and Shivangi’s hard work. The entire team works to build a character but it is the actor’s job to take it forward.

Watch the interview here :