EHT writer interview - The Telly Times

Many has liked Star Plus' current running show Ek Hasina Thhi', which recently also won the award for best serial. urlremoved get's in touch with the man Sammeer Arora, who has written the story of the show so beautifully.

We began writing Ek Hasina Thhi' almost four years back. It was a germ of an idea that Siddharth Malhotra my friend and creative producer of the show discussed with me that dealt with the issue of rape and how we should attempt a story of empowering a woman to fight back against this social evil. Though the issue was a dark one we wanted to make it and present it in an entertaining way and that's how the journey of Ek Hasina Thhi' began. Knowing that this had to be a finite series Siddharth and I worked out the entire storyline right up to the finale episode. Star Plus backed the project and their team has been our pillars of strength in the entire journey. Writing Ek Hasina Thhi' has been extremely challenging. Delivering 6 episodes a week of nonstop twists and turns has been exhaustive and draining but totally fulfilling.

Well there are many reasons the important ones being that I don't connect with such stories and if I don't relate with them it will be impossible for me to write them. The thing is I have seen very progressive women around me right from my mom, to my sister, my wife, my aunts, my friends and all of them are working women, very aspirational and ambitious. So I can only write about strong women characters who know how to take a stand and will take the bull by its horns. I feel women are more fascinating and far stronger species then men as they can absorb far more pressure and stress and hold the fort. I hope I can write more such strong characters like Durga Thakur and Sakshi Goenka in the future. Also in my opinion now it's time to work on and present different genres on television as the audience is open to accepting them. With advent of so many channels including the ones from the west the exposure to different programming is huge and the onus is on all of us who work in the business of entertainment to take TV programming here to a different level.

Inspiration is all around us in the form of news, articles and incidents. For example what just happened with the Australian cricketer Phil Hughes, it's shattering, one moment can destroy so much. My heart goes out to the anguished family but can you imagine what the bowler Sean Abbot must be going through. Will he be able to come back to the sport? Now here is a humane story that can be told with such an impact. So inspiration is just a thought away.

Yes I was sure that the story would be liked and everyone in the team felt the same. Though different it is a powerful story and the production house Cinevistaas and our broadcasters Star Plus gave the story such a huge platform. A story is well received only if it is made in a compelling way and that's where Siddharth Malhotra and Cinevistaas put in so much scale and effort to give the story its largeness and magnitude. It had to be mounted like a film. It had to have larger than life characters. A hero is only a hero if he takes on the might of villains who are like mountains and hence the Goenkas right from Shaurya to Sakshi to Rajnath had to be built like a strong force that would seem unbeatable and hence when Durga started winning against them people started rooting for her. Also the cause that Durga was fighting for had to be relatable. Restoring her sisters and families reputation was the noble cause that she is fighting for. Ek Hasina Thhi' works because it explores every emotion, it is a story of friendship, love, hatred and revenge.

The show has been like a child that I have nurtured. I have twin children and they are my lifeline and I consider this show as my third child. I get attached to my work a lot.

Ek Hasina Thhi' has been a very emotional journey. I think in this case it would be fair to say that I haven't created the show rather it's the other way round. The show has created me. I am here talking to you because the show has worked and I am indebted to all those who are responsible for this. It has given a birth to a new me and every moment that I have put in the show has been simply exhilarating. I have enjoyed the process a lot and have been very fortunate that I was a part of a fantastic creative team. Siddharth Malhotra, Tanu Tiwari, Althea Kaushal, Manoj Tripathi, Aparna Nadig, Satyam Tripathi and the team from Star Plus Dimpi Dey, Paromita Ghosh, Bharad Joshi and Monazza Khan who have been hands on with the show and supported us all the while. Yes the show is coming to an end but that's because we had only this much to say this time round and every story has to have an end, a happy end. The real feeling that the show is over will sink in when the last episode is aired and god only knows what I am going to go through that time.

Absolutely, writing is not just my bread and butter but my entire existence. I am here to tell stories and I am looking forward to telling many more. There are some wonderful projects in development with various leading channels and in the first half of next year a couple of them will be aired. The shooting for them is already in progress and they are very different from

Ek Hasina Thhi'. Very soon I will be able to share more details about them when the formal announcements are made. There are some exciting concepts and stories on which I have begun work on in the thriller and horror space which I am very excited about and I hope I find support and backing for them. Also I am writing two very exciting films and am looking forward to begin work on my first fiction novel as an author sometime next year as well.

It is because viewers exist do we exist. Not only for my show Ek Hasina Thhi' but viewers are the reason why this world of entertainment exists. It is our duty to live up to their expectations and that has been my endeavour always. I hope that I have been able to entertain them and I thank them for their love and support. It is human to make errors and even I must have made them but I can assure that with time I will keep learning and growing and better my work. This show has given me a lot of confidence and I humbly bow my head to my audience for showering their love and affection on the show and our team. Keep blessing always.

Writer: Nadia Malik.