~*~Betiyaan Articles Archive~*~ - Page 2

Whose story is it anyway?

Producer Dheeraj Kumar refutes allegations by Rekha Modi of plagiarising her storyline for his forthcoming Ghar Ki Laxmi-Betiyaan

Reena Thapar Kapoor

Script-writer Rekha Modi's much touted television show Betiyaan is in troubled waters. The show was originally approved by Zee TV by writer and producer Dheeraj Kumar. Due to certain creative differences, Dheeraj and Rekha parted ways. "At the time, Dheeraj told me that neither he and nor the channel were interested in making the show," says Rekha. She then approached Star Plus who accepted the concept and the show was soon under production.

However, it came as a shock to Rekha when she discovered that Dheeraj Kumar had lied to her about Zee TV's lack of interest in making Betiyaan. "Recently, when I saw the promos of the show on Zee I was taken aback. How can he make a show which I've conceived and written?" asks an angry Rekha.

In response to the Rekha Modi's allegations, Dheeraj Kumar said, "Everyone is aware of Rekhaji's (Modi) past history. She can say whatever she wants. I know that I'm not at fault. Legally, my company Creative Eye is in lace. We have papers to prove that Betiyaan was our concept. Our show will go on air and no one can stop that."

While Zee's show is called Ghar Ki Laxmi-Betiyaan, Star Plus is gearing up Betiyaan, the scripted by Rekha. Both the titles have been registered with the Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers of India (AMPTPP) under Rekha's name. "Both the titles are registered in my name. Dheeraj Kumar stabbed me in the back. After stealing my concept does he think that his show will do well? I'll make sure that his show doesn't go on air. Looks like Zee and Dheeraj's company Creative Eye have a dearth of ideas and that's why they lifted my concept and have shamelessly started work on it. I've taken the issue to AMPTPP and the Film Writers Association. They know the truth as they have every possible document. I'm sure that I'll get justice," she says.

Aswini Yardi, the programming head of Zee TV, and Sheilja Kejriwal, the programming head of Star Plus have confirmed that they're making the shows. So, essentially, a television soap with a similar story line, characters and backdrop will be shown on two different channels.

When contacted, Pahlaj Nihlani, chairman AMPTPP said, "Rekha had registered the title Betiyaan on 29 July 2006. We have evidence that she was making the show for Dheeraj Kumar at the time. Being the writer of the show, she has full rights to stop Dheeraj's show from going on air. I've called a meeting where a decision will be taken. If Dheeraj is proved guilty he'll have to pay for the damage that he has caused to Rekha."

• Everyone is aware of Rekha's (Modi) past history. She can say whatever she wants. I know that I'm not at fault. We have papers to prove that Betiyaan was our concept. Our show will go on air and no one can stop that – Dheeraj Kumar

http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=394454&K W=dheeraj

Rekkha Modi cries foul
By: Tushar Joshi
September 2, 2006

Rekkha Modi She is probably best remembered for taking on the mighty Tulsi Virani (Smriti Iraani), when the one-time friends turned life-long foes. Now, writer Rekkha Modi is upset with another one of her small screen brethren. Modi is furious with producer Dheeraj Kumar after watching the promos of his new show on Zee titled Ghar Ki Lakshmi — Betiyaan. The reason? Not only is the title registered under her name, but Rekkha had also narrated the show's entire concept to him not too long ago. Script tampered Giving specific details of what happened, Rekkha says, "I was earlier working with Rakhi Tandon, who was going to produce my show for Zee. Things didn't work out with her, then Dheeraj Kumar stepped in and decided to take over the project. Both him and the channel were very excited after listening to my concept. A lot of hard work and efforts were put in to put the project together." After making a settlement to produce the show under Kumar's banner on Zee, Rekkha realised that as time progressed, things started getting out of hand. "From the beginning it was my concept, my dialogues and my script. It was like giving birth to a child and asking a foster parent to take care of him. But soon I started feeling left out of discussions and creative meetings." Apparently, Kumar had brought in his own set of writers who started tampering with Rekkha's script. "Why should I let any one else play around with my hard work? I was asked to work on terms and conditions set down by Kumar." 'This is unjust' After a while, Rekkha told Kumar it wasn't possible for her to work with him anymore. "He nicely told me that I could go to some one else with the idea. In fact, the channel too promised me they wouldn't work on my concept anymore." But Rekkha got a shock when she saw the promos of Kumar's upcoming show Ghar Ki Lakshmi — Betiyaan on Zee. "It had the same title, feel and look to the project I had been working on with Kumar. In fact, I have a couple of titles involving the word Betiyaan registered under my name. I can't believe that some one of Dheeraj Kumar's stature can play around with a writer like me. This is not only unjust, but also a cunning plot that he has hatched to make sure my project doesn't take off." Rekkha has now filed a complaint against Kumar with Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programme Producers (AMPTPP) and CINTA. "I have full faith in these organisations, and hope that justice will be meted out me." Gender bender Apart from this project, Modi has also been busy working on a new show for Star Plus, which will air next month. The yet untitled show revolves around six girls and their brother. "Thestory is about the preference given to the boy over the girls. It's about how the dreams and ambitions of the daughters are overlooked, while the boy is always pampered. I am very close to the subject and passionate about it." The writer adds that she won't breathe easy till Kumar gives back her title and admits he's copied her concept. "I want my title back, and I will fight till the very end to make sure no writer is taken for a similar ride." https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/other-shows/393007/rekkha-modi-cries-foul-gkbl

Indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Delhi Police has asked Zee TV to remove promotional hoardings of its upcoming soap Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan saying the copy used was demeaning to women.

Reportedly, the police has written a letter to the channel, drawing its attention to the advertisement which carries punchlines such as "Bete ek fayda, betiyan ek ghata", "Beta apna dhan, betiyan paraya dhan".


"The advertisement smacks of gender bias and is demeaning to women. We have asked them to remove the hoardings put up at several places in the capital immediately," a PTI report quotes Delhi Police.

The soap was earlier in the news with Zee accusing Star of not only lifting the title of the show, but also the format for an upcoming Star One soap. Star in its turn countered the charges claiming early registration of the theme and the title in various copyright bodies.

Zee TV has scheduled the launch of the soap for 25 September. Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan is produced by Dheeraj Kumar's Creative Eye.

http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k6/sep/sep166.ht m

Feminists protest 'derogatory' remarks about women


After the hoardings of 'Ghar Ki Lakshmi — Betiyann' (Zee) were put up across the city Zee TV has been flooded with calls and mails asking the reason for such 'derogatory' remarks about women.

The promotional campaigns which reads — 'Beta ek mannat, betiyann bojh' and 'Bete chalaye vansh, betiyan silai machine' has raised the hackles of feminists.

But the channel itself points out it's premature to jump to conclusions. Tarun Mehra, senior vice president, marketing (Zee) says, "The show 'Ghar Ki…' deals with a social issue. Everyday we come across news of female foeticide in cities and villages. Our show will reflect the problems which exist in the society today."

Tarun reveals that this is just the first phase of the promotional campaign. "In the first part of the campaign we've spoken about the issue. In the second phase of the campaign, we will put forward our stand on the issue. We know that women should be given equal respect," he adds.

Twinkle Bajpai (Lakshmi) who is playing the protagonist in the show justifies the hoardings by saying, "The issue is just a reflection of what is happening around us. It is time people realise that there should be no gender discrimination. I am glad to be part of this show."

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1053179

Woman power: A still from Ghar Ki Lakshmi - Betiyann

What are little girls made of?

Ghar Ki Lakshmi - Betiyann is a great Indian melodrama but has the potential to take on a real social issue

Kausar Munir

Over the past few weeks our city has been inundated with the promotional hoardings of Zee TV's new daily soap Ghar Ki Lakshmi- Betiyann. And I couldn't help but think, "Not another outdated weepie…" And then the other day, I met somebody's eight-year-old beti. She lives in a posh suburban highrise, is bright and beautiful - but instead of being sent to school, she is made to stay home and learn household chores. Why? Because, she's a girl child! Suddenly the theme of 'Ghar Ki Lakshmi- Betiyann' didn't feel so outdated any more. Tune in to the GKLB household and you'll enter the TV version of Sanjay Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam gharana. Complete with jhoolas, jharokhas and jhamelas. One look at the dress and make-up and you can easily separate the good gals from the bad. And of course the painfully repetitive camera movements and borrowed film sound tracks prepare you for yet another great Indian melodrama.

The storyline is fairly simple - autocratic husband casts aside wonderful wife and four girls for a new wife who gives him a son! But what one is not prepared for is how easily you can connect with the little girls, the stars of the show, the betiyan! More than the suffering wife who has not been able to give a male heir to her emotionally brutal husband, one's sympathies gravitate towards the ill-fated daughters. One look at the sad, silent eyes (encouragingly no tacky emotional tactics were used with the kids), and you are hooked. Not only to their pathetic present but what will be an inevitably struggle-ridden future.

Here on it will be a struggle for the four daughters to find their rightful place, both in their cloistered home and the world at large. Undoubtedly the stories will, along the way, become more romantic-dramas, as happens with the shows with the best of intentions too. But if the emotional connect of the audience is as strong with the grown-up girls as it is with the kids, the serial may yet turn out winner.

Ghar Ki lakshmi - Betiyann, at the end of episode 2, has covered the introduction, the set-up and the growing up of the lead players too. So the pace is, so far, faster than other soaps. Also a smart channel move seems to be the fact there was no break and no 'false' freezes in any of these episodes!

Whether the channel sustains these encouraging trends is yet to be seen, but I hope that this theme of portraying girl's rights is genuinely upheld. Because we still live in a world where even in the heart of a so-called progressive metropolis like Mumbai, an eight-year-old is sitting at home because she is a girl…

Posted by maslatime😊

Is Ekta Kapoor running scared of competition?

Apparently she is revamping her old serials, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii to compete with new shows on rival channels

It's raining new serials on television. And this seems to have put Ekta Kapoor on her guard. Apparently she is now busy planning out new strategies to spruce up her shows which are already on air.

A source from Balaji Telefilms informs, "We are all set to revamp our two popular shows, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. The creative heads are continuously working on new ideas to up the TRPs. We have already got Gauri Pradhan back in Kyunki…to bring in a twist in the tale."

Razia Rizvi, creative head of Kyunki …, says, "At present we are having regular brain-storming secessions to counter shows on other channels, but the upcoming tracks of Kyunki… and Kahaani… have not been finalised as yet. As for Gauri Pradhan's entry in Kyunki…, she will be there only for a couple of episodes. "

When contacted Ekta Kapoor says, "Yes we are definitely revamping our two shows. I am not worried about Kyunki…, since it has its loyal viewers. But yes, there are a couple of new shows like Ghar Ki Lakshmi-Betiyann on Zee and Nach Baliye 2 on Star One, which can provide competition to Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. As for my revamping plan goes, I normally do that to keep my audiences hooked to the shows."

"As of now Kyunki… will be moving at its own pace but we will introduce a change in the track for Kahaani… by next month. Besides, I am planning to come up with a few new shows. However, it is a too early to talk about them at the moment," Ekta adds.

INTERVIEW | DHEERAJ KUMAR

Saluting the daughters of India

To some, daughters are a boon, to some they are a bane. There are people who still believe that sons are better than daughters but it has been proved, with time, that daughters are equal if not superior to sons. To prove this point Creative Eye has produced Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiyaan for Zee TV. The channel hopes that the serial will make viewers look up, sit and ponder on the point of gender discrimination. Screen chats with Dheeraj Kumar to find out more about the serial... What enthused you to make this serial on gender discrimination?
Look at the crimes happening on girls day in and day out. (hands out a copy of a morninger that exclaims 'baby killers of Punjab'). Look at how manual labourer Gulzar Singh exhumed baby foetuses from a pit outside an abortion clinic. This I feel, is one of the grisliest chapters in our country's fight against female feticide. Read in the newspapers or see TV news and you will find either a baby girl abandoned, killed or a teenage girl raped. Plenty of atrocities keep happening on girls round the year. All this stirred my mind no end and the result is Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiyann. Tell us something about the serial?
The serial is set in a Gujarati family. The house is a traditional Gujarati house where the entire Garodia family stays. The family comprises four young teenage girls who fight all odds and emerge winners in any given situation. Through the serial we have attempted to address the ever-persistent issue of gender discrimination in our country. Highlighting certain myths that exist in society, we have fictionally tried to put them to rest. Can you elaborate on the story?
It's not just one story, there are many sub-plots that we have inter-woven into the main story. The serial will show how girls are no less than boys in any field. We have women like astronaut Kalpana Chawla, Supercop Kiran Bedi, writer Arundhati Roy, journalist Barkha Dutt, producer of serials Ekta Kapoor, sportsperson Anju George, film stars Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit who have all excelled in their respective fields and more as women. The show's promotional peg is Betiyann beton se badhkar.
Yes, but there's no negative side to it. The narrative will stay within the moral parameters and aesthetic values of our culture and will desist from predictable plot extensions like much married characters, cheating spouses that drive most serials today.

Why did you cast Sa Re Ga Ma participant Twinkle Bajpai?
Zee TV recommeded her. We found her to be the ideal lead for the concept we were then working on. After auditioning her, I agreed with them and cast her as the main lead.

Why did you tie up with Zee this time when your Jodee Kamaal Ki was on STAR?
For sometime Zee TV has been showing woman-oriented serials in its prime-time slot like Saat Phere and Dulhan. I think Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiyaan is the right serial to be teleacst in the primetime slot.

http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=13645

Social Awakening

Television has always been perceived as a media for infotainment. So far, the accent has greatly been on entertainment and anything which attempted to spell information would be relegated to the current affairs channels or general entertainment channel like Sahara One. The latter has been noted for some informative and qualitative shows e.g. Haqeeqat which took a leaf out of reality and dramatized the true stories of people who suffered grave social iniquities, from the news breaking pedophiles to mentally disturbed patients who were victims of harsh treatment by caretakers to dowry deaths. At the same time, the leading channels - STAR, Sony and Zee confined themselves to daily soaps and myriad family sagas. The name of the game was TRPs. One simply cannot undermine the power of television. So far it has categorically 'sold' the glamour and gloss of its prime time soaps. Can it not be harnessed into selling social change? Recently, however, the satellite channels seem to be getting focused in the choice of new shows, especially those with a social relevance. Whilst commercial breaks peddle a lotion/cream which lightens the complexion for a wannabe bride. Zee TV first showed the way with Saat Phere, where a dark skinned girl is put on the marriage market. Socially dusky skinned girls are unacceptable. The channel reiterates its message by placing the show in a prime slot. At 9.30 pm - it's alright to be dark skinned and beautiful, the channel indicates. Now the show will be followed by another ground breaking show -Ghar Ki Laskhmi: Betiyan. A story of the Garodia family which has four daughters and a son. But the daughters and gender discrimination are the thrust of the series. It is in direct competition to STAR Plus' Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, how many eyeballs will switch over, remains to be seen. STAR One on the other hand has an answer ready with Betiyaan Apni Yaa...Paraaya Dhan a story of six daughters and a son born into a zamindar family. The father who rebukes his daughters because for him they are a burden. Paraaya Dhan may be considered the story of many a home in India where it is believed that a son will take the family name further and a daughter is paraya dhan. Both these shows if tackled well could be indicative of infotainment as along with family life, they will signal the import of daughters being given their place on the family table as equals. A facet which in most of India is not practiced nor accepted.

Shows like this may have made their appearance on Doordarshan, but given the gloss, the glamour and the satellite channel spin, both these serials Ghar Ki Laskhmi: Betiyan and Betiyaan Apni Yaa...Paraaya Dhan could be weapons of a social awareness. Neither channel is going to let the shows only speak for themselves. Ground events and other promotionals are being resorted to. Zee TV could even lobby for an International Daughter's Day.

It is truly a welcome sign that channels are going beyond trite soap operas and using the fiction format, the gloss and lavishing the same attentions to shows which will purport and encourage a much needed social change, especially among the classes who look to TV for their daily dose of relaxation and absorb all it can offer in the prime time lime a piece of sponge. Somewhere, some way a daughter will truly stake her claim as ghar ki laxmi and not be the paraaya dhan.

Years ago, Canadian TV channels telecast an animated show called Karate Kids that was based on a popular comic strip. Each episode would have a great storyboard with an underlying message which included drugs, safe sex, etc. Likewise, in the US the ever so popular He-Man series always had a moral message at the end. Hence each episode was built up to deliver the message. Both these shows are as representative of the western TV medium as are The Bold & the Beautiful, Dynasty, Friends and Baywatch.

http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=13642