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Ekta Kapoor is the only producer who has creative freedom - Siddharth P Malhotra
http://www.india-forums.com/tellybuzz/buzzin-hot/42309-ekta-kapoor-is-the-only-producer-who-has-creative-freedom-siddha.htm
Do comment on the article with the show name (Haasil) and full names of actors
Zayed Khan , Nikita Dutta and Vatsal Sheth
What kind of a response have you been getting as far as Haasil is concerned?
Actually, you'd be the right person to tell me how has it been working. Because I have been like a bundle of nerves as far as this show is concerned. I've put in a lot of efforts and it's not only me, but my actors and technicians as well. The response that I've got from the initial episodes of the show has been tremendous; what they are telling me is that there is no show on television that looks like the way Haasil does. We've always wanted to watch shows on Netflix and Amazon because they look larger than life and Indian shows don't look like that. Our endeavor with Hassil has been the idea of 'let's try and do an Indian show that looks that way in the given television budget. Their budgets are millions of dollars, whereas ours is Rs.10-12 lakhs.'
It was the first time that we wrote the entire show together at one go. Haasil has been written for over 130 episodes. The channel approved of 60 episodes before the show went on floors and we had shot 35 episodes before we were even airing the first episode. What I think has worked till now and I hope that the ratings keep going up is that the channel has believed in us and given us the freedom and conviction to go ahead and create what the maker wants to create. Otherwise what happens is that the channel gives you a feedback and the interference is always there, you cannot even pass the casting without their approval. With Haasil, we worked as a team and I am hoping that, that in a way, transforms into numbers because if that also happens the it will be a sone pe suhaga moment for us.
what exactly is the treatment or process you go through to cast your actors?
That's how it has been all the way and even today when I write a character, like when I wrote Haasil, I don't think anybody wanted Zayed Khan. I had to convince everybody that he is 'THE' guy and there cannot be anybody but him to play Ranvir Raichand. Since the moment I started writing the character, I was clear on how I want to cast Zayed as Ranvir Raichand and no one else.
Well that is my next question. As Zayed made his TV debut with your show, how was it working with him? Was it difficult to get him on board for the show?
You know, my equation with Zayed actually is a little strange. I first met him at a party and we both were totally high. He, for the longest time used to call me Karan Malhotra. Half the industry calls me Karan Malhotra and others send me birthday wishes when it's the other Sidharth Malhotra's (actor) birthday (laughs). So, at that point of time, when Zayed called me Karan, I was actually working on a courtroom drama and we just spoke naturally. I like opening up about stories when I meet him and we keep talking. It was 2:30 -3 am and while we were talking and he told me, "Ya man, I get this space." This was around 4-5 years ago and I liked him. There was something very childlike about him which was very nice. Everytime, I met him at a party, we were always drunk and we would never meet in a sane condition per se. He would call me Karan, I would say No, it's Sid and then we would talk about working together.
When we wrote Haasil, where Sameer is the writer who has also written Ek Hasina Thi among others; I asked Sameer that see, I can see Zayed for this character, so let's meet him. We met him and I told him about a TV show we are planning to do and about how we wanted to cast him. He was totally open to it, but we asked him to first hear the story and then take a call. He heard it and in fact he came on board as Ranvir Raichand only. Then we met him, he took the full narration, popped 4-5 ideas and he loved it. At that time, we knew that Zayed was 'THE' guy, but we wanted to complete writing the full show first. We only had an idea and we wanted to complete the writing of the show first, which took 4-5 months. Once done, we went to Danish Khan (Sony head) and made him listen to the full thing. By this time, Zayed would ask me if the show was happening or not. I asked him to give me time and also told him that the show will happen in only the way I want or else it will not as Haasil was the one show that I was not willing to do without conviction, and Zayed was fine with it. Finally, we did the look tests and mock tests which was more for them (the channel) than me, because I was fully convinced and thus, he came on board. He is one of those actors, who if you call at a 9 am shift, will reach the sets by 8:30 am, even before the generator van has arrived, ready with his lines.
So, I feel there is a hunger in him. Good, bad or ugly, that the audience is left to decide. We have tried our best as friends, as brothers to give everything we have into the show. A few episodes down, I go on to read different things about the show and the actor, especially on India-Forums.com. Every night after the episode has aired, I religiously go to India-Forums and read what people have to say about the show and the episode, their favourite scene, I even take their opinions on the episode into consideration and also input them in the show and rectify myself if I am lacking or have gone wrong anywhere.
So, I was looking at the posts on India-Forums and people have absolutely loved Zayed on the Haasil forum. So, wherever I have gone and seen, people have only been talking good about Zayed and that for me is victory. From people telling me, 'Are you mad, Zayed Khan?' to 'Wow! Zayed Khan is amazing in the show,' I feel great to have trusted my gut and cast Zayed for Ranvir Raichand's role.
Also, I am lucky that Vatsal Sheth and Nikita Dutta are not insecure people. Infact, Vatsal was so happy when he came to know that Zayed is coming on board for the show and even said, 'Yaar, Zayed to kha jayega show ekdum. (He would nail it).' So, I am glad that I am working with people who are very secure and confident and because they trust me, it is my responsibility to deliver which I always thrive for.
As a producer, what are the challenges while producing thrillers?
The thing with producing thrillers is that everything has to be tied up, every point which you write in episode 100 or 80, it has to be linked with episode 1, and that's impeccable writing. So for Haasil, we wrote 130 episodes, and right now, we know what the last episode of the show is, and how the last scene is. We know how the show is ending. That doesn't happen on television generally and this is the first time ever that someone is trying it and that is exactly why I am a bundle of nerves, because everyone should like it.
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