Posted:
got dis from kaajjal forum...thnx 2 manoj_tina fan😳
Man of the moment
Sandiip Sikcand, Chief Creative Director, Sony, is the talk of the town. One, for parting ways with Ekta Kapoor and two for getting Balaji artistes to produce and act in Sony shows. Sandiip clears the air in this free-wheeling interview ...
How has your experience with Sony been so far?
So far so good. However, I must say it's a little unsettling that in the eight weeks since I joined the channel, controversies have been hounding me ...
I think this is completely unfair. I am not smuggling or poaching Balaji artistes. All the actors have a mind of their own and decide their career moves. Moreover, I will never do anything against my parent company. But as a producer, I am interested in bringing on good shows and artistes which is strictly professional. If some of the actors are finishing their contracts with Balaji Telefilms and are looking at doing new shows what's wrong with that? For instance, Aamna Shariff and I go back a long way. When I joined Balaji I had to undergo training as the associate director of a serial and that was Kaahin To Hoga. She is a fantastic actress and working with her will be a nostalgic experience for me. I feel very positive about the show we will be doing with her. 😕 ( is it comfirmed???) Even Smriti Irani is producing a show for you?
Yes, it's called Viruddh. A daily soap, it depicts a powerful and different kind of conflict. Back at Balaji I was handling Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii but I always admired Tulsi. There I never got a chance to work with her, so I am very excited about her show in which she will also be acting. She's an amazing person. Tell us about Renuka Shahane who's making a comeback through a serial on your channel.
If you notice, most of the soaps on air today are about and for young girls. I thought we should have a show which targets the married audience, the homemakers, the wives. Jeete Hai Jiske Liye, produced by Deeya and Tony Singh,(👏👏wud b interesting...wat say😳) is about a married woman's desire to be a mother. As for choosing Renuka, she's been a dream for me. I think she has a sunflower smile, the best in the industry. She is perfect for the role but we are still looking for a male lead opposite her. Besides her show, we have Anuj Saxena producing a soap, a love story set against the backdrop of Jodhpur. (Rajeev had a hush hush meeting wid anuj😕...kya sahi soch rahi hoon😉....keeping fingers crossed😳)
We will be starting a talk-show in December. A one-hour weekly, the show will bring a smile to your face. Full of warmth and masti, it is about celebrating life. Everyone faces hardships and struggles but this show looks at the positivity. Is it an adaptation of an international show or homegrown?
It is an original show with a lot of Indianess. Who will be hosting it?
We are trying to catch a popular filmstar exclusively for the show. Kaajjal is the first show that went on air after you joined the channel? What has been your contribution to it?
Kaajal was planned before I came on board. It's two weeks old and the audience response has been extremely positive. They have liked the freshness of the soap and Surveen Chawla. However, I think technically we need to pull it up and I am taking care of it. What according to you are Sony's strengths and weaknesses?
I think Sony's strength lies in its ability to experiment. The channel is always trying to bring in new stuff which may not always be fruitful. Yet, the channel is prepared for that. It doesn't get deterred from trying fresh or novel programming. The channel has a fine mixture of entertainment with soaps and reality shows. The negative points of the channel is that they tend to get carried away by the success of a show and bring on similar programmes thereby killing the factor of exclusivity. For instance soon after Indian Idol's unprecedented popularity, the channel immediately launched Fame Gurukul. The show though slightly different from Indian Idol was about singing and it became an overdose for the viewer. Now, we are going to take it easy and bring it on a seasonal basis. You have a lot of experience and expertise in dealing with family soaps. What is your take on reality shows and will Bigg Boss be your first big show?
Actually, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa is my first outing with a reality show. But I am looking forward to Bigg Boss which is a very exciting concept. In fact, I am calling it the reality soap. It has a blend of interesting celebrities staying in a house for 100 days with only the basic amenities. Their emotions, tears, anger or laughter is completely unscripted and unpredictable ... Will you reveal the celebrities?
No. I know there's a lot of speculation and names like Rakhi Sawant and Mika Singh have been mentioned in the media. I will not deny or confirm the names, all I will say is that the line-up is exciting and will be revealed on the launch day November 3. With the recent SIM card controversy surrounding Nach Baliye 2, do you think reality shows are becoming a farce?
Soaps and reality shows are different aspects of television. One will have to keep rotating between them. As for the controversy, there is no definite proof whether Manav and Shweta actually bought the cards. But it is important for the contestants to realise that it's just a competition. Don't let it overtake your lives. You will lose some, win some, let the audience decide. There was insinuation that some of the Jhalak Dikhla Jaa contestants also resorted to something like this?
I don't think so. Nothing of the sort was brought to my notice. What are your plans for luring viewers back to Sony?
In a couple of months we will be introducing a different band of shows in the primetime slot between 8 pm to 11 pm. What will be interesting about the soaps is that each one will be completely different from the other. My aim is to make Sony the most-watched channel. Which have been your favourite shows?
Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii which I was handling, Kasamh Se and two old Sony shows Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye and Alpaviram. Finally, tell us what led you to quit Balaji Telefilms and how is your relationship with Ekta today?
I was with Balaji for four years. They were fabulous, productive years. My parting with the company was sorrowful but the way things were going there I had to move on. (following rajeev's naksh-e-kadam😉)As for my relationship with Ekta I would be lying if I say things are hunky-dory between us. No, there's no communication between us and I haven't met her since I quit.
Besides handling the creativities at Sony you are also involved in theatre.
Yes. Next month I will be flying to Delhi for Vikram Kapadia's play Black With Equal. Recently, I also acted in the Mukesh Bhatt's Woh Lamhe. For me work is passion. I am the kind of person who works 48 hours in 24 hours!
hope dis materialise soon😳
Kumkum Bhagya
Debate Mansion
