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*Excluisve* Creative Director and BBC Worldwide Fiction Head Richa Yamini on Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan, her journey, creativity and much more.
Ms. Yamini tells us about yourself. How long have you been a part of the industry?
Its been sixteen long years since I joined this industry and the whole journey has been quite adventurous since the beginning, right from joining the industry- my mother was completely against it as in 1999 it was still a very uncommon career choice for a girl from a small town like Patna. The story is as filmy as it gets, I had to actually book my own tickets to reach Mumbai but since then there has been no looking back. Through my career I have generally tried to pick some unconventional shows whether it is Kutumb, Jasoos Vijay, Mile Jab Hhum Tum, Geet or now Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan.
From Creative Director of Endemol India Private Limited to Head of Fiction BBC Worldwide how has the journey been?
I wouldn't call it a journey as I jumped from one job to the next! It was a natural progression of career.
Humor our readers please...You have been the Creative Director of some of the most popular shows on TV; and today you are the head of fiction of BBC Worldwide also producing the most watched youth show on Indian TV. Tell us what exactly is the role of a Creative Director and that of a head of fiction.
A creative director is responsible for the show or shows they are doing but as the head of fiction you have to get those shows to the company too rather than just make them. Obviously head of fiction job is much tougher as the market is very competitive.
While taking up a new show what do you see yourself doing within the first days as Creative Director?
The first key steps are to get your characters and the one line of the story right.
How challenging is it to be the Creative Director of a show? What are the creative challenges you face?
The whole responsibility of the product lies on your shoulders whether it is the scripting, casting,shooting, editing, music and the list is endless. One wrong step and the whole show can suffer, so you need to be continuously thinking, evaluating and improvising the show basically you have to live and breathe the show.
What about KaisiYehYaariyaan appeals to you as a Creative Director the most and what according to you about the show appeals to the viewers?
With Kaisi Yeh Yaariyaan we try to bring forward issues that today's youth face in their day to day life whether it is about dealing with being gay, teenage pregnancy, friendship or a relationship, we try to keep it real and I guess that works for the audience too.
Manik and Nandini has become a craze amongst viewers. Did you anticipate such a strong reaction when you penned down these characters?
I cannot be humble here, I think every creator wants their characters to be loved and appreciated when they are penning them down and I am no different. But the fact that the viewers did make my wish come true definitely humbles me.
Who/What were the biggest inspirations for your career? What do you enjoy most about your job?
I loved cooking up stories in head since I was seven years old ask my sister about it, I used to scare her with all kinds of ghost stories amongst many others, so its more like a hobby changing into a career rather than getting inspired by someone or something. And that's exactly what I enjoy most about my job making the characters and going through the ups and downs of their lives with them.
Does the interference of channels irritate your sensibilities as a Creative Director?
There is always room for negotiation, if you have a valid point who would not listen to you. But yes as with every good relationship you need to compromise at some points.
How important is it for you to get along with writers?
You are brainstorming with the writers 24X7 so it imperative to get along with them.
What happens if your final creative product (designed by you, your team and the channel) is eventually challenged by the director or actor on the sets?
That doesn't happen to me often but whenever it does, I always discuss the issue before it is shot and if the director or the actor has a valid suggestion then I do take them as everyone on the team is thinking for the betterment of the show.
Even today typical saas-bahu dramas are continuing to rule Indian television? And there seems to be no complete change in that trend, except a few here or there occasionally. Your 2 cents.
The world of television is expanding as more and more of rural India gets TV sets and to include them into the viewership, the kind of programming remains the same but everyone in the industry does realize that they are losing the more evolved audience and hopefully we will be able to achieve the balance where we can include everyone in the television viewing.
Do you think creativity is really encouraged on Indian television?
Of course it is maybe in hurry but if you think about it we are making a two and half hour long movie in a week's time and that too week after week month after month and sometimes year after year to keep entertaining the viewers for such long stretches of time, there is definitely some creativity going into it.
Creativity, innovation, new wave thinking, contemporary approach is out of the equation as far as the Indian mindset goes- Agree OR Disagree.
Actually I agree and disagree both. There are definitely some shows that are trying to tow the line but once in a while we do see something new and different. The day one these "different" is able to catch the eyes of the mainstream viewers is the day you would see everyone rushing to make innovative stuff. its not that makers don't have the thoughts, its just that they are scared of failure. Somebody needs to take that first step and get recognized by the audience.
Now the most important question out of all the shows where you donned the cap of a Creative Director which one was creatively gratifying?
It's like asking to choose between your children, I really cant! Each one is special, maybe for different reasons like Kutumb was a love story when saas bahu was ruling the gec, Jasoos Vijay had a strong underlying message about HIV AIDS awareness for rural India, Mile Jab Hum Tum was about college life when there was nobody making shows on youngsters, Geet got the typical mills and boon angry brooding hero to viewers when everyone was making the soft Raj prototype heroes and K2Y brings all shades of dark and light in today's youth's life, they are all special.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Making more shows, sketching some characters writing some more stories.
Any message for Viewers?
As Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan is my current favorite I would want to say a big thank you for making the show what it is today. Its viewers have loved the show with passion which only young hearts can do- thank you very much.
Credit : TT
Credit : TT
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