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Saas-bahu ka rona-dhona to continue in 2007!
Industry insiders say that trends may change, but it's too early to discard family dramas, find Deepali Dhingra and Harshada Rege
The year 2006 was abuzz not only with reel life saas-bahu dramas, but actors shed some 'real' tears thanks to the advent of reality TV. Many predicted it to be the next big thing. There were also predictions that this would be the end of saasbahu serials and see the beginning of a new trend. But as days passed, the excitement around reality shows settled down and people continued with their daily dose of rona-dhona on television. So what does 2007 have in store for tele viewers?
Reality shows will rock!
Many felt that it was the lack of innovative concepts that were keeping reality TV from becoming big, others argued that they just didn't have enough content. Says Anuj Saxena, who recently turned producer with Sony's Kulvaddhu,"Reality shows will get bigger and better but it's not easy to sustain the popularity and novelty that begins with the first season." According to Shailja Kejriwal, Senior Creative Director, Star India, reality shows will continue to generate buzz around all channels and will be the high points from time to time. But Shailja adds, "Reality in small doses is refreshing but it cannot be your staple diet." Agrees Deepak Dhar, creative head of a production house, who believes that along with reality shows, comedy shows will also rule the roost.
But saas-bahu fights will continue
But the popularity of reality shows does not mean that the audience is not ready to accept new serials. Says Deepak, "Saas bahu soaps are bread and butter for any channel. They will not go away anywhere." To this, producer Manish Goswami adds that the content of saas bahu soaps will become a little bold as well. "This will happen as the youth contribute a lot towards TRPs too," he says. Shailja believes that daily soaps (dramas) are the heart of television content. "Programming will only work if it touches the heart of the audiences," she says. In total agreement is Anuj, who says, "Even if you talk about soaps, no two soaps are really the same today. There's definitely a shift, though it may not happen overnight."
Money matters
Among the better things that TV stars can expect are higher pay cheques. "When I started out five years ago, I was paid Rs 3,000 and used to work for 18-20 hours. But today, most youngsters ask for atleast Rs 10,000 and have their own terms and conditions. That's also because most newcomers are well educated and come from a good background. Acting is not their last option, but the first one," says Anuj.
Who to watch out for?
The television industry is teeming with new faces and hundreds of talented actors make their debut every second day. So who will be the new Tulsi Virani or Armaan Sir of television in 2007? Anuj says, that besides his discovery Daljit Kaur, Naman Shaw and Pulkit Samrat seem to show a lot of promise. "The current favourites will remain but someone to watch out for is Rajat Tokus, Deven Bhojani and Pulkit Samrat," adds Shailja. However, Manish believes that it's difficult to say who will emerge as a biggie on television in the new year. "It's the show which makes an actor, not the other way around. So it depends on which show becomes popular," he says.
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