Rajeev-It Rained that night

T ulsi died.. Sujal and Kashish discovered they were in love.. Pranay and Maithili sinned.. Shruti pointed a gun at Par- vati. Yes, these scenes are from Balaji's stable but all the scenes had something in com- mon - it was raining. Whenever there's confronta- tion, romance or even tragedy on television, the heavens burst forth .. artificial of course. "Ambience makes a differ- ence," states Nivedita Basu, creative head of Balaji Tele- films, adding that rain gives tel- evision soaps a film-like feel. "Rain sequences help in break- ing the clutter of an every day show. Also, Ektaa (Kapoor) likes to give a Raj Kapoor or Yash Chopra touch." She adds, "Artificial rain is usually used in confrontation- al scenes. It helps to increase the drama or romance and lends more physical and sexu- al tension." Remember the scene in Kasauti Zindagi Kay when for- mer lovers Prerana and Anurag (then married to Komolika) get stuck in a rainstorm and exchange glances as they share a bhutta? Or right in the beginning of Kahiin Toh Hoga when Piyush and Sujal drop Kashish home, each of them taking turns to ogle at her in the rear- view mirror? The 'K' shows aren't the only ones to 'fake' it. Ek Ladki Anjani Si used sprinklers to fuel the illegitimate romance between Nikhil and Ananya when the former was still mar- ried and the latter still Kanchi Kaul. The most horrific scene was probably the one in which Mandira Bedi kills her unborn illegitimate baby (Aurat) as the heavens sobbed. While producers enjoy the sprinkler effect, actors aren't amused. Says Rajeev Khan- delwal, "We don't have a prob- lem about make-up. But the water used isn't of good qual- ity.. so it's difficult to open our eyes." He recently completed a day-long schedule of a rain- soaked football match for Left Right Left. "We were shooting from 9 am to 6 pm.. the water was from a tanker," sighs the actor, adding, "All of us had burnt skin. It isn't very pleasant. We have to wear the wet clothes even during breaks." But the actor admits that most of his romantic scenes with co-star Aamna Shariff in Kahiin Toh Hoga looks so much better because of the rain. "I'd much rather shoot when it's raining naturally but that isn't in our control, is it?" he smiles.