1. No matter what your story is, the protagonist of the show has to be a female.
2. Remember, your heroine should always be portrayed as naive, vulnerable and docile.
3. Scale and grandeur should only be on paper and in talks. Don't get carried away. No matter what the show's premise is, outdoor scenes should last for first 15 episodes only. Post that, every city in the world can be recreated in Film City.
4. No matter what high points you plan, your show will only pick up once the lead couple gets married.
5. There has to be a drama around the wedding. This is a trump card which has always worked in the past 10 years.
6. No matter what the marital status of your lead couple is, they should start seeing each other while working on the show.
7. Strict Warning: Stay away from serious thought provoking issues like reservation in jobs as subject for your show. They are good for the news channels. Even if your show is based on a social issue make sure it ends up showing women conspiring against each other.
8. Make sure your creative team creates a family of at least 20 to 25 characters because you never know which character will become bigger than the show.
9. It's a myth that sex only sells in films'. It works equally well in television soaps. Just don't let anyone know that you are selling it and they are buying it.
10. Always maintain a good equation with your broadcasters because they have the power to run a bad, non-performing show for a year!
11. Don't experiment too much with background music. Remember Dhum Tanaa Naa still can make a bad scene work.
12. No matter what the financial condition of your characters in the show, the set should always look glossy.
13. Remember the lead's mother should look as attractive as the lead. After all, fathers also watch soaps and it's important to get male viewers' attention.
14. Make sure your show is based in a specific region and it highlights a particular community. (Tip: target Marwaris and Gujaratis because if they decide to watch your show, you've made it!)
15. Hate cricket because that's your biggest enemy.
16. Ekta Kapoor and Mr Bachchan still work. A decade ago, they brought fortune to certain broadcasters and now to some others. So may be you should avoid your show getting slotted against theirs.
17. Every morning chant the following mantra 101 times " Om Shree TRP Namah " and try observing a fast on every Wednesday.
(Saurabh Tewari is ex-programming head (fiction) of a channel and now a film and TV producer)Unlike
