Small Screen ,Big Bucks-article

SMALL SCREEN, BIG BUCKS

It's not just the TV stars who command big bucks. Directors of daily serials face high pressure levels, but if they deliver the TRPs, their pay packets zoom as well...

RANJIB MAZUMDER

The television industry is booming, thanks to popular high-budget daily soaps. And small screen directors are now raking in big money with production houses vying to grab the best directors. Today, an average director gets Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000 per day while prominent directors get Rs 40,000. And even newcomers make good money.
A director, on condition of anonymity, says, "Weekly serials used to have budgets of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per episode, which used to take 3-4 days to complete. Now, one episode costs a few lakh rupees. An average Balaji or DJ's (Tony and Deeya Singh) episode costs Rs 6-7 lakh. Producers are also ready to spend Rs 15-20 lakh for extravagant special episodes." According to industry sources, the instant success of Balaji's Kyunkii... and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki is one of the key factors for this upsurge in directors' pay packets. Earlier, Balaji was the only big paymaster. Then DJ's Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin and Sunjoy Wadhwa's Saat Phere joined the list of successful shows. After that, all the production houses were ready to pay big money to directors who could deliver instant success. "High profile directors like Anil V Kumar direct Ekta's shows when they launch, to give them the right push. She pays directors who can deliver high TRPs very well. Smriti Irani is going the same way. She pays a huge amount to Santaram Verma who is directing
Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan and the high budget Virrudh," says the insider.
But there's pressure too. Left Right Left director Anshuman Singh says, "Directors used to have the ultimate command in the process of scripting, editing and on the sets. Now, there is too much pressure to perform, in very little time. Directors are now machines who just have to deliver results." Santaram Verma says, "We know we have to deliver quantity, but there is tremendous pressure for quality control too. At times, it becomes very difficult."