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Najmah

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Posted: 19 years ago

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An Interview with Ram Kapoor

'Method acting is about feeling the emotion'

Posted on 1 October 2001

The moment Ram Kapoor opted out of playing 'Rahul' in Sony Entertainment Television's daily soap Ghar Ek Mandir, it marked the beginning of viewers' disinterest in the series. The sudden change was met with nonplused reaction with people wondering why he left when the series was doing extremely well. Ditto among numerous review writers.

So tuned was the audience to the Rahul-Aanchal (played by Gautami Shroff) pairing that when Ashish Kapoor replaced Ram it failed to click with viewers. But it isn't just Ghar Ek Mandir that he has stepped out of. He is no more to be seen on Nyay and Kavita on Doordarshan Metro.

Indiantelevision.com's correspondent Harsha Khot met actor Ram Kapoor to know more about the sudden disappearing act from the television scenario and what he was currently doing:

Excerpts:

When and how did you get a break in television?
After graduating from acting school, I kept meeting people but the offers I was getting were pretty sideline work. Not that I was looking for only main leads but the roles were uninspiring so I kept saying no. Then in television I got a very good break, thanks to Mr Sudhir Mishra. He first called me to see him for a film. But that film did not work out. So two months later when we met he said there's a TV serial that he was going to direct and asked me if I would be interested in it. The serial was Nyay produced by Nimbus production house. The serial took time to pick up but once it got on air… six months later my phone started ringing nonstop for television.

No sooner had you become a name to reckon with in series like Nyay, Ghar Ek Mandir (GEM)and more recently in Kavita, that you suddenly disappeared altogether from television…
After Nyay for a while I did not take up any work. Then Ghar Ek Mandir came about, the screenplay was excellent, production house was Balaji. That got very popular and got me a lot of television work. Plus at one point I was doing four serials at one time.

I never wanted to do that much, but it all just kind of fell into my lap. It was kind of hard to say no to work. Sanghursh, Kavita, Nyay, and Ghar Ek Mandir. At that point I decided I didn't wanted so much.

So I left two serials. One was Kavita and the second was Sanghursh.
In Sanghursh my role was such that I go away after 13 episodes for about 8 episodes and then make a comeback. So I took a decision that I would not come back and my producers were okay with that.

Then this big project came along, I am not at liberty to talk about it but it is a project that an actor like myself has been waiting for. Not that it's a lead role or anything but it is a fantastic project. And that required a lot of preparation, lot of training, and they wanted exclusivity. Which is justified. So at that point I had to also take a decision to opt out of Ghar Ek Mandir, though I did not want to do that because I was very close to the show for many reasons. It did very well for me careerwise. My fans loved it. Secondly the whole unit was like a family. It was brilliant. In fact I was told to leave it (GEM) by December-end but I still continued through the whole of January, February and half of March because it took me two more months to adjust to the fact that I had to leave it.

Since then I haven't taken on any television work and have been doing pretty much only this project.

Why is the project taking so much time?
It is a very big project. There are a lot of big names involved because of that coordinating becomes a big problem. So there are a lot of delays happening. It could take at least a year more.

How has your experience been with the television industry?
I have no reasons to complain since I've been very lucky. I've struggled so to speak in the beginning since I had to meet a lot of people when I wasn't getting work for six months, but then I got my break so I don't think I've anything negative to speak about the industry. Yes it is true in the Indian television industry there is a lot of unprofessionalism. It is not very organised like the corporate world. If you are an actor who has chosen to be a part of this industry then you have to look always at the good and not the bad. If you focus on the bad then what's the point. There is bad in every industry if you focus on the good then you're okay.

You left Ghar Ek Mandir quite abruptly I believe it hasn't been taken well by audience and even the production house?
I don't have anybody else to blame. As an actor definitely you have to be true to your audience, they are everything after all. But in terms of career you are always looking for breaks and when it finally comes you have to take the plunge. I am not a star who has things in control. I can't say okay I'll do this one year later and they'll wait for me. So there I was faced with a choice. Either I continue with my work because I know that's what my audience wants and I do that at the risk of letting go something like this or since I finally got the opportunity that I was looking for definitely I have to go for it.

In GEM since most of you all, even Sangamitra and two or three others, left the serial as the same time, couldn't the show have been concluded before a big chunk of the team left?
We did talk about it. When I met Ekta (Kapoor, Balaji Telefilms creative director) and Shobhaji (Shobha Kapoor, Balaji promoter) they heard me out completely. They realised it was going to be a problem for the show, but they did understand that from an actor's point of view, he has to do this. When they spoke to the channel (Sony Entertainment Television), they put a lot of pressure because the channel was getting a lot of feedback from the audience. The Rahul-Anchal track was working very well so they didn't want anything to happen there. So at that point we - me and my CO-actors - met the scriptwriter, the Balaji team and the channel and suggested that the show be concluded. We offered to give extra dates around the show while an appropriate ending was worked out.

But at that point the show was doing very well and the channel did not want to end it.

Additionally, at the time I left, nobody knew that the other people would also leave. Though I was the first to leave, there were no talks at the time of any other people leaving.

It said that you left "unprofessionally".
Who is saying it?

The viewer definitely and even the production house?
I told Balaji Telefilms in January that I would have to leave pretty soon. This you can check back with my costars who were shooting with me. Everybody was informed about my leaving in the month of January.

In February I gave them over 30 days and 15 days in March. And luckily for me all the CO-actors the entire cast gave extra time as and when needed.

They had over a month's writing and shooting but instead of planning out a proper exist as they just continued as usual. Because at one end the channel was trying to extend my stay while the production house had hopes that I might stay on, so those 45 days were kind of wasted in terms of making a very crisp ending. So on my part I had informed them and had given them full month and a half. It was not like I suddenly said I am leaving next week.

'Method acting is seen in a bad light because a lot of people don't see the need for it. It's too real so a lot of people feel why go through all this when you can act it out. The whole concept of method acting is through your senses … to feel everything - if your are not feeling it then don't do it.'

Coming back to acting … What brought you to it?
I've always been into movies. My family has exposed me to movies - not only Hollywood and Hindi films - but movies from all over the world from a very young age.

By chance I went to a school (Sherwood, Naini Tal) that has a very good acting tradition.

A very famous person called Amir Raza Hussain used to come from Delhi to direct our Founder's Day plays. I was in ninth standard when he has asked me to audition. Before that I hadn't done acting at all. I got selected as the second lead in the play called Charlie's Aunt and then we did three months of rehearsals and five performances. Other schools came to watch. I think throughout that rehearsal process and the actual performances I realised that acting is something I definitely want to do. After that I went to Delhi and did further theatre …a lot of English plays.

When I realised I seriously want to pursue acting as a career. I decided to first go abroad and study acting. So I went to America and did method acting from Stanislovsky School of Method Acting because all my inspiration in terms of actors have been 'method actors'. All the people who get to me have all been method actors right from Marlon Brandon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino… anybody. So when I decided that I really want to pursue this.

I failed to get in at the first attempt so I worked in America for a year and a half. I finally managed admission and did the two year course, graduated and came back and got into the acting circuit. '

What are the things that you look for in a script?
I follow a certain thing. I am the kind of actor who will never limit himself to a certain kind of role, whether it is positive or negative. So what I do when the script comes to me is to read it completely and see whether I like the entire script. Is it something that makes sense to me? At that time I don't read it from the role's point of view at all. If I find it interesting then maybe after half an hour or so I read it again this time from the roles point of view that they want me to play. That's when I ponder over - do I like this character. How does he fit into the whole script, what are his good points, is he somebody who makes sense to me? Do I want to play this character? But the minute the script is read if I don't like it, even if the role is good then I don't normally take it.

Then I look into who is producing it, will they manage it. What is the production quality like?

You've acted in four serials so far. Of these, how many scripts have came to you beforehand?
In the beginning you don't get that chance because then you are looking for work and anybody who gives you work you are just not in the position to say, let me take a look at the script. But I was lucky enough in the sense that my first project (Nyay) was with Sudhir Mishra and Nimbus productions who knew exactly what they wanted to do with the show and what my character was all about.

Then, for six months I kept saying no to work I didn't take up any work till Ghar Ek Mandir came about. Good production house. When Ekta called me and spoke to me about the role she had a complete script and screenplay ready because it's a remake of a serial in the South Kudumbam, which was a hit, so they had adapted that completely to suit the Hindi audience. Every character was etched out very well, and again I knew exactly where the whole thing was going and where I fit in. So that was good.

After Ghar Ek Mandir, because it became so popular, my phone was ringing nonstop I said no to lot of scripts. Then Sangarsh came. Girish Mallik (director) called up and explained the role. Now there I didn't even know how the script and the story progressed but my role was a small and very tight one and it was a grey area. You don't know whether this guy is positive or negative. In that instance, without knowing the script I took up the role.

So overall I was just lucky.

What is you approach in terms of sketching out the character or in getting under the skin of it to bring it to life?
What is the history of this character? How has he come to this point? I go into the history of the character. Why is he the person that he is other than that?

A lot of actors, what they do is try and get into the character. I do the opposite. I try and make the character into myself. Everybody has all parts in them everybody has good, everybody had bad, everybody has mischief. All aspects of personality are there in every human being. When you read a character - whether a negative or positive - you find those emotions within yourself and make him as close to yourself. In my experience this comes out as very real. It doesn't come out as acting because you are being yourself as that person. So that is my approach. Because I studied method acting.

The Stanislovsky method is a very detailed approach to acting and there are specific things that you do… well I can't really get into that.

No please… there are conflicting views about the method acting approach so could you tell us more about it?
Method acting is seen in a bad light because a lot of people don't see the need for it. It's too real so a lot of people feel why go through all this when you can act it out. The whole concept of method acting is through your senses … to feel everything - if your are not feeling it then don't do it. A lot of training goes into that. Method acting is only big in America. For instance in Europe in places like RADA (Royal Caf of Dramatic Arts) where they do Shakespeare plays, there they don't really do method, their approach is very different, it is external. Despite that approach they are brilliant. There they say what is the point in method acting, which in a way is right.

In the acting school that I went to the success ratio of graduation in method acting is very low. Less than 50 per cent. In my batch alone when we started there were 28 of us but in the end only 12 of us finally graduated. Some dropped out in the first year.

I will tell you in one paragraph what method acting is. Basically they believe that our five senses store memory and those memories store emotion. For instance everyone must have experienced this while on a holiday somewhere and they must have smelled something that reminds them about their childhood with their grandparents, or they tasted food that suddenly reminded them of something their grandmother used to cook. So this is just a basic example on how all the five senses store memory, and those memories bring up the emotion that particular memory is related/connected to whether it is a happy memory or sad memory.

Sense memory or method which uses sense memory is just training yourself more and more to be able to use yourself to bring up memories, to bring up emotion to make that real. So you are actually feeling the emotion. That is what method acting all about, but the problem is that people get too into it, which is why method acting gets a bad name. I like to believe in the concept of method acting. Every actor uses some method or the other to prepare so that makes him or her a method actor anyway, whether you are using sense memory whether you are going at the back of the stage and screaming out you are using a method anyway. I like to believe that is method acting. But yes there are a lot of mixed reviews on the method acting.

You said that you often catch up with Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino… through their movies. What about them do you like?

They are the epitome of method acting. Every time I watch them I learn from them. All the biggest names of method acting, they feel whatever they are doing so well that there's not a single moment when they are laughing or crying or whatever they are doing… they are actually feeling that. They are in it 100 per cent. If it is shown that somebody is dying in front of them and they are acting that they are actually feeling it. That's the height of method.

Basically acting is playing pretend. When we were small kids we would play chor-police. To be able to put yourself into this different world and to be able to play this person and be able to feel the person completely is something that has always attracted me. The people who do this the best, I can just watch them forever. Each time I learn something.

'You need to be competent, to be on time, to have a strong work ethic. If you have all these then its fine, you'll get more work as opposed to the kind of actor who producers don't want. What they want are people who are fast.'

Are you ever spontaneous or do you follow method acting only?
No matter how much you train, acting is basically about spontaneity, about instincts. It's like painting. When you train an artist it is also very spontaneous and very instinctive no matter how much you learn. So it is a balance of both. You have to follow your gut feel, and your instincts.

Secondly, in my personal experience from acting in television in India (I haven't done any television abroad), if you do a lot of method you are asking for trouble. Because there are a lot of things that go into method, that go into it's research. A lot of preparation is required. But you've got to keep all that at the back of your head and forget it and then rely on yourself more to perform.

You need to be competent, to be on time, to have a strong work ethic. If you have all these then its fine, you'll get more work as opposed to the kind of actor who producers don't want. What they want are people who are fast.

What thoughts ran through your mind while acting during the initial stages? Are they any different now?

Well what went through my mind at that stage was the hope I don't mess up. I don't miss a line. Now with experience, the nervousness will still be there - be it on stage or camera - but it is in trying more and more to get into the character. To be as much like the person that you play as opposed to the person you are yourself. Definitely the nervousness is always going to be there. It will remain even 15 years from now. But it is much more about the role you are playing, the character you are playing, and the kind of dialogues, it is more about these now.

What brings out the best in you?
Before facing the camera I like to be prepared as far as my lines go. Have I understood the relationship that I'm having with the people in the scene completely. Once that homework is done, you forget about the script and everybody trusts one another. The actors trust one another, the director trusts the actor.

But while performing you let loose. Yes, you are following the script but suddenly you are going away from the script but it's still working. That definitely brings out the best in me.

Do you stick to the script or try to go beyond it?
I think what I personally try and achieve is after I've understood the script and my character well and how he fits within the framework of the script, you can trust yourself to go wherever.

And if that is not something the director wants he will cut it. Which is fine but at least it gives the director the opportunity to say cut or he just might say it is good. A lot of actors just stick to the script. I don't like doing that. I like to learn everything and then I leave it aside.

What qualities do you look for in a director?
A director who knows exactly what he wants from the project and he knows exactly what he wants from the actor. And after that a director who is willing to trust his actor. There is a term which I am sure everybody has heard which is called "actor's director". Now this term is rather freely used. But an actor's director is somebody who is willing to trust his actor. The director always has the visual in his mind. At the same time he is willing to see what the actor has to offer. That is trusting the actor.

What inspires you?
Acting and movies and plays is my world besides anything creative. Music definitely inspires me. The only kind of music that I don't like is heavy metal. I derive my inspiration from the people I admire, be it an actor or a musician. Anybody who I feel is 100 per cent into what they are doing. People who are clued to whatever they do, they are honest to their profession and they are willing to do anything and everything for that. That inspires me.

This is a pretty old article, but I just posted it incase people don't know who Ram Kapoor is.

Edited by *Piku* - 17 years ago

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Monika

@monika.goel

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Posted: 19 years ago

#2

Take Ten: Naman Shaw
By: Tushar Joshi
February 4, 2006

Naman Shaw

He plays the romantic lead in Zee's Kasamh Se. As Pushkar, Naman Shaw who is from Kolkata, tells us 10 things we didn't know about him…

When is your birthday and what is your star sign?
I was born on December 18, and am a Sagittarian.

Do you believe in astrology and numerology?
I don't religiously follow either, but if someone tells me about them, I do listen.

Where were you born and which school did you go to?
I was born in Kolkata and went to St Joseph's.

What was your first job? And how much was your first paycheque?
It was right after college. I modelled and earned Rs 4,000.

One thing you are really bad at doing?
I am terrible at romance.

What is your favourite smell?
The smell of petrol.

Where in Mumbai would you rather be living?
I am very happy staying in Lokhandwala.

What cell phone do you use?
Right now I am using a Nokia 2600, because two of my 6600s were stolen recently.

What car do you drive?
I don't have a car yet, but plan to get one soon.

Who do you regret losing touch with?
All my friends back home in Kolkata.

http://ww1.mid-day.com/hitlist/2006/february/130077.htm

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Monika

@monika.goel

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Posted: 19 years ago

#3

IS TV A SERIAL KILLER?

Rishi Majumder goes behind the arc lights and reports the daily grind that is the life of many TV actors

This serial was important to me, so I gave it my all. But I have learnt my lesson now." This is what TV actress Roshni Chopra has to say about passing out on the sets of Kasamh Se. But the dilemma about whether to burn out on one job or fade away doesn't end with one person, unfortunately. TV stars, writers and producers in the film and television industry admit to killer work schedules and play the blame game when it comes to the source of this problem.

"I've worked 24 hours a day and shot 10 days non-stop, and I still have 30 working days a month. And schedules will remain just as hectic," says TV actor Ronit Roy nonchalantly. Roy does not hold anyone responsible for his busy work schedule. "It's the way things are. If you want to work you have to comply," he adds.

Others are not as forgiving. "Just like doing your time in jail, you have to do your time here," opines Chetan Hansraj, one of the busiest actors on TV today. Hansraj is now taking it easy because he doesn't want to "kill" himself; and that is because he can afford to do so. "As a new actor I did eight to 10 scenes a day. I had to prove myself for the first three years. Only after that could I sit back and focus on quality rather than quantity," he rounds up.

But why does even a new actor have these schedules? "The script for each episode comes in late because of TRP demands from the audience. These effect changes like scenes being re-written and re-shot," explains TV actress Pooja Ghai. When Ghai started off, she was shooting for four months with about two hours of sleep everyday. When this led to her losing her consciousness on sets and being hospitalised, she remembers her crew members asking the doctors, "When are you going to discharge her? She has a lot to shoot?" before even checking on her. While such health break-downs among TV actors is common news, one actor called Jyoti Chanakya actually "overworked himself to the extent that his unhealthy lifestyle led to cancer", claims a TV actress who doesn't want to be quoted.

At the center of this vortex is the daily soap opera. Rekha Modi TV script writer for dailies claims, "A daily soap is like running a factory. Creativity roz karni hai (Translation: 'You have to use your creativity everyday', I suppose.). Due to the manic competitiveness in the industry, this will have to be according to the TRPs the channels receive. So the writer can't write their plots and characters in advance." Which means that the actors don't get their schedules till the last minute because one never knows how a scene is shaping up. "Often after going on floor you realise that the drama in the script isn't coming through, so you have to re-write, maybe bring in more characters," Modi adds.

Kinnari Mehta, producer of current soap Sinndoor, explains further, "We're in the middle of a boom. With serials on five days a week, we work 16 hours everyday. Even while talking to you now I'm working out the forecast for Wednesday and ahead, and my production house is one of the most organised. Imagine the mess the unorganised ones will be in." Mehta also points out that people are "glued" to daily shows, and that hence "there's nothing the TV industry can do but meet the trend".

But all actors aren't so fatalistic about this trend. Actor Sumeet Sachdev, for instance, says, "Even when I started out, I had the options to do many more shows, but I didn't take them on. I've never taken on more work than I can handle. It's not true that an actor has to do as many shows as he can fit into a day to prove himself. He could do that by doing one show and putting everything into it." But while Sachdev blames the actor's greed for money and fame for taking on so much work, Hansraj disagrees. "There is so much competition in the industry today that if a new actor gives up work, it'll go to someone else, and make his chances of survival shaky," he reasons.

Strangely enough the film industry, earlier known for erratic schedules, has eased its load. Says film producer Boney Kapoor, "This is because we're functioning as an industry. There's more dependability where commitment is concerned. Actors and producers nowadays insist on a complete script, before shooting, and stick to that. We're shooting films in a short span now, but that's because people are working on one film at a time. Every thing is much organised." Not having the burden of a daily deadline helps, perhaps?

All this brings us to another vital question - the quality on offer. Producers, writers and actors involved in the 'daily' phenomenon, defend it tenaciously, with Modi and Mehta claiming, "The output in one day is the same another would come up with in five days. It's up to the artists to meet the challenge."

Yesteryear's TV, film and theatre character actor A. K. Hangal however, has a different take. "Yahaan sab sirf paise banaanein ke chakkar mein hai. Kaam se kisi ko matlab hi nahin," he dismisses. He claims that earlier too, TV serials were prepared hurriedly to be sent to Delhi for Doordarshan, but at least they were meaningful. "Like Tamas", he cites. Directed by Govind Nihalani, it was an exploration of the communal riots in 1947 and analysed relevant social complexities.

While Hangal does blame the absence of such fare to the lack of "progressive, able and educated" directors, in the TV industry, he does not override the crazy TV deadlines as a factor as well. "I had played Vallabhbhai Patel in a serial called Mountbatten, The Last Viceroy, produced by a UK-based production house. They had prepared the script six months in advance and I had four days to go through it before I started shooting. Can you imagine that happening here?" he asks pointedly.

Actress Pallavi Joshi, once much seen on TV, actually claims to have retracted from the industry because of its daily grind. "The industry has gone crazy! Showing the same thing day in and day out exhausts both the actors and the viewers!" she exclaims. Joshi further elucidates that dailies exhaust all character and story options, leaving nothing for the viewer and at the same time exhausts the actor so much that he or she can't perform. "There's no definite character or line of thought. These might suit women who've come here to earn quick bucks before they get married and settle down, but not for someone like me who wants a career in acting," she argues. Joshi claims that she's praying and waiting for the weeklies to return. Maybe we all should!

* "Just like doing your time in jail, you have to do your time here" — Chetan Hansraj

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=17&am p;am p;sectname=Sunday%20Read&sess=249195198

Edited by monika.goel - 19 years ago

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43685

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Posted: 19 years ago

#4

"I don't follow anybody or any trend"

She plays a nerd and a bookworm in Zee's Kasamh Se, but the lady in question is nothing like her onscreen persona. Arunima, who plays Rano in the show, chats up with Tellychakkar.com's Chikita Kukreja.

According to you, what is the true meaning of beauty?
Beauty is being a good person from inside. Outer looks don't matter until one has a pretty soul.

What does trend symbolise?
There is nothing called trend. It's all about comfort and choice.

How much do you go with the statement, "beauty lies in simplicity"?
I completely agree with it. Actual beauty can be recognised only when it's presented simply.

How much time do you get ready?
Not much. I take hardly half an hour.

One accessory you always carry?
My purse.

What would you rather pick up:

Suits or denims

Denims
Heels or flats
Flats
Glares or contacts
Glares
Watches or bracelets
Bracelets
Branded stuff or unbranded
Unbranded

Where do you pick up your clothes from?
Because I am not brand conscious I pick my clothes from anywhere, from Shoppers' Stop to Inorbit to even road side at times.I hardly put on any designer wear. As far as denims are concerned, I love Levis Jeans.

Where do you buy your shoes from?
I love Catwalk shoes.

Who is the trendiest person in the industry?
Saif Ali Khan is one of the trendiest people in the industry. And apart from him, Preeti Zinta and Sushmita Sen are the trendiest ladies in the industry.

Who is the worst dressed personality in the industry?
I haven't noticed any one that badly dressed in the industry. They all take care of how the look and carry themselves.

What sets you apart from the rest in a crowd?
I don't follow anybody or any trend. And this is what sets me apart from the rest.

By CHIKITA KUKREJA	Posted on 6 Febuary 2006 3:30 pm
More Lifestyle

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Taf Khan

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Posted: 19 years ago

#5

Naman's kissing scene irks 'good friend'
By: Tushar Joshi
February 9, 2006

Roshni Chopra and Naman Shaw in Kasamh Se

What was supposed to be a normal day of shooting turned into something quite dramatic for the unit of Zee's Kasamh Se.

The incident happened a few days back, when a scene showing Pushkar (Naman Shaw) kissing Pia (Roshni Chopra) was about to be shot.

Witnessing the shot was Naman's very close friend, Shradhdha Arya. Naman is more than Shradhdha's good buddy.

"There's definitely something going on between them. Why else would Shradhdha land up on the sets to meet Naman?" said a source.

Apparently, Arya was unhappy with the intimate kissing scene between Naman and Roshni.

"She came on the sets to meet him. Since Naman shoots for long hours, there is hardly any time for them to catch up. However, when she figured out he was doing a kissing scene, she was quite irritated." It was only when Naman spoke to her and explained the scene that Shradhdha chilled out and understood the situation.

'Just friends'

When contacted, Shradhdha, who was on Zee's talent hunt show, India's Best, along with Naman, said, "I've known him since our days in India's Best. We are very good friends and try and meet up whenever possible." Are they dating? "Definitely not, he's just a good friend."

What about the drama on the sets? "I don't even know where he shoots, so how can I land up there. This is totally untrue; I have never visited him on location."

Shradhdha Arya

Naman too toed her line when asked about the incident. "Shradhdha didn't come visiting me at all. This is completely false and misguiding. There's no doubt we are friends, but it's a mistake to talk about us dating."

Unhappy doing love scenes

Said creative head for the show, Sandiip Sikcand, "I was not on the sets, so would not be in a position to talk about it."

However, a unit member of Kasamh Se revealed, "From the beginning, Naman has been very uncomfortable doing romantic scenes.

He would always try and escape situations that required him to do anything passionate. The reason would probably be his girlfriend or parents having issues watching it on television."

While Naman is working in Balaji's show, Shradhdha is still looking for work. "I am from Delhi, and not based in Mumbai. There is no hurry on my part to get into television. I would prefer to wait and do films. Recently, I did a music video for a singer, Saloni, and also appeared in some commercials."

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Miss.Netherland

@Miss.Netherland

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Posted: 19 years ago

#6

"It would be foolish if I switched to some other track and allowed my competitors to perform a dance of victory on an empty field"

Posted on 29 May 2003

Late into her teens, she was only known as Jeetendra's daughter. Today, she has her own identity - as Ekta Kapoor, the creative head of Balaji Telefilms. She started off when she was just 17. Since then, she has worked, eaten and slept only television - thinking of concepts, casting, styling, selecting technicians, shooting and scheduling, marketing and acquiring the new skills required to succeed.

This 27-year old entrepreneur is a Jeetendra-Shobha product biologically and a Bombay Scottish School one academically. Later, she joined Mithibai College, but lazed around aimlessly. She did not believe in hard work and excellence in academics, unlike her brother Tusshar who wept even when he secured 96 per cent marks! Trying her luck, she hung around the shoots of Kailash Surendranath, the ad and feature filmmaker - but to no avail. Seeing his daughter's predicament, papa Jeetendra came to his daughter's rescue. Men are more attached to their daughters than sons, and Jeetendra is no exception.

Jeetendra advised TV-serial production and offered her money for the same. Realising the worth of her father's contribution and concern, she got down to business. She made six pilots and three episodes for each pilot, running up a bill of nearly Rs 5 million. All of them were rejected. His daughter being the most prized possession in his world, the doting father asked her not to lose heart and offered her more money to try again. And then… Hum Paanch happened.

Success changed her completely. She began craving for more, open to improvement and determined to make it to the top. Today, Balaji is no more a private limited enterprise but a public limited company. And no prizes for guessing how much sweat, toil and labour the largest and youngest single producer of television software in the history of India's entertainment industry has put in! You can definitely put a few bucks on her dream of making Balaji the biggest content provider in India!

Not so long ago, she was chosen to head the Confederation of Indian Industries' (CII) entertainment committee. She is a Society achiever and The Best Entrepreneur of the Year 2001, apart from being the proud recepient of quite a few Indian Telly Awards in the last two years.

My gut feeling tells me that she has her real life role all sewn up. Despite being in the thick controversies off and on, she has never been at a loss of words - at least with me.

The calm and collected spirit has always been evident in her since I first set eyes on this neat little brown-haired girl. One word from her secretary to her that Vickey Lalwani is waiting to meet her and she comes almost running out to welcome me in. Dressed in a black T-shirt and blue jeans, she does not change my impression of her. I am, to say the least, glad. No prizes for guessing why! This time too, she is not going to be at a loss of words! Excerpts from our chatathon-

Where have you been? Long time no interviews, no quotes from your side in any section of the media?
Oh, just around (smiles). You know how it is when you decide to make a movie. My third production (untitled as yet) directed by Santaram Varma is just completed. It stars Sohail Khan, Isha Koppikar, Anita (Natasha) and Rati Agnihotri.

Why no Tusshar in it?
You couldn't avoid that one, could you (grins)? If I take him in every movie, people will say that he is there because it is his home production. If I don't take him in every movie, people start floating shitty stories against us. It is amusing. To tell you the truth, my last film Kucch To Hai was a thriller. This one also has some similar elements of thrill. Is there any sense in giving him a similar role again? Tusshar is an ocean of talent. His best is yet to come. Shortly, I am going to announce one or two awesome projects with him. That would silence the wagging tongues, I hope.

Why are most of your serials in keeping with "the country's cultural values"?
Most of the rich people do not need values, most of the poor do not have time for them. Hence, middle class values are what my serials are about. These middle-class values are incidentally in keeping with the cultural ethos of the country. As far as I am concerned, economically I belong to the high class, but morally to the middle class. If I know you correctly, you may be prompted to ask me why I made Kyunki... trotting out quotable quotes faster than popcorn from a popcorn machine. At that time, there were a lot of extramarital serials coming on air.

I wanted to make a serial about a family that lived together. I wanted to make a serial around what I do not have. There are four of us in the house - we saw our cousins only on holidays. I missed us all living together. I created realism by creating real life characters, I created idealism by creating a family. And of course, I kept my flag of middle-class values flying.

What about the soaps such as Kabhi Souten Kabhie Saheli (Star Plus), Kutumb (Sony), Kuch Jhuki Palkein (Sony) and Kohi Apna Sa (Zee) which went off the air some time back?
Big deal! If I keep a serial on for long, you will say that I am dragging it. If I terminate it after an appropriate length, you will ask why. How can any serial go on endlessly for that matter? If I know you correctly again, you may be prompted to ask why Kyunki is going on and on and on... Tell me, why should I withdraw a hot cake from the market? Kyunki continues to be amongst the first three slots in the TRP ratings almost every week. Its characters have become like family members to everybody. Recently, Ba was almost dead, and the whole Virani parivar prayed and brought her back to life.

Before you say that was a drag, do you know how many letters we got asking us to keep her alive? I was flooded with calls, emails, SMSs. People didn't want Ba to die. And when she came back to life, I was again flooded with calls, emails, SMSs - this time people were thanking me that I had let her live. Kyunki... in fact is one serial which has never given me any worry.

"Why do people say that we are not trying anything different? Hasn't Kaahin Kissi Roz had its fair share of suspense? Wasn't my Hum Paanch hilarious from the first word to the last?"

Ekta with the Balaji team at the Indian Telly Awards 2002

There is a school of thought that your serials tend to focus on transgressing women...
(interrupts) It is not necessary that those who care for their family are the backward type of women. There are some mischief-mongers who want to run down my serials - for reasons best known to them. People are jealous that I have detected the pulse of the Indian audience. I realised that one subject which holds eternal interest for us Indians is the family - every Indian family is bound by traditions, festivals, etc, and every family tends to celebrate occasions with relatives, every family has certain characters who are good and bad, or rather, have particular habits.

Then, I weaved all this realisation together. That's it! And I don't understand why people say that we are not trying anything different. Hasn't Kaahin Kissi Roz had its fair share of suspense? Wasn't my Hum Paanch hilarious from the first word to the last?

Before I forget, do you know that Hum Paanch is coming back with Raakhee Tandon as the producer?
(raises her eyebrows). Well, I have heard something like this. But that's unethical.

Why not a bit of promiscuity and violence at least sometimes?
My serials are seen by families sitting together at the dinner table. When I say families, it obviously includes all the children. I surely don't want to propagate wrong messages to the youth.

"Kyunki... in fact is one serial which has never given me any worry.."

Ekta with Star's Tarun Katial, and Kyunki's Smriti Malhotra Irani and Kahaani's Kiran Karmarkar at the Indian Telly Awards 2002

Then how come you showed violence against a woman in the form of a heinous rape in one of your ongoing serials Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii some time back?
Good you asked me this. Rape is the worst crime. It leaves a woman completely in shambles. Today, even infants are not safe in our country. In this perspective, I wanted to show rape and give a clarion call to all parents that they ought to make their daughters aware of this crime as soon as possible.

According to me, a six-year-old girl child should be told about the possible dangers to her. That would make her wise and careful. Importantly, I have not shown any wrong camera angles or crude dialogues. The underlying meaning in that depicted rape is that rape is more rampant on the domestic front, and we must be cautious.

Shobha Kapoor has declared that Balaji plans to release a series of mega serials in the coming quarter. Could you tell us about these?
I have three shows coming up. One for Sahara, two for Star Plus. One is Kahin To Hoga. Earlier it was titled as Kashish. It is being directed by Anil V Kumar. Another one is Koi Aa Raha Hai Waqt Badal Ne (earlier titled Kalki). KARHWBN has been delayed a bit, because it has lots of special effects of Superman etc. Both these are for Star Plus. The Sahara serial is untitled as yet.

"The revamped 'Kutumb' on Sony TV flopped simply because people were not aware that the serial had been revamped. On the other hand, the revamped 'Kyunki....' worked simply because Star Plus had done massive propaganda in this matter"

Did Bansilal Jumaani give you the 'K' factor?
No. Sunita Menon did. She told me that 'K' will always bring success into your life, do not desert it. Still, I consult Jumaani. His role is restricted to see whether the title assigned is numerologically lucky or not.

You seem to have a blind faith in astrologers, tarot card readers, numerologists.
There is no question of blind faith. After consulting them, I just feel psychologically satisfied. There have been a few cases where the calculations have not worked.

Coming to the ongoing tussle with the National Commission for Women which alleged that an episode of 'Kyunki…' used gender-testing of a foetus in favour of testing as a punishment and asked it to air at least 20 times before the serial. Balaji has said that you'll will air it three times. What's the status on that?
I am not sure how many times we will air it. You will have to ask the production team. But I think a mountain has been made out of a molehill. In the episode before Prachee Shah goes to her gynaecologist, Smriti Malhotra had given birth to a daughter. We had shown the Virani parivar celebrating to the hilt. Nobody complimented me on that.

At the Prachee incident stage, the serial was undergoing a 20-year leap. I wanted to project the arrival of Prachee's son to inculcate a faith in Ba who was feeling despondent due to Babuji's demise, that her husband was on his return journey. You know how Hindu families believe in rebirth in the same family. Besides, Prachee and her husband were not shown to be inquiring about the child's sex. The doc just happened to say it.

Then, is this a punishment meted out to you?
(smiles) You tell me!

"I would love to make some more horror. I love horror....But I think that I'll stay focused on soaps. Soaps will always have a h-u-g-e audience in India; they will never become a has-been.. "

Ekta with the trophies garnered by her soaps at the Indian Telly Awards 2002

How come recently 'Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand' shot up to No.1 in TRP ratings?.
That was only for one week, that is the week before the last one. Again last week, my Kasautii Zindagi Kay is at the top and Kyunki is at No.2. That week, Sony went off and Star was on. Sony has a stronger base in Mumbai than anywhere else. So even Kkusum which eats into a fair share of TRPs went off. Then even Star went off; the cable problem gained momentum, nearly 50 per cent Mumbai was not getting the cable services. In cities, the prime time is 10-11 while in interiors the prime time is 8.15-9.15. Mumbai contributes to a large chunk of my TRPs. Thus, a small switch resulted in the TRPs. But you know our people. Without going into the details, they started shooting 'Are Ektaa's serials losing grease?'

Has Mandira been re-introduced in Kyunki… because Tulsi's popularity is failing?
Are you kidding? If Tulsi (Smriti Malhotra) does not appear in one episode, I start getting tons of enquiries. Ditto for Ba (Sudha Shivpuri). Recently, Ganga (Shilpa Saklani) and Karan (Hiten Tejwani) are catching up. Anyway, a new character is coming up in Kyunki very soon; Mandira is going to have a shocking twist in her life! Aren't you going to ask me my favourite character in the serial? It's Karan.

What's the next big idea? I mean, aren't you keen to exploit new genres? First it was KBC that shook television, then came Kyunki.... Wouldn't you like to be a visionary and love to continue riding on the crest of the wave?
Thanks for your concern. I would love to make some more horror. I love horror. I quite like my serial Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat. But I think that I'll stay focused on soaps. Soaps will always have a h-u-g-e audience in India; they will never become a has-been. Soaps are like 'dal chawal', the rest of the genres form the tidbits on your plate. Face it. Indian television mainly caters to women. The television is on when the man leaves in the morning for his office, and often, remains so even after he is snoring in the night!

Women like to see 'saas-bahu', 'bhai-bhabhi', 'ma-beti', 'nanand-devrani' relationships, the gossip, the misunderstandings, the jealousy, and above all, the unity in times of adversity. KBC was a stray case. Even before KBC it was soaps all the way. Weren't Hum Log and Buniyaad soaps? Please don't get misguided by the look of those programmes. Keeping with times, only the look has changed, a few new permutations and combinations have come in but the gist remains the same. It will be foolish if I switch over to some other track and allow my competitors to perform a dance of victory on an empty field!

How about trying some comedy? .
I don't like comedy nowadays

You have grown up. Right? .
Maybe (laughs). No, I have become old (laughs again).

Kaahin Kissi Roz seemed to be nearing an end… when it resurrected magically? How?
(Smiles triumphantly). Bingo! But you'll have to give that credit to two of the guys from my creative team - Prashant and Minaal.

Soaps by UTV, Cinevistaas, BAG Films among others have increased their presence on Star Plus. Has Star Plus reduced its dependence on Balaji Telefilms?
If other companies have filtered in, it does not imply that Balaji Telefilms, which has always been the chunk, goes out. Star Plus have always been supportive of my stuff. They even helped me a lot in promoting my film Kucch To Hai. No amount of thanks will be sufficient.

Why did your revamped Kutumb flop?
The revamped Kutumb on Sony TV flopped simply because people were not aware that the serial had been revamped. On the other hand, the revamped Kyunki worked simply because Star Plus had done massive propaganda in this matter. The Star Plus-Balaji combo spells magic. Even otherwise, Star Plus has better promotional campaigns. They have a very creative team. They make it a point to see that the show works. Once in a way they may have failed, but look at their success rate! That's also one of the reasons why some of my serials haven't done well on other channels. People are glued to Star Plus from 8:30 to 11 pm. How do I make them take a remote in their hands and switch over?

"Blame 'Kahaani Terri Merri' on me. For once, I chose the wrong story"

Is the bombing of Kahanii Terri Merri still reverberating?
Blame it on me. For once, I chose the wrong story. It was slightly off-beat. Nobody wanted to see so much of a drunk man in a depressed state of mind.

With the CAS deadline barely two months away, there is a lot of apprehension in the industry about the ad spend heading for a sharp decline, thus forcing the broadcasters to slash the high fees paid to producers/production houses. Your views on this?
I don't think this will happen. The subscriber will pay for the channel if he trusts the channel to give him quality stuff. If the channel wants quality stuff (and therefore his decent quota of advertisers), he cannot make the production house suffer. So there is no fear of the quality going down either. Also, no situation will arise where the production house will hassle on rates with the artistes.

I can at vouch for at least my production house. Money with Star Plus is just a six-minute discussion for Balaji Telefilms. Even otherwise, Star Plus has lots of advertisers moving into their fold everyday and a lot of financial back-up from abroad.

In fact, other channels will be more hard-pressed to pay than Star Plus. These other channels have just one or two great programmes going. So they will have to bow down to the demands of those production houses. In turn, the other production houses on those channels will demand uniformity.

Are you in favour of CAS?
It's drastic a step alright, but a lot of possibilities open up. If a production house is not paid well by a pay channel (just in case), he goes to Sahara or Doordarshan. Simultaneously, the audience of the non-pay channels will certainly increase by some amount. That works for the benefit of the channel and the production house both. If rightly implemented, CAS is a step in the right direction. By right implementation I mean it should be first tried and tested in one city, then gradually move on to more cities, and so on. Secondly nobody is going to spend Rs 3,000-6,000 to buy the box upfront, a scheme must be implemented wherein no subscriber pays more than Rs 150 a month.

Do you make sure with your writers that the scripts have not been plagiarised? .
It's happening everywhere and you can't do anything about it. At times, you may not have plagiarised, but since it exists in some book, someone springs up and you find yourself in a soup. I think that the Karishma… people got caught because they admitted to it.

An actress told me that she gets a lot of recognition left, right and centre due to her appearance in just one serial, but the TRPs of her programme are very low? Can TRPs be manipulated?
That actress has a very defeatist attitude. She should not get bowled over by a few praises. Even a TRP of 1 means five to six lakh (5-600,000) people. She is not aware of how many people can actually see a programme at a given instant. If TRPs could be manipulated, every producer would have been on a song off and on.

Don't you get upset by criticism, grueling questions?.
In my early days, I used to. But then one day, my dad explained to me that you got to pay a price for being famous (smiles).

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*Reemz*

@*Reemz*

Trailblazer

43

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Posted: 19 years ago

#7

'Mumbai exudes energy'

Sudipto Chattopadhyay

Thursday, February 09, 2006 19:50 IST

After winning the best smile award at the Grasim Mr India contest and being short-listed among the ten finalists for 'Zee Cinestar Ki Khoj', films would seem to be Naman Shaw's inevitable destination. But the aspirant from Kolkata chose to stay grounded, "Since I had no godfather to promote me in the industry, I could at best get B or C grade films." Shaw instead approached Balaji Telefilms.

"I was certain that I only wanted to do Balaji shows," asserts Naman. He was selected for a show titled, 'Krimson Skies'. But 'Kasamh Se' happened even before that. Naman gushes, "It was sheer luck that I already have a show on air before the shooting for 'Krimson Skies' has started."

Of his role as Pushkar he says, "Playing the character is a dream debut. He is endearing and has shades of humour. Despite the show having three female protagonists I hog the attention." He is keen to impress Balaji, "I want to concentrate only on this for the next couple of months. If they like my performance I could be roped in for their other shows. They themselves would juggle the dates for me."

Naman, as all aspirants, is fascinated by the city, "I love the energy that Mumbai exudes. Though I don't get the time for anything else, I am perfectly happy." Shaw loves chilling out at the suburban coffee shop Cuppa and Urban Tadka is his favourite food joint. Not a party-hopper, he says, "I prefer a quiet dinner with close friends rather than late-night parties."
Though he knows that networking is very crucial in the glam world, he emphasises, "At the end of the day, it's only your work which matters!"

Edited by DkDish - 19 years ago

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Aditi

@GAJJI

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Posted: 19 years ago

#8

Made for each other

Together in holy matrimony - Gautami and Ram Kapoor

There can be no better words than these to describe the newlyweds, Gautami and Ram Kapoor. A relationship which began as friendship on a shooting location slowly morphed into love and later, marriage. The couple got married on Valentine day this year. Only nine months into holy matrimony, yet on meeting them one gets the impression that they have known each other forever.

Two souls with but a single thought,
Two hearts that beat as one.
- Friedrich Holm

In a tte--tte with ShaadiTimes, this lovely couple talks about love, marriage and their dreams.

Punjab-ka-putter meets Mumbai-chi-pori
"We met each other on the sets of Ekta Kapoor's Ghar Ek Mandir," says Gautami. "I had been informed in advance that I was being cast opposite this actor, Ram Kapoor who was slated to play the character of Rahul. On the day of the shoot he appears on the set and introduces himself, the formal introductions done with we get down to rehearsals. This guy goes through his lines in a rather drab and boring manner leaving no chance for understanding or interpretation. I feel really sorry for his lack of talent. Minutes later, without any visible expression on his face, he steps in front of the camera and when the camera rolls, he delivers an extremely powerful performance that leaves me stunned and tremendously impressed."

As different as day and night
Falling in love was a slow and gradual process for the couple that started off as colleagues. "I was attracted to her because she was so different," says Ram. "Despite having divergent personalities we were able to find common ground between us. Even though we are poles apart we have the same goals in life and that's what brought us together," he adds. For Gautami, the reasons for falling in love were aplenty. "His sense of humor and a unique ability to make everyone around him very comfortable left me mesmerised. Ram has a lot of shades to him; he is a frank, broad-minded and a supportive human being."

Hey Ram!
Love works in mysterious ways often forcing us to do wonderful things for the ones we love. For Gautami, one of the biggest revelations in her relationship is the fact that Ram is in every sense 'romantic'. "It's not the big things that really matter," she beams, "it's the little things that make your relationship really worth it. I remember this one time he sent me a huge card saying 'Hundred reasons why I love you' early in the morning. The milkman and the card reached my place simultaneously. Once, at the end of a tough day of my shooting, Ram showed up on the location just out-of-the-blue and we drove up to Lonavala for a wonderful stay at a five-star hotel," says Gautami.

Battling fears
"Subconsciously, we both knew that this wonderful relationship will end up in marriage," informs Ram. "We knew we were in love and battled every fear that any couple has before taking the plunge," he says. Gautami, on the other hand had no fears, whatsoever. "I knew this relationship was for keeps, the only thing left was to give it new meaning," she affirms.

The proposal
Following age-old traditions, it was Ram who initiated the proposal for marriage... in a rather unconventional way. "We were at a wild party at Olive the night I proposed to her. I didn't propose to her the way they do it on television; it was just a simple - let's get married and she accepted. Even though we were a little tipsy, I knew what I was doing. I couldn't have been drunk as I remembered the incident next morning and was even happier that I had asked her to be my wife," reminisces Ram.

Family in tow
When a Punjabi boy decides to marry a Maharashtrian girl there is not only an amalgamation of culture but also a definite reaction from the families. In their case, there was an instant, not unexpected reaction. "My mother and brother freaked out when they got to know my wedding plans. However, in due course of time they agreed," says Gautami. "I have to give full credit to my family for supporting my decision to marry Gautami," says Ram. "They knew the pluses and minuses of my relationship and gave me their blessings and their much-needed support."

Wedding vows
After almost three years of acquaintance they stepped into marriage. Though, Ram and Gautami, both wanted a small private ceremony, their families decided otherwise. The small and private wedding that they had hoped for turned into an event that lasted three days celebrated in some of Mumbai's most luxurious venues. "We had the mehendi-sangeet at Mela the previous day. The main wedding ceremony was at Mayfair rooms followed by an informal party at The President. On the third day was the grand reception for which my father had booked 46 rooms at The Oberoi Hotel for family and friends who came to attend the wedding from the US."

The first day...
"Gautami was all excited the day after the wedding and was hyperactive. When we reached Hotel Oberoi after a hectic day we were surprised to see the most expensive suite in the hotel, the 'Peshwa suite' overlooking Marine Drive booked for us. The whole of next morning was spent with family and close friends," says Ram.

Honeymoon in Bangkok
"We went to Casa Moi, a small island near Bangkok for our honeymoon," informs Gautami. "We partied continuously for six days, and it's a really beautiful place." Ram adds a pointer to help us relate to the beauty and tourism potential of the island. "Have you seen this film called The Beach starring Leonardo Di Caprio? Casa Moi is the island where the whole film was shot."

A proud Mrs. Ram Kapoor
Working in an industry where personal identity is important, Gautami feels that her marriage isn't going to change her on-screen individuality. "I feel very proud when I'm referred to as Mrs. Ram Kapoor but I refuse to believe that it will affect my individuality or my identity. My marriage hasn't affected my career in any way," she affirms. For the couple-in-love the on-screen chemistry will be better than ever before. "The chemistry now will be deeper, more intense. I would like to direct her in future, since I know her strengths so well. Right now, I'm going to concentrate on acting but eventually I will turn to direction," confesses Ram.

An actress for a wife
Marriage is all about love, togetherness and adjustment. Being of different personality traits, both Ram and Gautami have had their share of adjustments. As husband and wife, they have learnt to respect each other's personal preferences and learnt to work around them. "To tell you the truth, I never wanted to have an actress for a wife and Gautami knew that very well. So, after marriage she quit and spent time at home while I continued working. Amidst my heavy workload, I began to see a marked change in her; she was bored and had reached a point of unhappiness. So I had to allow her to continue working," says Ram. Gautami on her part, admits, "the biggest adjustment I had to make was to tolerate his smoking-habit. He says he will leave the day he wants to and I've learnt to respect that."

For Gautami, her husband and marriage are a priority and she is willing to make sacrifices for it. "We have always wanted children and I'm willing to give up work for my family. I want my child to be an all-rounder and give him my undivided attention."

Ingredients of a happy marriage
Gautami lists some of the essential qualities that make a successful marriage. "I guess communication, trust and love play an important part in our lives. Another important aspect of any good relationship is not taking your partner for granted and being there for him when he really needs you," she rounds off.

A toast to the future
What does the future have in store for this wonderful couple? "I'm going to continue acting, am also looking towards parallel cinema and setting up a production house," informs Ram. "Our immediate plans include buying a new house and starting a family within the next year," they say in total agreement.

"Though having a failed marriage behind her it was Gautami's faith in the marital bond and in her self that helped her take the leap of marrying once again." To know about her past click here...

________________________________________

they look so cuteeeeeeee😳

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43685

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Posted: 19 years ago

#9

Little Ba peep had a fall

Sudha Shivpuri

There's no escaping telly stars tripping and falling. Even the seasoned Ba (Sudha Shivpuri) of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi had a serious fall recently.

The cute and cuddly granny was on her way walking to her car when her leg tripped into her sari and she had a fall. Even though it wasn't a serious one, she did end up hurting herself. "Yes, I did trip, but am fine now. Nothing major to worry about." Besides Kyunki, the actress is also seen in the role of a prankster dadi in Kasamh Se.

"My role in Kasamh Se is totally different from the Ba you see in Kyunki. I am constantly getting offers, but my first preference is working with Ekta. She gave a second innings to my career." How does she feel about Apara Mehta leaving the show with her mercy-killing track?

"We are planning to give her some sort of a farewell. In fact I don't need to use glycerin in my scenes with Apara, the tears come naturally. I am definitely going to miss her on the sets."

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Najmah

@Fallen-Angel

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Posted: 19 years ago

#10

Sunday, January 22, 2006

televisioN
Sky no limit for these stars

Television is going places and so it seems are its many stars, producers and directors who look forward to the year full of more challenges. Some popular TV personalities talk about their goals.

Ekta Kapoor
(Creative Director of Balaji Telefilms): There is continuing fragmentation of viewership. It seems STAR Plus will continue to be on top in 2006. But Zee and STAR One will inch forward. For me, innovation is the keyword. As far as soaps go, my biggest challenge this year is Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka on STAR One with which I will enter a new territory. With my other new soap Kasam Se, a sweet story, I hope to lure urban audiences into watching Zee. Kandy Floss on Sony will be my first non-fictional show. I'll also launch one of my biggest soaps ever towards the yearend. As far as television is concerned, the sky is no longer the limit.
Kavita Barjatya
(Producer, Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki): "TV is getting really big. Besides the normal dailies, different kinds of shows are coming up this year. Reality TV is here to stay. A survey has found that television contributes 55 per cent to India's entertainment industry while films contribute just 26 per cent.
Manish Goswami
(Producer, Sarrkkar): The year looks very encouraging. Apart from two shows on air Sarrkkar and Kittu Sab Janti Hai, which are doing very well, I will have a few more shows on air by February-March. My first feature film will take off by July 2006. I see a lot of reality TV and progressive serials on primetime. I also see a lot of shows targeted at children. Comedy shows will also rule the roost this year.

Iqbal Khan (Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai):Things have been going splendidly for me. I will continue to work hard and do my bit on television. Everyone can see the popularity of the medium. Smriti Irani is keen on theatre

Smriti Irani (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi): This is a year filled with great possibilities for me. It's the year of my debut in Gujarati theatre and the beginning of my association with cinema. I hope it works. As for television, content will continue to rule whether it's a soap or reality TV.

Ravi Rai
(Producer, director of Sailaab, Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai and Kashish): This year television will certainly scale new heights. A TV director has to stand up and deliver. Fiction TV is a segment of deep concern. With news, sports and reality-based shows coming up, one needs to look at this genre and revive it. As for me, I need one good show on television for my company to keep going.
Deepak Segal
(Executive vice-president, content, STAR): I foresee further fragmentation in the TV industry with new channels and technology like DTH and mobile coming up. For STAR, we hope to put some shows that get into the marathon and others that can lead the race and sustain.
Rohit Roy
(Sarrkkar): The year 2005 was great and 2006 looks even better. Sarrkkar is giving me a creative high. Viraasat promises to be the mother of all soaps. My appearance in Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina got me a great response. Now a couple of really good films are happening. So, this year will rock for me. TV will continue to be the most powerful medium, and it's growing.
Rajiv Khandelwal
(Kahin To Hoga): The year looks very exciting. I'm clueless about what awaits me which makes my struggle unpredictable and exciting.
Rajeshwari Sachdev Badola
(Rihaee): I hope my tradition of interesting and challenging work continues. May dance and music be the elixir of my life. — IANS

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060122/spectrum/tv.htm

Thanx to the KYPH forum

Edited by Fallen Angel - 19 years ago

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