On the right track
From Banegi Apni Baat and Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin to Left Right Left, the DJ banner is known for its bold and differentiated shows. Surprisingly, their latest TRP grabber Chhoti Bahu is a completely over-the-top sob saga belying a Deeya-Tony production
Bhaskar Bharti, Jugni Chali Jalandhar, Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari and Chhoti Bahu; all the four serials are as different as chalk and cheese. Bhaskar Bharti is about a playboy Bhaskar who turns into a woman Bharti– thanks to a curse from one of his jilted lovers. Jugni... is a comedy revolving around Jugni, who comes from the US to change the conservative outlook of her boyfriend's family in Jalandhar. Mere Ghar... is a family drama, highlighting the importance of a girl-child, while Chhoti Bahu is the story of two sisters who due to circumstances are married to the same guy. Yet, the four have a common thread running between them–Deeya and Tony Singh. The husband-wife duo is churning out shows faster than you can think. What's more important is their high ratio of success. Of the dozen- odd shows they have produced so far, at least half of them are etched in the history of satellite television. It was in 1994, when Zee TV had just been launched, that Deeya - Tony, who hitherto were producing documentaries and corporate ads, decided to venture into making fiction shows for TV. "We thought of producing a serial about youngsters and show stuff that we couldn't see in our time," says Deeya. And Zee TV, which had launched with the express purpose of weaning away viewers from Doordarshan, lapped it up. So Banegi Apni Baat, the first offering from the DJ banner, had all the issues that were till then a taboo on Indian television. Issues like pre-marital sex, drugs and divorce were never depicted on TV. It introduced many talented actors like Irrfan Khan, Shefali Shetty, Achint Kaur and R. Madhavan in the show. Madhavan is a superstar in the South today and in Hindi, too he is on his way to stardom. Says Deeya, "We're in touch with him and I love the way he has handled his career. He has matured into a fine actor. During Banegi..., he used to talk very fast and his Hindi wasn't good, so we had cast him as a Catholic character, Ashley."
A runaway success, the serial ran for almost six years. By then many channels had come in and Sony in particular was a contender for the top position. Deeya-Tony decided to make a show Just Mohabbat for the new entrant. It was on the lines of international hit show, Wonder Years, dealing with the pangs and anxieties of a 10-year-old boy growing into a teenager. It was set in a dysnfunctional family," informs Deeya. The serial had a successful run of four years. It was with this show that another would-be hero, Vatsal Seth was launched.
DJ's next big soap came in the form of Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin and went on to become Sony's channel driver. An adaptation of Spanish soap, Yo Soy Betty La Fea, it was the proverbial ugly duckling-turned-swan story. It was instrumental in introducing an unattractive bespectacled girl, Jassi, with braces over her teeth and an odd style of dressing as the protagonist. The identity of Mona Singh, who played Jassi, was kept under wraps for a long time. Mona always appeared in her get-up of Jassi in public before her transformation into a glamorous diva in the serial. Recalls Deeya, "It was a novel exercise on Indian television, which held the viewer's attention and made it interesting to watch." The success of Jassi spawned off clones and suddenly a girl with a flawed appearance and intelligence took centrestage. Dekho Magar Pyaar Se, which was about a bespectacled plump girl with a sweet disposition, was one of the spin-offs but it couldn't replicate the success of Jassi.... Mona, however, is still living off her iconic debut character. In fact, DJs is planning a sequel to the landmark serial. Though they aren't revealing any details, Deeya avers, "A sequel is definitely on the cards."
Another serial that came in as a breath of fresh air was Jab Love Hua, a rom-com between a city girl and a gaon ka chhora. With a fresh cast of Sudeep Saahir and Priya Badlani, the love story was a hit. The refreshing storyline and the setting - initially it was shot in Wai - was the highlight of the serial. "Today so many serials are based in villages but we have been there, done that years ago. For that matter we have done the family drama Love Mein Kabhi Kabhi, the Life Nahin Hai Laddoo and even a serial based on a joint family, Mann. As a company we want to explore our repertoire, create challenges and break the mould," says Deeya.
Truly enough, the bold theme of Banegi... hasn't been revisited in any of their subsequent shows nor has anything like Jassi Jaisi... appeared from their stable. On the contrary, they have turned back the clock with a regressive, (by the standards of Banegi...) Chhoti Bahu, which is amongst the top five shows on Zee TV and has created a new primetime slot at 7.30 pm. A tearjerker, it is about two sisters, one a pujari's daughter and the other an adopted one, married to the same guy. The sob saga has drawn the viewers in big numbers and till last week it rated at No.3 with 4.76 TRPs. "It proves that the serial is not one of those run-of-the-mill ones. We are proud to have it as part of the DJ bouquet," smiles Deeya. Another show close to her heart is Radha Ki Betiyaan.., which had Supriya Pilgaonkar as the mother with three grown-up daughters who are forced to move from a small-town to Mumbai. Though hailed for its cast and storyline, the serial couldn't notch up high TRPs. "But it is one of our better shows," insists Deeya. On the other hand, their Left Right Left was not only acclaimed for its diverse subject revolving around six dis-oriented army cadets but was a popular show on SAB and even had a second season. Rajeev Khandelwal was the highlight of the show.
The uncharted success story of DJ's has only one glitch in the form of complaints of non-payments or late payments to artistes and technicians, but Deeya dismisses it with, "If that was the case, no one would have worked with us". Right now, she is excited about their whacky show, Bhaskar Bharti adapted from an Argentinian show, Lalola. Deeya informs that it is completely different from the original. "That is an out-and-out sex comedy with inneundoes while Bhaskar... is completely Indianised with the concept of even God appearing in the show. We have created a family that doesn't exist in the original," she elaborates.
Next on the anvil is a reality show with a "new edge", two new shows of which one is a love story and a feature film. "Once the script is in place, we will start work on the film, but TV will remain out mainstay," smiles Deeya.
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http://www.screenindia.com/news/on-the-right-track/512120/
Arjun
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