Posted:
| The in and out game on Television | |||
| Friday, October 07, 2005 12:3:36 IST | |||
| In the television industry, Balaji seems to have become what Ram Gopal Varma's Factory, is in Bollywood. It has churned out a great number of Balaji rebels as well as loyalists! Why do actors have a love-hate relationship with Balaji? | |||
The irony is that instead of being thankful to the production house for their lucky break and star status, ultimately they all turn against it either directly or indirectly. Take it or leave it; they just cannot follow the simple rule. There are some who make announcements about their quitting the show and never quit or quit after months of their announcement. Ronit Roy ('Kassauti Zindagi Kay' and 'Saarkaar'), Rajeev Khandelwal ('Kahiin To Hoga'), Narayani Shastri ('Kkusum' and 'Piya Ka Ghar'), Parmeet Sethi ('Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi', for a hike in their remuneration), and Sameer Soni ('Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi') belong to this category. We wonder why television actors leave the show that gives them success, name, and fame and then regret for life. Two shining examples are those of Amar Upadhyay and Nausheen Ali Sardar who walked out of their (claim to fame) shows for their own reasons and regretted. Amaar Upadhyay left ('Kyunki ..... to chase his Bollywood dreams but was desperate to re-enter not only Balaji camp but also 'Kyunki ....' When he realized that he was a flop on the big screen. No takers there! It is common knowledge that he wanted to make a comeback as 'Mihir Virani' although he denies this when asked. Amar is now doing 'Kkusum' and 'Kassauti' but the audience response to him is not even lukewarm as compared to the 'Mihir' they loved and adored. Nausheen wanted to come back as 'Kkusum' but the war of channels (Star & Sony) as well as her contract with Star prevented her from doing so. Her Kalchakkar on Star Plus flopped and now she is desperately looking for work. She loves to say that she is now concentrating on the Bollywood film that she has signed. Even her personal life is in the doldrums. Rajeev Sujal Khandelwal made tall claims about leaving the show. He even threatened Balaji in print about leaving the show. Funnily enough he continued for many more months and again started cribbing about the lack of creative satisfaction. This went to such an extent that he was finally kicked out of the show. Then there were reports about how he was desperately SMSing Ekta Kapoor in an attempt to patch things up with her. His only serial, 'Time Bomb' has flopped and he too is in desperate need of work. In comparison with films, TV serials seem to be more lucrative affairs financially especially considering the fact that most of them are dailies today. Otherwise how does one explain how almost every television actor is on a house and car buying spree. However, there are few professionals like Moulli Ganguly ('Kahiin Kissi Roz' and 'Kkusum'), Nausheen Ali Sardar ('Kkusum'), Shwetta Kawaatra ('Kahanii Ghar Ghar Ki' and 'Kkusum'), Shveta Keswani ('Kahani Ghar Ghar Ghar Ki'), who decide to quit the show for their own reasons and believe in an amicable parting of ways. It's a different story that they don't quite meet with the same kind of success and fame elsewhere. The advantages of working in Balaji seems manifold; good production value, good money if you are experienced and have proved yourself on the show, high popularity of the shows all over the country (never mind if most of them are regressive!), good media coverage (especially in the present times!), invites to various happening parties, good money through shows abroad as guests. A Balaji actor is also said to be irresistible to other television producers. On the flip side, the disadvantages also seem quite a bit. An unorganized way of working. Their bank is always empty and actors, particularly new and non-established actors, could be summoned anytime for a shoot. The production house also likes to take credit for making their actors into stars. This is true in a way but this has hurt many an actor's ego. But none of them dare to complain for fear of upsetting Ekta Kapoor. So it's all hunky dory on the surface of it. |
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