Sooraj Barjatya of Rajshri

"'Woh Rehne Waali...'will make youngsters take up the Gita once again"- Sooraj Barjatya

He is the man who gave family ties a whole new meaning. His portrayal of the pain and ecstasy of love in his brand of cinema brought forth the very essence of Rajshri prosuctions as we know it. Sooraj Barjatiya has carved a niche for himself with his beautifully packaged Indian family, a magic that will transcend to television shortly. Sooraj is ready with his home production, Woh Rehne Waali Mahelon Ki which will be aired on Sahara One from 30 May. Ananya Sengupta spoke to Sooraj Barjatya about his foray into tellydom and the principles about family and home that he holds close to his heart.

Is Woh Rehne… a typical Rajshri production presentation?
Well, the signature of the Rajeshri banner has to be there. I don't make anything that I don't believe in. This is a serial that will make the youngsters open the Bhagvad Gita again! Even the music is very fresh and we have not used anything that has already been used in our movies.

Why this sudden entry into television?
We wanted to tap the television audience. Frankly, if we were a banner that was devoted to making action movies, then I wouldn't have ventured into television. Since our themes are family entertainers, we thought it would be a good idea to take on television as that's the best way to attract the audience that goes to watch our movies in theatres. We are working on a bank of 100 episodes and after that, it depends on audience feedback.

Big names like K Sera Sera productions, Satish Kaushik, Ravi Chopra have tried their hands on television........?
See, the audience watching television is getting bigger and bigger. All these people,including myself, have realised the importance of the viewer sitting at home.

Why did you choose Sahara? Did any other channel approach you?
I chose Sahara because I share a comfort zone with them. I have a complete free hand here. I can make my own choices. Other channels have approavhed me, but I can work on different projects with them.

How much have you invested --- personally, financially and emotionally into this project?
We wanted to make a quality product --- this requires time. My sister, Kavita is heading the television division and I am the creative consultant. I have been involved with this show from its conceptualisation to the final implementation. I will take a backseat and concentrate on films once the serial is on air. Financially, we have an arrangement with Sahara.

You have not taken the leading stars on television in your serial…was that a conscious decision?
We have never worked with stars. Be it Bhagyashree or Salman, we have always worked with people who suited the character. There are people in this serial, with whom I have worked before, like Anjan Srivastav, Alok Nath, Shagufta Ali. Even my directors, Kaushik Ghatak and Sujit Singh are people whom I trust and have a comfort level with.

What according to you is the USP of your banner?
It's very simple. We do what we believe in. There is so much to be told in the genre of family entertainers that we could go on making films on this theme and fresh themes will still be there. We do things not because something has to be done, we do it because we believe that there is a story that has to be told.

From Indiantelevision.com