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'We aim to cross our own benchmarks' - Guruodev Bhalla
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 | 4:53:24 PM IST (+05:30 GMT)
Guruodev Bhalla, Vice-President, Walkwater Productions talks about the consistent run of their two shows, Pratigya and Pratha...
Walkwater Productions and Spellbound Productions, have jointly given two unique shows, which touch the chord of viewers for its reality quotient. While the show on Star Plus, Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya depicted the plight of a girl who is subjected to eve teasing, COLORS' Rishton Se Badi Pratha is based on the staggering issue of today, Honour Killings..
The team now plans to look forward and take their shows to the next big level. At the outset, Guruodev Bhalla, Vice President, Television Division, Walkwater Productions had a heart-to-heart conversation with TellyBuzz wherein he talks of creating new benchmarks in order to fulfill the promise given to viewers..
Your flagship show Pratigya on Star Plus is going strong.
Yes, by the grace of God, the show is faring well. The ratings have been steady and we would now want to take it to the next level, and attain a rating of 6-7.
The ratings had actually slid down in the past few months. What's the reason?
There has been a marginal drop and nothing major. I would attribute that to the late timing of 10.30 PM that Pratigya has. The recent months have been cold, and I presume that many families do not stay awake till midnight due to the bad weather. Having said this, the ratings of Pratigya have been oscillating between the 2nd and 3rd position on the channel.
The character of Kesar was replaced at a crucial time. Did that affect ratings?
Not at all. Kalpana had to move on, and in fact, our ratings went up when the new Kesar was introduced. The switch has been good and it has not affected anyone. The channel is happy and that is what matters.
What can the viewers look forward to in the show now?
There are some exciting fresh new tracks in store. We will not leave any stone unturned in getting our TVR to a high of 7. Pratigya has a lot of potential to grow, and with a great creative team in place, we will surely not rest.
How are you going to take ahead the Krishna-Pratigya part of the story line?
I would not want to comment on it, as Pearl Grey takes care of the creative aspects. All I would say is that there is lots of fun, emotions, drama and conflicts coming in the near future..
There have been reports about the problems actors faced when it comes to the hike they deserved at the completion of one year. What do you have to say?
I really do not know from where these stories originated. I heard of one or two such stories being flashed. But we did not react to anything as it is just someone's imagination. We as Producers have a responsibility towards our viewers. I would maintain that we are doing a fabulous job, are executing our tasks well and delivering with a lot of promise. There is no room for panic, and no actor is leaving the show. It was only Kalpana who left us, but that again was a cordial decision taken for the betterment of her personal life.
What attempts are being made to take Pratigya back to the #1 position again?
It is the prerogative of the channel to take it to the top again. As a production house, we keep suggesting various creative ideas. Our writer Shanti Bhushan and Pearl Grey are working on certain things with the programming team of the channel. It is a combined team effort and we are looking for an interesting phase of the show. We carry a huge responsibility on our shoulders and will not let the channel down.
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