With Bade Achhe Lagte Hain ruling the charts and The Dirty Picture reigning the box office, Balaji Telefilms' Ekta Kapoor is surely in the best phase of her career. In fact, she is all geared up for another challenge as her show Pavitra Rishta on Zee TV, is all set to take a twenty year leap. In an interview with Tellychakkar.com, the producer speaks her heart out. Excerpts:-
What was the need to have a 20 year leap in the show?
Pavitra Rishta has always been a show based on relationship. The USP of the show is Manav-Archana's relationship. We have already shown their relationship going through different phases of life; love, marriage, parenthood. So the next phase had to be old-age. We want to show how their relationship matures and becomes more beautiful after their children have grown up. We wanted to show our viewers how the relationship changes through time.
But rumor has it that poor TRPs are the reason for the leap. Your comments.
I believe the numbers start dipping when the story has nothing new to offer the audiences and I had felt a similar thing for Pavitra Rishta, some time back. We (Balaji Telefilms) believed that Manav-Archana's relationship had reached a saturation point. So we had been planning the leap for quite some time, but it took a backseat as I was busy with other things. But the falling TRP is not the reason for the leap, but yes it did push me to take this decision as soon as possible. And we at Balaji take the blame for it completely and hope that we would rectify it very soon.
It looks like people nowadays love mature love stories, what do you think?
I don't agree. Love Stories always work. People have loved Manav and Archana's love story from the beginning. Now that their love story has matured, I am sure they would love it too.
Don't you think when actors portray characters older than their age, they will be typecast?
I think today's audiences are very smart. They respect the actors for their talent and when an actor ages in a particular show they do not stereotype him. I think it's a myth that after doing an aged character one gets typecast. Sakshi Tanwar played a 60 year old woman in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and after that she played much younger characters. Not only this, she's doing a wonderful job in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. I think as a producer I have to break this myth, because if I don't, then the actors will definitely hesitate to portray such characters.
Since you mentioned Sakshi, here's our next question. You always seem to convince your actress to play mother onscreen, but the same doesn't happen with your male actors?
Joh nahi maante hain woh filmon mein chale jaate hain… I don't know about them but I know one thing for sure that joh TV chodte hain TV unhe chod deta hai!!!
Coming back to Pavitra Rishta, do you think lead actors, Hiten and Ankita, will suit the leap?
If you ask me that does Ankita look 45 I will say no. But in real life, I have seen many people who don't look their age. Take the example of Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan; they are 45 but look much younger than that. So, the question whether Hiten and Ankita will suit the leap or not doesn't arise. All I can say is that if an actor doesn't feel comfortable playing an older character I will work hard to make him feel comfortable about it.
Recently, Amitabh Bachchan mentioned that he is open to do daily soaps. Would you like to offer him a role?
If he's ever coming on small screen as an actor I am sure everybody would want to work with him. But honestly, I don't think I am capable of making something that can match the caliber of Mr Bachchan.
Lastly, you are the queen of Indian television; who according to you is the king?
Hmm…that's an interesting question, but I seriously don't know who the king is. And since I am not an astrologer, I can't even predict who will be the king (smiles).
Anupamaa
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