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The Sixth Sense
BP Singh's first serial Aahat on Sony was a channel-driver. Will his Akela prove to be a path-breaker?
Over the years, Sony has come to be associated with shows and soaps that are off the beaten track. Whether it's Indian Idol, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi, Fame Gurukul, Boogie Woogie or the ongoing CID, Sony has tried to offer viewers different fare. Their recent launches, Aisa Des Hai Mera, which revolves around a father-daughter relationship or Thodi Khushi Thode Gham that has the protagonist fighting against male dominance have had a promising start. Vaidehi which premiered three weeks ago brings out of the closet, for the first time, the issue of male impotence. How successful these shows have been in luring the viewer from his staple diet of programming that include saas-bahu soaps is another story, but at least the channel cannot be accused of shying away from offering novelty. "Vaidehi is the talking point alright, but it's too early to say how it's faring," points out Anupama Mandloi, Programming Head, Sony. While Vaidehi is aired on Mondays at 10 pm, Akela will air on Tuesdays at 10 pm. The channel gradually plans to bring on more one-hour shows on the 10 pm slot every week day. "We are hoping that people will get fatigued by daily soaps and turn to weeklies," informs Mandloi. As for Akela, their latest offering, it is the first of its kind to hit Indian television. Produced by Sony's favourite producer BP Singh, Akela has the protagonist blessed with extra-sensory perceptions to help solve crimes. It starts off with the story of a young policeman, Ranvir, who meets with a near-fatal accident that turns his life upside down. After recovering from the coma of eight years, he discovers that he is not the same Ranvir, as he now has the gifted power to see and hear the dead! Ranvir solves crimes using normal detective techniques and his ESP. What's more, he is aided by people from the netherworld, especially his friend Savio who has turned into a ghost, in his mission. Besides the thriller element, the serial also delves into the personal relationships of Ranvir with his ex-fiancee Kinnari and Meghana, a researcher who works with him. For want of a word to describe his serial, Singh has coined a new word 'throap', which is a mix of a soap and a thriller.
The 'throap' has Sudhanshu Pandey returning to television after a gap of five years to play the role of a man who has a deadly vision. "The producers had come to me with the idea a year ago but at that time I was busy with my films. When they approached me again I asked for the script and after reading it, realized that it was one hell of a project and I shouldn't let it go," informs Sudhanshu who had earlier done a cameo in BP Singh's CID Special Bureau.
The reason Sudhanshu stayed away from the small-screen after two serials Beta and Kanyadaan was he could not see himself in any saas-bahu soap. Around that time, he got into films with Khiladi 420 and Yakeen. He also became a part of The Band Of Boys, a rock group, as a singer. But in three years and a album later, he broke away from the band because he felt that the management was not looking after their interests. "Now, I sing in the bathroom but I am harbouring hopes of singing for myself in films," he quips jocularly. On the film front, he has recently been signed for Sanjay Gupta's Alibaug which has him playing one of the central roles. His next releases include Unns, Choodiyan and Manoranjan. Even Akela, he says, is like a film "with the incredible SFX and the kind of money they are spending on it." And though it does not fulfill his singing aspirations, it is up his alley because it has loads of action sequences, emotions and the ability to see and converse with the dead! "It's not just a thiller, it's a supernatural soap and my role encompasses all the layers of emotions a human being goes through," avers the handsome hunk. Sudhanshu himself does not believe that ghosts exist but he says that those on the sets of Akela are spooked at the chemistry he shares with his co-star Sumeet Raghavan. Sumeet who plays Savio, Ranvir's friend in life and death, finds it a 'ghostly' experience being able to walk through walls and people. "When the role was offered to me, I jumped at it," reveals the actor who had been approached earlier by the same production house for CID. "At that time I was busy with Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and so could not take it up," he informs. When Sumeet's around, one naturally expects some element of comedy in his role. Agrees Sumeet, "The drama is heavy and my character will have a comic touch but he's essentially a guide and soul to Ranvir." Playing the ghost for a first time hasn't spooked Sumeet but he does believe in spirits. In fact, he recalls an incident in his childhood when he and his friends used to see a "jalti hui, chalti hui mombatti" every night in one house. "We'd had heard that an inspector's wife had committed suicide in that flat, so we believed the house was haunted," grins the actor. After a few days they saw a man standing in the balcony and realized that he was the owner of the flat who lit candles because there was something wrong with the electricity! Sumeet who rates The Omen series to be the best horror flicks is of the firm belief that for every positive force 'God' there is a negative force 'Ghost', and he is enjoying playing the latter. Akela also has in its cast Pankaj Dheer as the supercop DCP Aditya and Aashka Garodia who plays Kinnari and Mihir Mishra in the role of a doctor. Obviously a lot is riding on the extravagant supernatural show which Mandloi hopes will be a "path-breaker".
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