TOI: Shows cut down on water in Holi-YR

Holi has always been celebrated on television shows. But this year, the festivities will be slightly toned down. So even though shows like 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai', 'Diya Aur Baati Hum', 'Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke', 'Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha' and others have special Holi sequences, there will be fewer episodes dedicated to the festival of colours and the amount of water used is also considerably lower.

Last year, in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, there were 20 episodes for Holi. However, this year there will be not more than 3-4 episodes. Producer Rajan Shahi says, "Holi has always been special on my shows. This is one festival which brings all families together. However, we have toned down the celebrations. Though water is required for our Holi shoots, we have really cut down on the water usage. Because of the drought in the state, the emphasis this year is on a dry Holi."

Tele-show Diya Aur Baati Hum recently shot for a special Holi episode. Deepika Singh aka Sandhya of the show shares how the episode brings to the fore Emili and Mohit's relationship. "The festival is full of masti and dhamaal. While shooting the sequence, we tried our best not to waste water. Even if water was sprinkled, it was collected in a container."

The cast of Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Season 2 is yet to shoot its Holi episode. Though they will have two-three episodes dedicated to the festival, they have decided not to use water. Sudhir Sharma, producer of the show, confirms, "Because of the water crisis in the state, we are not going to call for tankers of water this year. In fact, using dry colours makes the sequence visually more appealing." He continued, "The set, where we are planning to shoot our Holi sequence, is Spread across 45,000 sq feet thus having a rain dance and capturing the same is tougher and it doesn't look as appealing as dry colours."

Even Sumona Chakravarti of Bade Achhe Laggte Hain says that they will not waste any water and are game for a dry Holi. Similarly, in Uttaran, there is no special Holi episode. "We are having a very low-key Holi on the show (which is also due to the current storyline), so there is no chance of any wastage of water. In fact, I keep educating people around me about the importance of water," says Pintoo Guha, producer of the show.

Recently, an elaborate set at Ghodbunder road, Mumbai, saw actors Rohit Roy, Hiren Tejwani and others shoot a special Holi sequence for a channel. Rohit says, "How could we have a rain dance when there is water scarcity in the state? Holi is one of my favourite festivals but this time I have decided not to play. Today people have no water to drink and farmers are committing suicide due to the drought condition, so it is our responsibility to use water sensibly."