" Somehow, I can never express what I feel about D3 in words!" - Palki Malhotra
Creative director of the very popular show Dill Mill Gayye' and currently the youth's most loved show Dil Dosti Dance', Palki Malhotra, gets candid with urlremoved about her experiences on both these shows and lots more!
Tell us about yourself?
Well I am someone who loves to do everything passionately! I mean whatever I take up has to be done with passion, because I feel that only then will it turn out to be something good.
How did you get into the Television industry?
I gave advertisements and films a shot for a while till I realized that there were quite a few double standards here and so then I moved on to TV with my first project for Doordarshan, and definitely found TV a more clean as well as clear space, as so I just decided to stick on, first as an assistant director and then moved on to various other departments.
Your take and experience on being the creative head for DMG and now D3?
Working on DMG was a challenge, and so is working on D3 now, as these shows are somewhat different and break the clutter in their own ways, but yes I love challenges and so took them up and had a great time working on DMG and now on D3 too!
Share with us some fun memorable experiences of DMG which you will always remember?
There are tons of amazing memories related to DMG which I will never ever forget, but yes I will always remember the very last day of DMG clearly, as literally every single person who was related to the show in any way at all, just came on to set, even some with whom we had kind of lost touch, which was very very touching, and of course it was then a big awesome reunion! Also, my second day of shooting with Karan is something which I still remember as we had asked him to shoot a basketball court scene without his shirt, he was nervous, didn't want to really do it as he wasn't even very familiar with any of us, but then finally he did the scene and pulled it off brilliantly! Besides these, a lot of pranks were always played on set by everyone which were also great fun.
If it were possible, would you come up with a DMG season 3?
Oh god, I have been asked this question all the time and so many times now! But again I will say that yes if it were possible, I would love to come back with DMG season 3!
The very famous on screen couple that you created 6 years ago, Armaan and Riddhima, are still fondly remembered by fans, so how does that feel?
I infact still get mails from fans telling me they still love Armaan and Riddhima, they were the best Jodi etc etc, and it really feels great and overwhelming to know that people are talking so much about something you created, and even when the show ended around more than 3 years ago! So yes it feels lovely to know that fans still love Armaan and Riddhima a lot.
How did D3 come to you and what made you develop such a concept?
I have always been very passionate about dance and felt that dance as a career or profession was never given much importance, and I being so passionate about it, wanted to try and make something big of it! After quite some planning, I had everything set in my head and then approached the Channel V guys who did like my concept but were skeptical on how it would work, as it had never been experimented with before. I did all the convincing I could though, with the help of Vanshika from Channel V who was always by my side, and then finally everything did work out, and now here we are!
D3 is now nearly about to complete 2 and a half years on air so how does it feel, and what is your rapport like with the D3 behind the scenes team after having worked with them all for so long?
Somehow, I can never express what I feel about D3 in words, because I have worked on this project for so long now, that it has just become a part of me! But I was extremely happy when we completed 500 episodes recently, which was definitely a huge achievement for us all, and I have to say that nothing at all would have happened without my brilliant team who work around the clock and behind the camera to bring out the best of D3! A very special mention to Danish and Taahir who have always been there throughout and supported me for everything, my entire technicians team without whom I don't know what I would have even done, all the editors who are great at their work, our new director Rajiv who is now doing very very well and our cameraman Shahid who makes everything I think of, look so great and real on screen! Other than that, everybody else too from the team, as all the effort counts! Also, it's been a long time now since we all have been working together, and so it's just one big family out here!
Any favourites from the D3 cast and what rapport do you share with them?
Well, I have worked with these guys for more than 2 years now, and so I do share with a pretty good rapport with all of them, but it is of a different kind with each of them. Coming to the boys, I am very fond of Kunwar and treat him like a child as he always needs my pampering here and there, and in the very beginning I had faced some conflict because of him, but he is one person who never has let me down till now! I am pretty fond of Shantanu too, as I see a bit of myself in him and somehow our rapport is such that when we aren't at work, we never discuss D3 as there is lots more to talk about, which I feel is just great! Archi was someone who I treated as my younger brother and so we were very close at one time, but I have to admit that he has changed over time and so we aren't that close anymore but of course we do get along well always. Amar and Bharat both are somehow very scared of me, and so there isn't much conversation that we really have, but when with the entire team we of course do have a lot of fun! Though I have to say that Amar is an extremely talented boy and I feel that he has to step out of the shadow that he is living in now. Maci is also someone I have a lot of fun with as he is a really funny guy, and very talented too! Now coming to the girls, I somewhat feel very motherly towards Vrushika and always make sure to get the best from her which she is very capable of, but somewhere down the line, she wants to show herself as being weak which she isn't, and so I feel she needs to soon come out of this phase. Sam is someone whom I am very attached to and extremely fond off, as I can have some of the best conversations with her, because she is one of the few girls, who is really really smart! Splash and I have recently become pretty close as at one time she was always huddled up in her girl gang, but I guess somewhere down the line, after Shakti and Sneha left, we just found each other! I have also recently become close to Sneha Gupta, and feel like a sister to her, as there are many things we can share and talk about. She is a person who wants to do too many things in life together which obviously isn't possible, but yes a really nice girl.
Sneha Kapoor who played Sharon earlier was a very good actor and had a huge fan following too, so once she decided to quit the show how did that affect you and what was the reaction of the entire team? Did you'll have an immediate backup plan?
It was definitely a big blow to us after Sneha informed us about her decision to quit, as we obviously didn't have any immediate backup plan, and Taani's character at that time was very new and hadn't really acquired a big fan base. So for quite some time, we infact never even informed the team about Sneha's decision of quitting, and Sneha too kept her promise and didn't tell anybody about the same, till we finally decided that Sharon's character has to be replaced as it was a very important one! And, we are honest people and so I guess God was by our side, as we then finally found Vrushika!
Vrushika Mehta who replaced Sneha as Sharon really seems to be doing well, so what do you have to say about Vrushika as an actor, and a person?
In the beginning, Vrushika was always very nervous and would keep crying and saying she wouldn't be able to do this, she wanted to leave and somehow she always made herself a damsel in distress, but I just never pampered her at any point in time, and was infact always behind her to get the best from her as she was actually capable of that. Soon, she got used to everything and very gracefully accepted the fact that I was trying to get the best from her which she could really do, and then completely gave herself to me! She allowed me to mould her as an actor and today, it is truly because of her dedication and hard work that she has managed to acquire such a big fan base and so much love. Vrushika has really become a different person over the months with us, and yes the girl has really proved herself!
Fans play a very important part for any show, but do you feel that they can make or break a show?
There are always two sides to a coin, as there are fans who wont like a particular episode, but at the same time there will be other fans who would have loved the episode, so yes fans do play a very important role when it comes to any show, but no they cant really break the show, as that I guess would be done by a bad script, execution and acting. Though yes, I will admit that if a wave of indifference is created among the audience where they don't care about anything that is happening on screen at all, it can definitely break a show!
Fans were very unhappy and some still are, and did react pretty badly to the exit of Taani's character and no more TaaRey on the show, so did that affect you and the team? Also anything you would like to tell them?
I choose not to comment too much on this topic as yes I agree that Taani's exit was a very abrupt one which people weren't very happy about, but things didn't work out somewhere down the line and trust me, if I had things in my hand this wouldn't have happened. Infact I still do receive a lot of fan mail asking why Taani just left, will she be back etc, and it does feel special because this proves that people still love the character and it has affected them in some way or the other.
Following the current events on D3, SwaRon are not together, and their fans are definitely upset with that and want to know what is in store for their future. So what do you have to say about that?
I know that fans are complaining about having waited for SwaRon being together which has finally happened after 2 years, but come on, every relationship experiences problems and definitely can't be perfect and lovey-dovey always! And I won't really say that they have broken up, because the only person Swayam is fighting with is Sharon, which is kind of special, and at the same time he is trying to give her a taste of her own medicine, which is justifiable. They are just going through a phase and to be honest, I am pretty happy with the current track. Also, both Swayam and Sharon are very different people and judging Sharon's character, she wouldn't even have said a yes to him, but we justified it in such a way that the yes was bound to happen! So fans should just be patient and watch what happens next.
D3 does show us a lot of team building exercises on the show through trips, organizing festivals or even participating in them, so how does this happen in real on set? What do you'll do often to get the cast and team to enjoy and gel together well?
The D3 gang is actually a gang now, because of the team exercises we have done with them, since the beginning of the show. Also we really did get them to practice the activities shown on D3, as team building exercises off screen too, and gosh these guys are so much in sync with each other! They are so fast and so each activity was literally completed in 3 minutes, because they know each other so well now! The balloon game, skipping and ski game were also done before as part of the team building routine, which these guys were brilliant at! Other than these things, we all get together to have lunch or dinner, celebrate festivals, birthdays and basically have a lot of fun!
Some of your best moments on D3?
Oh god, there are so many! I mean every day on the D3 set is special to me. Though I love all the cake cutting celebrations for birthday, or on completing 100, 500 episodes or on knowing that we have topped the charts! So on Thursday, we got to know that D3 has topped the chart and as part of the celebration, Danish and Taahir actually sent a cake to my house with number 1 written on it, and that felt really good!
Rapid Fire :
What is your typical day like?
I get up and sit down to work, after which I brush and then get ready, head off to the set for a long day's shoot, rehearsals etc, come back home by around 12 or 1am and then just sleep! In the midst of all this, I also try and spend as much time as I can, with my family.
Food you like to eat?
I am a huge fan of non-vegetarian food and I love Kashmiri food which is definitely better than the Indian cuisine.
Personalities you like from Bollywood?
I am a huge fan of Madhuri Dixit, who has somewhere down the line, been an inspiration for me.
When is your birthday?
28th February.
What is your sun-sign?
I am a Pisces.
Favourite performance on D3 till now?
The D3 India-fest performance, Uttarakhand event performance, Kambakkht Ishq, Ishaqzaade and Kya Kare Ya Na Kare. These are the ones that always come to my mind.
Kriyaansh, TaaRey, SwaRon are your awesome creations, so any one of them being your favourite?
All 3 have done really well and I love them all of course, but yes I am still very fond of TaaRey as it was a very different relationship. The very simple and innocent Taani meets Mr. Popular Rey and it just hits off. Besides that SwaRon of course!! So yes these 2 are my personal favourites.
First doctors and then dancers, so what next?
I am not a person who can work on multiple shows and concepts together, but the Dil' will always remain in whatever I do, so hopefully, maybe a good romantic love story is what I would look for next.
Finally, a message for all the D3 fans?
There is no such message I really have for everyone, but all I want to say is, follow your passion passionately and you will succeed in whatever you do!
Writer:Rhea Parekh
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