Kids Article

Even as the nation celebrates Children's Day today, Hindi entertainment channels have been celebrating the power of kids for some time now with child stars/performers leading the show during prime time band.

Telly's twinkling little stars, Shivansh Kotia (Naksh, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai), Sagar Cheda, (Dhruv, Ek Nanad Ki Khushiyon Ki Chabi... Meri Bhabhi), Faisal Khan (Pratap, Maharana Pratap), Dev Joshi (Ballu, Baal Veer), Bhavya Gandhi (Tappu, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah), Harshita Ojha and Bhavesh Balchandani (Veera and Ranvijay, Ek Veer Ki Ardaas Veera), Avneet Kaur and Mehnaz Mann, (Pakhi and Kalpana, Ek Mutthi Aasmaan), Ulka Gupta and Reem Sheikh (Ami and Khushbu, Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi), Rakshit Wahi (host, Boogie Woogie Little Wonders) seem to be on a roll, with adequate airtime in soaps, plum brand endorsements, movie roles and a huge fan base!

Instant connect That audiences love watching kids on television is a proven fact. 'Bade Acche...'s Pihu (Amrita Mukherjee), Veera and Ranvijay in 'Veera', helped rake in high TVTs for their shows for weeks on end, so much so, that the time leap that had been planned for both shows was postponed because of the kiddie star power. Rajat Tokas (Prithviraj Chauhan), Avinash Mukherjee, Avika Gor (Balika Vadhu), Ahsaas Channa (Kasamh Se) who once won hearts in their kiddie role play are established TV stars today, ruling prime time airwaves.

Conducive environment Working with child stars requires meticulous planning and paying attention to tiniest details, so that they are provided with an amenable environment. Ravi Behl, producer of 'Boogie Woogie Little Wonders', says, "Children come with a different positive energy and have an immediate connect with viewers. On our part we ensure a comfortable environment and see to it that they don't stress too much about winning or losing."

Abhimanyu Singh, producer of 'Maharana Pratap', says, "We have worked with Paras Arora in 'Veer Shivaji' and Ulka Gupta in 'Jhansi Ki Rani' and we are now working with Faisal "all three have been complete professionals. As producers we give them ample time to rejuvenate. Faisal takes four days off in a month. We also see to it that their education is not hampered and provide for teachers who come on the sets and teach them. Our shoots are arranged according to their exam schedules. In fact, child stars have a lot of free time, because they are sometimes quicker than adults."

Most producers insist that besides providing a conducive work environment they also ensure that the children are not overburdened with difficult lines. Asitkumarr Modi, producer of Taarak Mehta says, "The child stars are not acting to eke out a living, nor are they disrupting their education or regular life. The child stars on our show are like family and we take care of them " be it their studies, their meals, their health. When they're free, they play cricket and do a lot of masti."

As telly's child stars continue to grab screen space and garnering more and more fans, it seems like a happy children's day in showbiz!

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