TOI: Hamlets dont come cheap-RBO

HAMLETS JUST DONT COME CHEAP!

Small screens rural shift has come for a price,as production costs soar.ATfinds out more

Amrita Mulchandani and Shruti Jambhekar


From the sleek living rooms in cities to lush green fields,river banks and wells,the shift has been very drastic.Yet its common now on the small screen.Telly soaps across General Entertainment Channels (GECs) now flaunt a rural look.Those accents laced with a rural lingo,ethnic dresses,accessories and lots more fit in to mark a perfection to these soaps.Suddenly all the attention has shifted to hamlets in Rajasthan,Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.And what is USP behind their high TRPs
India is the third largest television market in the world with the projected business by the end of 2011 estimated to reach 42,700 crore.However,that picture perfect look of the village on small screen doesnt come cheap.So,at what is the cost of a show with a rural set-up Producer Sunil Bora says,Television might be called the small screen but it is bigger than the films today.The expenses on promotion and packaging of the shows are equal to the amount spent on a film.A new show on any GEC is equal to the budget spent on a big budget film from cast,location to marketing,the amount invested is huge.
What is so great about showcasing a rural set-up and story line around this theme Why do producers put their money on these shows Siddharth Tewary,producer of shows like Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo,Phulwa and Navvya,It is a myth that rural shows come cheaper.Apart from outdoor shoots,setting up of village sets,there are a lot of things that are required to make a rural show.Today the cost of one episode of a show depends on the story and the script.
Taking a holistic look at the cost factor,producer Yash Patnaik (Rang Badalti Odhani and Jamunia says,There is hardly any difference in the cost when it comes to putting up rural or urban set up.In rural setups we need a lot of actors (more so on outdoor shoots) while in urban shows an episode can be shot in a room with two to three actors.It is also difficult to get ready made sets in Mumbai and so making them personalized also involves lots of money.Costumes for rural shows are not easily available and require more money.On an average 6,50000-750000 are required for shooting one episode. He goes on to add,The major problems during outdoor shooting are travel and accommodation.More than hundred people travel together and their expenses (food,medication to local transport) add to the overall cost. Saurabh Tewari,programming head of a GEC channel however says that,The budget goes up by 8 to 10 per cent which on a larger scale is hardly visible.The shows are now moving from urban to semiurban /rural set ups because the target audience is viewers in small rural markets.
Talking about the figures in detail,Tewari says that the initial 15 to 20 episodes are shots in the village while the later part is shot in a set made in Mumbai.Today shows are shot near Mumbai as the cost differs and there is no open land available.To rent a place in Mumbai for 10,000 sq yard it costs around 8 to 10 lakh depending on the area whereas in the nearby places the cost is 4 lakh for 20,000 sq yard, he says.
When grabbing eyeballs is the name of the game,money is not really an issue for a perfect rural set-up !

RURAL SET-UP BASED TV SHOWS



Star Plus

Gulaal,Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya,Tere Mere Sapne,Maryada... Lekin Kab Tak

Zee TV

Choti Bahu,Sanskaar Lakshmi

Colors

Na Aana Is Des Laado,Phulwa,Balika Vadhu - Kacchi Umar ke Pakke Rishte,Rishton Se Badi Pratha,Laagi Tujhse Lagan,Maati Ki Banno,Sabki Jodi Wohi Banaata... Bhagyavidhaata

Imagine TV

Armaanon Ka Balidan,Gunahon Ka Devta

Star One

Rang Badalti Odhani

Sahara One

Kesariya Balam Aavo Hamare Desh,Ganga Kii Dheej,Mata Ki Chowki

SAB TV

Lapataganj