Article: Yeh show filmi hai!

While small-screen stars are making the transition to the big screen, it seems the scripts for Bollywood movies are finding their way to TV.

Still from Bhaskar Bharti and

Whether it's plots or characters, Hindi films seem to be providing some much-needed masala to television serials. The plot of Star Plus' Tujh Sang Preet Lagayi Sajana smacks of Subhash Ghai's film Saudagar. Jeevan Saatthi Humsafar Zindagi Ke on Colors is reminiscent of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Even the latest shows, Bhaskar Bharti, Ladies Special and Palampur Express on Sony Entertainment Television, have traces of Mr Ya Miss, Life... in a Metro and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, respectively.

But TV producers dismiss the allegation, saying there's no deliberate attempt to copy films. "There are a few ideas around which stories are built. So, the plots may seem similar. But that doesn't mean we're copying Hindi films," says Roshan Abbas, producer and conceptualiser, Palampur Express.

"It's possible that as the show moves on, you'll find it similar to Iqbal. That's because Indian cinema has explored so many themes that TV serials are looking like reflections of them. Hollywood films are so big that they can't be adapted as serial scripts. Bollywood should come up with such plots. Even Balika Vadhu was initially written as a film, but since that didn't work, it was turned into a serial," explains Roshan.

Some claim the stories on TV go beyond the original scripts. "We may take the idea from a film, but while a film is over in three hours, a serial goes on for a long time and needs a new twist every day. The presentation has to be strong enough to keep audiences from saying, 'I'd rather pick up a DVD and watch the movie'," says Deeya Singh, producer, Bhaskar Bharti.

Archita Biswas, scriptwriter of Tujh Sang Preet Lagayi Sajana, agrees. "Since Tujh Sang Preet Lagayi Sajana and Saudagar are about warring families, people might think the serial is based on the film. But we've introduced various new angles that weren't in the film."

Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai, a hit serial on Star Plus, has increasingly begun to look like Vivah. But ask Rajan Shahi, the producer of the show, about it and he says, "If we blatantly copy, the shows would look forced. We have to keep viewers' interest alive or TRPs could fall."

As for Seeta Aur Geeta on NDTV Imagine, the producers have clarified that they have officially bought the rights to remake the film into a serial. "Our target audience is the youth and there are old films they wouldn't have watched. So, there's no harm in remaking them into serials, as long as the originals are given credit," says Sunil Bohra, producer, Seeta Aur Geeta. But will it get the same response as the film? "Our audiences are very entertainment-friendly. They will enjoy anything and any number of times if it comes for free," smiles Sunil.