Posted:
Love thy daughter!
AL Chougule
Posted online: Friday, October 13, 2006 at 0000 hours IST
Every woman dreams of a life of her own but her wishes are left unfulfilled when her family does not let her to pursue higher studies. The reason being, why spend on someone who will get married one day and leave home.
To clear the notion that daughters are a curse while sons are a blessing, STAR ONE has begun airing Betiyaan Apni Yaa... Paraaya Dhan from October 10. Screen visits the sets to find out more ... Gauri Nigudkar
You are a post-graduate in organic chemistry. How did you stray into acting?
I was quite serious about my studies and wanted to become a professor and do my PhD in Chemistry. But destiny had other plans for me. I got the opportunity of doing a Marathi film, Uttarayan which went on to win the National award. After that, I did a couple of commercials and then offers for serials started coming in. How was the experience of doing Uttarayan? What was your role in it?
I enjoyed doing the film. It dealt with two people who were friends in their youth but go different ways in life and meet again after many years. Their meeting revives their old memories and gradually they come close to each other again, which leads to a lot of introspection about their respective marital lives as well as the consequences of their relationship. Neena Kulkarni played the female lead in the film and I played the younger Neena. You were getting a lot of offers for serials. Why did you choose Betiyaan ... in particular for your television debut?
The serial deals with gender discrimination in a middle-class family of seven siblings, six daughters and one son. I liked the subject because it has a social message blended into drama and entertainment. Besides I am playing the main protagonist of the serial. My character resembles Lord Krishna and since I am an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna I was really glad to play the role. Is Krishna a rational person or is she a rebel?
Krishna is the eldest daughter in the family. She is quite a rational person and believes in doing things her own way. She is not the one to shout and argue but tries to adjust to the situation though she regrets the gender discrimination in the family. Every character has a definite point of view. Even the father who discriminates between his son and daughters has a point of view and justification for giving favoured treatment to his only son over his daughters. I like the character.
You like the character because it has a definite point of view?
The character not only has a definite point of view but also lot of shades. Krishna is a focused and determined girl. She has an understanding nature and bonds well with her sisters, parents and brother. But at times she feels angry and some times she is vulnerable but tries her best to cope with situations for family's peace and harmony. But the message that comes out is quite clear. It is wrong to discriminate against the girl child. Don't you think gender discrimination is an age-old phenomenon and is widely prevalent in urban and rural areas cutting across all sections and classes of society?
Yes, gender discrimination has been prevailing since ages and it's not going to go away unless the thought process undergoes a change and people realise that girl child is no less than a son. I think it's related to one's upbringing. If you are brought up in an environment where you are made to think that daughter is inferior to son, then the thought process passes on from one generation to another. It's not going to go away unless we change our thinking and girls are given every opportunity to empower themselves like boys. Have you faced such a problem in your life?
My parents have been very supportive and gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted to. By the way I don't have a brother but a sister. But even in my extended family girls have never been discriminated against. Do you feel the pressure of playing the lead role in your debut serial?
Yes, the pressure is there. Being a debutant in a daily serial I have to learn a lot and adjust to the demanding work schedule because initially it's going to be really hectic. May be with time the pressure will ease. But I am definitely enjoying my work. l Rajeev Verma
In Betiyaan ..., you are playing a father who hates his daughters while his son is everything for him. In real life too, is that how it is?
I know what you are hinting at. I have two sons but my two younger brothers have daughters. I definitely craved for a daughter of my own. How do you feel when you are enacting a scene where you have to talk harshly with your on-screen daughters?
I am an emotional person. Sometimes when the dialogues are very harsh, I question myself as to how rude can one be to utter even worse words to their own daughters. Sometimes I have a talk with the dialogue writer and try and make the dialogue sound less harsh. How are your relations with your on-screen children?
I have built an excellent rapport with my on-screen family. Recently when we were on an outdoor shoot at Jodhpur it seemed as if we had all gone on an excursion. I will tell you something funny. My on-screen daughters pull my leg every time by asking me their on-screen names. Sometimes I am right, sometimes not. Rekha Modi (writer)
Betiyaan Apni Yaa...Paraaya Dhan seems to be an emotional serial.
Yes, I was inspired to write this from the happenings in my family. My mother has six sisters and three brothers. And naturally, with nine children, there was financial crisis in the house. Thus my aunts and my mother were deprived of good education and were treated as paraya dhan while my uncles pursued their higher education. Having experienced this, my mother struggled a lot and yet saw to it that I had a good life. After I passed my SSC exams, my father wanted to stop my education but my mother put her foot down and compelled my father to let me pursue my studies. It was because of this experience that I decided to make a serial on the fate of girls in our society. So, what's your take on the son-daughter issue?
The discrimination between a baby girl and a boy still persists. Don't people still go in for sonography tests to find out the sex of the foetus? Isn't it God's wish? Boys are spoilt because they are overtly protected while the daughters are left to fend for themselves. Today, times have changed. Where we have astronaut like Rakesh Sharma, we also had Kalpana Chawla doing all woman proud by going into space. Tell us something about this serial?
...Paraaya Dhan is the story of six daughters and a son born into the family of Zamindar Neelkanth Chanda Rana, who rebukes his daughters because for him, they are a burden. He thinks that the girls have come into his life for only want of a son. The eldest daughter and the main protagonist, Krishna (Gauri Nigudkar) is akin to Lord Krishna and her character personifies the Lord's character like his depth of wisdom and breath of understanding. A simple, honest and principled girl, Krishna is the balancing factor amongst her sisters. All the protagonists of my serials are assertive of their rights and they also believe that with freedom comes responsibility. Betiyaan... may be considered the story of many a homes in the country where the daughter is looked down upon while son is given all the adulation. Why did you take the backdrop of a Gujarati family?
I have found Gujarati girls to be to be both beautiful and intelligent. Moreover, a Gujarati subject adds an array of colours as its culture is varied and there are a lot of festivals that abound the state all round the year. You are known to be closely associated with Zee. How come you chose STAR for Betiyaan...?
In fact, I initially went to Zee TV with my proposal. To tell you the facts, my proposal was accepted within fifteen minutes, but later something unforeseen transpired and I had no other option but to approach STAR. Which other serials are you working on?
With so many serials in my kitty, I am being constantly flooded with offers but I have restricted my work. Working on any thing else distracts me and I am not able to concentrate on the first one. So, I am giving Betiyaan... my best. Sanjay Wadhwaa (Producer)
How did Betiyaan... come to you?
One day I got a call from STAR. After the people at the channel's office briefed me about the story I immediately jumped on to making the serial. My first feeling then was that I must take up the story that talks of the current situation in the country. A message required to be put across to keep daughters on the same bandwith the sons. Are you aware that Zee is currently airing something similar on the lines of Betiyaan...?
Yes I do. The story of this serial is Rekha's original concept. Our story is a completely chalked out. The people at Zee, keeping the content intact, have changed the story. But isn't there going to be a copyright problem?
Even if there is one, we are not involved in it. The respective channels will fight it out. Partho Mitra (Director)
Why did you take up an emotional subject?
I have done a lot of serials and films in the past. But I didn't handle one on any such subject - a sister-bonding saga. You must have noticed that earlier the crux of a serial would be male-dominated but now, every other serial is woman-centric. My serial has six interestingly different characters dealing with emotion. It basically focuses on everyday nuances in a family. It has been very interesting working with all these characters who are wholeheartedly cooperating with me. Could you give details of the other characters?
Yes, the father is played by the experienced Rajeev Verma, Madhuri Sanjeev plays the mother and the daughters beside Krishna are Jyoti (Chand), Shilpa (Veera), Atishri (Gunjan), Snighda (Sanu) and Itishree who plays the blind girl (Koyal) who is a good singer. Nirvan, the son of the family, is played by Manish. How did you get Betiyaan...?
Well, Sanjay is a good friend of mine. After narrating the script, he asked me whether I would be interested in doing the serial. I found the script very interesting and I agreed to do it. This show that has a massive production value is bound to create an impression. How many episodes have you shot and how many have been allotted so far?
In all, we have shot about eight episodes and we have been allotted over 250 episodes. Ashish Mitra http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=13815
AL Chougule
Posted online: Friday, October 13, 2006 at 0000 hours IST
Every woman dreams of a life of her own but her wishes are left unfulfilled when her family does not let her to pursue higher studies. The reason being, why spend on someone who will get married one day and leave home.
To clear the notion that daughters are a curse while sons are a blessing, STAR ONE has begun airing Betiyaan Apni Yaa... Paraaya Dhan from October 10. Screen visits the sets to find out more ... Gauri Nigudkar
You are a post-graduate in organic chemistry. How did you stray into acting?
I was quite serious about my studies and wanted to become a professor and do my PhD in Chemistry. But destiny had other plans for me. I got the opportunity of doing a Marathi film, Uttarayan which went on to win the National award. After that, I did a couple of commercials and then offers for serials started coming in. How was the experience of doing Uttarayan? What was your role in it?
I enjoyed doing the film. It dealt with two people who were friends in their youth but go different ways in life and meet again after many years. Their meeting revives their old memories and gradually they come close to each other again, which leads to a lot of introspection about their respective marital lives as well as the consequences of their relationship. Neena Kulkarni played the female lead in the film and I played the younger Neena. You were getting a lot of offers for serials. Why did you choose Betiyaan ... in particular for your television debut?
The serial deals with gender discrimination in a middle-class family of seven siblings, six daughters and one son. I liked the subject because it has a social message blended into drama and entertainment. Besides I am playing the main protagonist of the serial. My character resembles Lord Krishna and since I am an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna I was really glad to play the role. Is Krishna a rational person or is she a rebel?
Krishna is the eldest daughter in the family. She is quite a rational person and believes in doing things her own way. She is not the one to shout and argue but tries to adjust to the situation though she regrets the gender discrimination in the family. Every character has a definite point of view. Even the father who discriminates between his son and daughters has a point of view and justification for giving favoured treatment to his only son over his daughters. I like the character.
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The character not only has a definite point of view but also lot of shades. Krishna is a focused and determined girl. She has an understanding nature and bonds well with her sisters, parents and brother. But at times she feels angry and some times she is vulnerable but tries her best to cope with situations for family's peace and harmony. But the message that comes out is quite clear. It is wrong to discriminate against the girl child. Don't you think gender discrimination is an age-old phenomenon and is widely prevalent in urban and rural areas cutting across all sections and classes of society?
Yes, gender discrimination has been prevailing since ages and it's not going to go away unless the thought process undergoes a change and people realise that girl child is no less than a son. I think it's related to one's upbringing. If you are brought up in an environment where you are made to think that daughter is inferior to son, then the thought process passes on from one generation to another. It's not going to go away unless we change our thinking and girls are given every opportunity to empower themselves like boys. Have you faced such a problem in your life?
My parents have been very supportive and gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted to. By the way I don't have a brother but a sister. But even in my extended family girls have never been discriminated against. Do you feel the pressure of playing the lead role in your debut serial?
Yes, the pressure is there. Being a debutant in a daily serial I have to learn a lot and adjust to the demanding work schedule because initially it's going to be really hectic. May be with time the pressure will ease. But I am definitely enjoying my work. l Rajeev Verma
In Betiyaan ..., you are playing a father who hates his daughters while his son is everything for him. In real life too, is that how it is?
I know what you are hinting at. I have two sons but my two younger brothers have daughters. I definitely craved for a daughter of my own. How do you feel when you are enacting a scene where you have to talk harshly with your on-screen daughters?
I am an emotional person. Sometimes when the dialogues are very harsh, I question myself as to how rude can one be to utter even worse words to their own daughters. Sometimes I have a talk with the dialogue writer and try and make the dialogue sound less harsh. How are your relations with your on-screen children?
I have built an excellent rapport with my on-screen family. Recently when we were on an outdoor shoot at Jodhpur it seemed as if we had all gone on an excursion. I will tell you something funny. My on-screen daughters pull my leg every time by asking me their on-screen names. Sometimes I am right, sometimes not. Rekha Modi (writer)
Betiyaan Apni Yaa...Paraaya Dhan seems to be an emotional serial.
Yes, I was inspired to write this from the happenings in my family. My mother has six sisters and three brothers. And naturally, with nine children, there was financial crisis in the house. Thus my aunts and my mother were deprived of good education and were treated as paraya dhan while my uncles pursued their higher education. Having experienced this, my mother struggled a lot and yet saw to it that I had a good life. After I passed my SSC exams, my father wanted to stop my education but my mother put her foot down and compelled my father to let me pursue my studies. It was because of this experience that I decided to make a serial on the fate of girls in our society. So, what's your take on the son-daughter issue?
The discrimination between a baby girl and a boy still persists. Don't people still go in for sonography tests to find out the sex of the foetus? Isn't it God's wish? Boys are spoilt because they are overtly protected while the daughters are left to fend for themselves. Today, times have changed. Where we have astronaut like Rakesh Sharma, we also had Kalpana Chawla doing all woman proud by going into space. Tell us something about this serial?
...Paraaya Dhan is the story of six daughters and a son born into the family of Zamindar Neelkanth Chanda Rana, who rebukes his daughters because for him, they are a burden. He thinks that the girls have come into his life for only want of a son. The eldest daughter and the main protagonist, Krishna (Gauri Nigudkar) is akin to Lord Krishna and her character personifies the Lord's character like his depth of wisdom and breath of understanding. A simple, honest and principled girl, Krishna is the balancing factor amongst her sisters. All the protagonists of my serials are assertive of their rights and they also believe that with freedom comes responsibility. Betiyaan... may be considered the story of many a homes in the country where the daughter is looked down upon while son is given all the adulation. Why did you take the backdrop of a Gujarati family?
I have found Gujarati girls to be to be both beautiful and intelligent. Moreover, a Gujarati subject adds an array of colours as its culture is varied and there are a lot of festivals that abound the state all round the year. You are known to be closely associated with Zee. How come you chose STAR for Betiyaan...?
In fact, I initially went to Zee TV with my proposal. To tell you the facts, my proposal was accepted within fifteen minutes, but later something unforeseen transpired and I had no other option but to approach STAR. Which other serials are you working on?
With so many serials in my kitty, I am being constantly flooded with offers but I have restricted my work. Working on any thing else distracts me and I am not able to concentrate on the first one. So, I am giving Betiyaan... my best. Sanjay Wadhwaa (Producer)
How did Betiyaan... come to you?
One day I got a call from STAR. After the people at the channel's office briefed me about the story I immediately jumped on to making the serial. My first feeling then was that I must take up the story that talks of the current situation in the country. A message required to be put across to keep daughters on the same bandwith the sons. Are you aware that Zee is currently airing something similar on the lines of Betiyaan...?
Yes I do. The story of this serial is Rekha's original concept. Our story is a completely chalked out. The people at Zee, keeping the content intact, have changed the story. But isn't there going to be a copyright problem?
Even if there is one, we are not involved in it. The respective channels will fight it out. Partho Mitra (Director)
Why did you take up an emotional subject?
I have done a lot of serials and films in the past. But I didn't handle one on any such subject - a sister-bonding saga. You must have noticed that earlier the crux of a serial would be male-dominated but now, every other serial is woman-centric. My serial has six interestingly different characters dealing with emotion. It basically focuses on everyday nuances in a family. It has been very interesting working with all these characters who are wholeheartedly cooperating with me. Could you give details of the other characters?
Yes, the father is played by the experienced Rajeev Verma, Madhuri Sanjeev plays the mother and the daughters beside Krishna are Jyoti (Chand), Shilpa (Veera), Atishri (Gunjan), Snighda (Sanu) and Itishree who plays the blind girl (Koyal) who is a good singer. Nirvan, the son of the family, is played by Manish. How did you get Betiyaan...?
Well, Sanjay is a good friend of mine. After narrating the script, he asked me whether I would be interested in doing the serial. I found the script very interesting and I agreed to do it. This show that has a massive production value is bound to create an impression. How many episodes have you shot and how many have been allotted so far?
In all, we have shot about eight episodes and we have been allotted over 250 episodes. Ashish Mitra http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=13815
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