Virrudh Articles Archives-No Comments - Page 10

Q Virrudh is about to complete 100 episodes. How has the response been so far?

The response has been fabulous both in India as well as abroad. Recently I was in Dubai and was surprised to know that the show is being watched in the Middle East too. I discovered the same on my recent trips to Hyderabad and Chennai. The general perception is that Hindi serials are not watched in the South but I was surprised to learn that Virrudh was not only watched but appreciated too. My co-actors in the serial have also got a similar feedback whenever they have travelled outside Mumbai. I have also got a similar feedback from people in the television industry as well as the media. In other words, Virrudh is not only a widely watched show but it is also being appreciated.

Q But the TRP numbers give a different picture altogether. Do low TRPs unnerve you?

The TRP system is completely flawed. It doesn't cover the rural market at all. There are no PeopleMeters in Bihar, Kashmir and the whole of north-east. Uttar Pradesh has a population of 14 crore but there are only 300 meters. There are only 300 meters in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. In a country of over a billion people there are only 7000 PeopleMeters to calculate TRP numbers. The information on the TRP trends, viewing pattern and the actual numbers is also not freely available. So I don't understand how the system works and how the numbers are arrived at. Take for instance, Doordarshan and DD News. Both are most watched channels but as far as TRPs are concerned they rank very low.

Q Maybe because TAM covers only cable and satellite homes in 150 cities with one lakh-plus population?

When there are 70 million cable and satellite homes how can only 7,000 meters give the exact information and figures about what is really being watched? Why there is no adequate coverage for DD and DD News. All the TAM research and numbers are meant for advertisers to help and decide on how to sell their commercials and at what price. It is meant for advertisers, media buyers to buy and sell slots.

It doesn't indicate anything about what kind of entertainment viewers want. Because of the popularity of certain family dramas people have concluded that the audience wants to see only regressive content. But if that's really true then what explains the success of films like Chak De India, Cheeni Kam, Rang De Basanti and Bheja Fry? The fact is audiences are ready for good content, good stories and different formats and genres. But when the research does not indicate the choice of content viewers would like to watch why should content providers be held hostage to and punished? The fact is there should be a debate on TRPs but media buyers will not allow it to happen.

Q Virrudh ranks low on the TRP charts but the channel is supporting the show. Is it because it is a much talked-about show? Does Sony see a potential in it to garner better numbers in the future?

The very fact that Virrudh is being talked about everywhere indicates that it is being seen on a wider scale. Without seeing it people will not talk abut it. It is why I want to know how TRP numbers are arrived at. But I am happy that Sony is extremely supportive and without the channel's support my first production wouldn't have been appreciated and become a success.

Q Is the show all about Vasudha vs her father or is it Vasudha vs. everyone in the Raisinghania family?

It is basically about good vs evil. The father is the catalyst for creating all the conflicts in the family and Vasudha will oppose anyone who follows the wrong path.

Q What about your next production Mere Apne for Zee? Have you signed Vinod Khanna to play the lead role opposite you?

I have three shows in the pipeline but I can't talk about them because the contract doesn't allow me to. I have never said anything about Mere Apne and whether Vinod Khanna has been signed for it. It is all media speculation. They quote sources close to me. But the fact is I don't have any source that's close to me and who can speak for me.

Q Are you going to make a comeback in Kyunki and when?

There is lot of speculation in the media about my coming back in Kyunki. But the truth is that I have not been approached by anyone so far.

Q Did you leave the show or were you asked to quit?

I did not leave the show. Neither did I want to quit the show or take a break. I wasn't even aware of my exit from Kyunki till the day I went to shoot for the death scene.

Q But if approached to play Tulsi again will you do the show?

There is no point in speculating about what's going to happen in future.

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He loved playing Aditya in Remix and though the character was negative, he got a lot of appreciation. Now he is quite happy with the response he is getting for playing Vedant in Virrudh. "The character has shaped up really well. Starting as a frivolous teenager, Vedant has matured into a completely independent man who has turned against his all-powerful father Dhirendra Raisinghania. "He never approved of his son's love for a union leader's daughter because Raisinghania wanted Vedant to marry a girl from a respectable business family. But Vedant has his own reasons for marrying Sandhya who he not only loves but she has also supported him in his work.

So it's the clash of egos between the father and son and the two have their own reasons for the way they want to do things," says Karan Mehra for whom working in Virrudh is more of a good learning experience. "I have grown up watching some of the actors like Vikram (Gokhale) and Anjan (Srivastav) on television. Now I am getting to learn a lot from them as well as from Sushant (Singh) and Achint (Kaur)." Karan is enjoying working in Virrudh and says, "You are given full freedom to do what you want. Unlike other shows the field given to you is huge and you are free to move around under wide frames."

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His entry in Virrudh as ACP Vikram Agarkar was supposed to last not more than eight to 10 episodes. But Anoop Soni who plays the character has already done over 100 episodes of the show. And it sure looks like the show will get another extension. ACP Agarkar's character of an honest and upright police officer who investigate sa murderous attack on Dheerendra Raisinghania's life has been well-received. But the upright cop has suddenly turned negative and is seeking revenge against Vedika. Not only is he blackmailing and plotting against Vedika but is also forcing Vasudha to marry him. The question being asked is: Why is Agarkar on a revenge trip?

"Initially, my role was supposed to be a special entry. But Smriti conceived an entire plot for the character. She had told me that the role will be extended and something substantial will be worked out," says Anoop who is happy that he accepted the offer because not only has the character worked well for him but also for the show. In fact, Anoop says Smriti had even told him that if he didn't feel happy with the character's graph he was free to leave the show at any point of time. "When the producer gave me so much liberty why would I say no to the offer?" he asks.

Anoop further says that Virrudh is a high-profile show that has been discussed avidly. "It's become a status symbol and adds weight to your bio-data," he says, adding further, "TRPs or popularity of a show has nothing to do with quality. If a show is successful it doesn't mean it is good."

But lately Virrudh's ratings have improved quite a bit. "The changes in the story after Agarkar turned negative have brought in more viewers," says Anoop. However, he says Agarkar is not a bad guy. "He has been hurt by Vedika. She fell in love with him but she didn't like his middle class status and therefore got him promoted to a higher rank by paying a bribe which Agarkar didn't like. He feels Vedika doesn't love him but his higher status as a police officer," he explains.

Try telling him that lately Virrudh has become a thriller and he argues that it's a wholesome show. "It has family, relationships, drama, conflict, suspense and little bit of thrill as well. Also, it is one show where the male actors have something substantial to do and I am quite satisfied with what I am doing in Virrudh," he adds.

He feels that television acting is no more a specialised job. "I don't have any problem with daily soaps. But unfortunately they don't need actors. Instead they need people who can say dialogues because the camera does a lot of acting," says Anoop who started his career about 12 years ago with Indian television's first daily soap Shanti and later did several weekly shows and one-off episodes of Rishtey and Saturday Suspense. Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki was his first daily for a satellite channel where he came as a replacement for Mohnish Behl. But after Kiran Karmarkar's recent comeback in the show, Anoop who played Suyesh Mehra has been shown the exit door.

"With Om around no man can exist in Parvati's life because Om and Parvati are like Ram and Sita. I don't know what the current story is and also don't have any clue whether I will be back in the show. But then in dailies all possibilities exist. When they run out of the story, old characters are resurrected," he explains.

Anoop is smart enough to realise that TV will remain a long term source of income while films are only a passtime.

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