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Entertainment Prem Sagar, director of the successfully running Jai Jai Jai Bajarang Bali on Sahara One, says, “According to BBC reports, Ramayan was seen by 650 million people in the world. It was telecast in 56 countries. Krishna raked in more than Rs 130 crore only as air time for Doordarshan. After the telecast of the serial, Sai Baba, the income at Sai Baba temple in Shirdi soared, coming second only to that of Balaji Tirupati. After the telecast of Mahima Shani Dev ki, the number of Shani Dev temples and devotees reportely increased from approximately 10 temples to 1000 temples and 10,000 people a day, with lakhs thronging to Shani Shinganapur. Jai Jai Jai Bajrang Bali has already clocked 630 episodes. All this is certainly beyond market report and trend watch research, keeping the stupendous success such serials have enjoyed.” Madhok adds, “The marketing strategy has been to reach out to the younger generation through mediums they best understand. We have a 3D print advertisement, the touring Mahabharat museum in different cities and a virtual museum to mention a few. We wanted to capture the imagination of the viewer in a way and scale that no other programme has and I think have been successful in doing so!” When mythological serials enjoy audience favour as reflected in the high TRPSs of all these serials, it is indeed a good time to re-package mythology without compromising on the content. If the content is authentic, backed by an accurate research, mythological shows will continue to regale and engage the audience from pre-teens to old folks at home.
Visual raconteur Cinematography can’t be viewed in isolation. It’s not a standalone art but something that must carry the cinematic narrative forward. So believes ace cinematographer Anay Goswamy of films like Kai Po Che, No One Killed Jessica, The Japanese Wife, etc. He insists that cinema is a collaborative effort.
He says, “Unless I see from my viewfinder what my director’s vision is, and my images don’t tell the same story he wants to, my work will have no meaning.” Since he and Abhishek Kapoor director of Kai Po Che are on the same creative page is why he was able to freeze the talented director’s perspective just the way he intended it to be. In fact, together they share the dream of making the kind of cinema they want to see, echoing Gandhi’s famous lines “be the change you want to be.” No wonder though post Kai Po Che’s success, he was deluged with offers he said a firm no to many a film. Instead, he chose to shoot commercials for brands like McDonalds. So what exactly is he looking for? Well, movies backed by a creative vision. Fortunately for him, there are enough directors like say a Raj Kumar Gupta who are propelled by the same dream. So how come Anay, who was director of photography for No One Killed Jessica wasn’t a part of Gupta’s Ghanchakkar? Precisely, for he was hard-pressed for time. On hindsight, he wishes he had worked in the film. Never mind what the critics said, he rates it as a fine film and gives full marks to the cinematographer. Having worked with the best of directors like Aparna Sen for The Japanese Wife which also won him the Star Entertainment Award for Best Cinematography, Anay, however doesn’t think things have come to him easily on a platter. En route his journey, there have been some bitter moments too. There have been at least two films he shot more than halfway through but got no credit for it. Yet he doesn’t think he has been singled out for he is an outsider in the film industry. He reasons, “Look around and but for a few family names, you will find men and women, especially in the technical departments hailing from all parts of the country. The film world is actually a huge melting pot.” So while not having a filmy godfather may not have posed an obstacle but yes his impeccable artistic background did become an excess baggage. He nods, “Indeed many thought I would be too uppity and intellectual.” But, this nephew of eminent art historian Dr B. N. Goswamy and son of equally artistic father considers himself blessed to have been born in such a family. He agrees, “Without a doubt, growing up in an atmosphere surcharged with artistic energy did shape my sensibilities.” A BFA degree from Government College of Arts, Chandigarh, firmed it up further. FTTI, Pune, from where he trained, too was a huge learning ground and not merely for it taught him the scientific principles of his muse. In the field, he learnt that cinema is not a technique but an immersive process and constantly evolving. Capturing films has also taught him a valuable lesson that perfection is an elusive goal for, “there is no limit to it.” At the end of the day, he deems that cinema is the art of juggling resources and arriving at an optimum level. But it hasn’t stopped him from being in quest of perfection. Together with his soul friend Kapoor he will once again be searching for the perfect milieu and the perfect shot for the film Fitoor that goes on the floors early 2014. Will the winning combination deliver again? Anay couldn’t be bothered less about the commerce of it. Sure he has no quarrels with entertainment, only with those who believe a meaningful film can’t be entertaining. Anyway, he continues his job of packing meaning as well as soul into each frame.
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AS the soaps and reality TV wears off its TRP charm, the new kid on the block are the serials based on mythology and history! Mahabharat on Star Plus, Jai Jai Jai Bajarang Bali on Sahara One, Devon ke Dev Mahadev on Life OK now Buddha on Zee TV is already making waves. In this Himanshu Soni, the young Jaipur lad, the chosen one to play the lead of Buddha who went through a rigorous training and grooming sessions to play the part of this historical character is already getting the younger generation hooked on the life and times of Buddha!
At a time when most TRPs are said to be favoured by the celebrity quotient of a programme, interestingly, makers of mythological serials are investing that heavy paycheck to good use. Mahabharat is one serial that is packaged slickly and with exorbitant budgets. But it has not compromised on the sanctity of the script. Nikhil Madhok, senior vice-president, marketing and programming strategy, Star Plus, says, “With over 20 years having passed since the telecast of Mahabharat serial on Doordarshan, we felt that the younger generation should be re-introduced to this epic. Also, the plot of this epic is open to interpretation and has many intricacies in it, unlike that of let’s say Ramayan, which is fairly linear and is passed on from generation to generation.”
One look at the website of the serial and you are transported into the world of the yore combined with 21st century technology! What with interactive games, polls and even wallpapers of your favourite mythological characters available at the click of a mouse! Also accessible for an intrepid mythological serial viewer are video snippets of the serial.
No surprises then that youngsters watching this magnum opus comprise almost 90 per cent of the viewership! They also have an option to discuss, comment and opine on the about the serial in the channel’s facebook page and Twitter handle too!
