If Bollywood enthralls its viewers with exotic outdoor locales, small screen janta is also wooed with the same kind of lavishness albeit in a different way. The TV spends budget has spiralled over the years and producers are more than happy to bring the larger-than-life look to their serials. So if Mahadev’s set was painstakingly built in three months, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa looks stunning with its 3D lED reflective stage. Sangeeta Yadav was on a set tour
Blink and you’re seated in a palace enjoying the dance by courtiers. Blink again and you’re in the lap of luxury being serenaded by landscapes and snowcapped mountains. Blink once more and you are in the midst of a village set-up making your way in the market milieu. Welcome to the small screen where, thanks to big spending budgets, producers are no longer restricted to drab sets which they use repeatedly. Instead, lavishness is the buzz word.
“Nowadays the viewer is getting clever. They understand when they see a repeated set. They need to be wooed with something else and producers are only too happy to oblige. It’s an opportunity for set designers like myself,” Chokkas Bhaaradwaj aka Dada who has been in the industry for more than 15 years, says. He is the man behind the expansive Devon Ke Dev Mahadev set in Naigaon part of Mumbai. He tells you that along with the lavishness in the physical outlook, sets have been technologically ramped up as well.
“The effect of croma sheets and VFX technology gives an awe inspiring viewing experience,” Dada tells you.
Here are a few sets that have managed to grab eyeballs:
Devon Ke Dev Mahadev (liFE OK)
Where: Ramdev Film City in Naigaon.
Designer: Chokkas Bhaaradwaj is the art director of the set. He has designed previous seasons of Mahabharat, Shakuntala, Anamika, Kaisa Yeh Ishq Hai, Veera andDiya Aur Baati Hum.
Money spent: Around Rs15 crore.
Time and labour: The particular mount Kailash set took two month to make.
TRP: Average TRP is 2.0 from June 3 to June 9, 2013.
Quote unquote: “We visited lord Shiva’s temples and other historical places, read the puraan and other books for reference etc. The research work was then developed into the backdrop that gave rise to the actual design,” Bhaaradwaj tells you.
For this set they have majorly used fiber since its a light material and can be easily moved. Dada tells you that the trees of mount Kailash have been made from fiber. “We have also used Plaster of Paris (PoP) for the making of the palace since it requires a lot of artists to design and give it an archaic and creative look,” Dada says.
Jodha Akbar (Zee Tv)
Where: ND Studios Mumbai.
Designer: Nitin Desai.
Money spent: Around Rs19 crore.
Time and labour: 1,378 people constructed the fort in three months.
Quote unquote: “To give support to the massive infrastructure we had to dig 36 feet underground. Akbar’s fort was prepared in 33 years and we prepared it in just three months. That was a challenge,”Nitin Desai, production designer tells you. Desai is a four time National awards winner and has designed movies like Devdas, 1942 love story, Jodha Akbar etc and TV shows like KBC and many others.
Savitri (life OK)
Where: Sania studios, Naigaon.
Designer: Chokkas Bhaaradwaj.
Money spent: Rs12 crore.
Time and labour: Rahukaal’s den was made in one and a half month by 500 workers.
TRP: Average 1.1 from June 3, 2013 to June 9, 2013.
Quote unquote: “The skull along with the eagle was a must have when we were building Rahukaal's den. We had to play with only dark colours to give the den a natural look. In this we hardly used any croma. But for Savitri’s palace and the Goolika’s sets we had to play with a lot of other lighting,” Dada says.
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (Colors)
Where: Filmistan Studio, Goregaon.
Designer: Omung Kumar, the man behind Kingdom of Dreams and awards functions like IIFA, TOIFA etc.
Money spent: Around Rs15 crore.
Time and labour: 25 days
Quote unquote: “I have been designing the set for this dance reality show for the past three years but this time we have tried to do something different. We have used 3D projection with hi-tech lEDs. The look is more international. We have used light wood, acrylic panels and light changing panel. The Hawa Mahal is also very creatively done,” Kumar tells you. He is at present busy designing the sets for Sanjay leela Bhansali’s untitled film on Mary Kom.
Maharana Pratap (MP) (Sony)
Where: Umargaon, Gujarat.
Designer: Omung Kumar,
Money spent: Around Rs18 crore.
Time taken: One month.
Quote unquote: “I’ve also designed Ekta Kapoor’s Mahabharat set in Umargaon. That set is grand too. For MP, we’ve designed three separate sets for the darbar, Maharani’s mahal and Maharaja’s mahal. Croma backdrop has been used to depict fight scenes,” Kumar says.
