ABHINAV SHUKlA, MD of Nautanki Films Pvt ltd, speaks with SHAlINI SAKSENA about his production house’s four shows on TV & film slated to release next year
How did the idea of starting a production come aboutIJ
Production is our family business — BAG Films and Media ltd. So, starting my own production house was something that came naturally to me. When the opportunity arose with Saurabh Tewari — a name in the Indian television industry — Nautanki Films was started with a view to creating good content for television and films.
You started two news channels. Would starting a channel of your own channel not been easierIJ
May be. But, like I said, we wanted to bring something new for the viewers. In the 90s, most of the shows on TV were education-centric. Then many channels were launched. Broadcasting was not something that we wanted to be a part of. The fact that the production house is independent of Bags Films means that we can make and deliver good shows and films for the public.
Do you think that the TRPs are a must for a channelIJ What is its impact on the production houseIJ
Well, of course TRPs are very important for the channel. It is a test that a channel is put through every week like a film is tested every Friday. The ratings give an insight which show is doing well and which needs tweaking or which show, if it is not doing so well, needs to go off air. Every producer wants that his show runs for 1,000 episodes — the more it runs, the more money it makes. From the investment point of view, it is easy to make associates take the show and the production house more seriously.
Is that the reason why most serials change the plot and introduce leaps etcIJ
For any show to make money, it must run for a certain duration — around a year or more. Only then will it give returns. In such a situation, it is the viewer who is the deciding factor. If he likes a show, a character, the storyline it is a win-win situation for us. If not, we try to change it, introduce more characters or and even have leaps in shows. Our work is to deliver a show that one can watch with the family. As long as a production house is able to hold the viewers’ attention the channel will air it. If not, the show goes off air. Business in that sense is a by product.
Nautanki Films is all set to release a film as well. Was this not suddenIJ
Even before, we had launched our production house, we had a few scripts in hand. So venturing into films was always on the agenda. The script of Ekeess Topon Ki Salami interested us and we went ahead with it. It has Anupam Kher, Divyendu Sharma (Chashme Baddoor fame), Manu Rishi (Oye lucky! lucky Oye!) Aditi sharma (ladies vs Ricky Bahl) and Rajesh Sharma (Special 26) with Neha Dhupia in a special cameo. it is slated to be release sometime in May or June. We hope that people will like it.
You have also started a school — Greater Valley School in Noida. How did that happenIJ
Well, it is a family business. The school started in 2009 and today it has around 700 students. We want that the children get the right education not just in terms of knowledge but a whole holistic approach to life. We want the students to have an overall personality so that they can face the challenges life throws at them. In this short journey we have accomplished a lot. We have had an international tie-up to help students get exposure.
Besides the three shows — Baba Aiso Varr Dhundo, Madhubala Ek Ishk Ek Junoon, Do Dil Ek Jaan and Rangrasiya to go on air on December 30 are there any new projects for 2014IJ
For now we want to concentrate on Madhubala Ek Ishk Ek Junoon, Do Dil Ek Jaan and see how the viewers take to Rangrasiya. We want to work on these shows so that our production house is associated with making excellent shows. Also, the release of a film takes a lot of time. We will see what we have to do after May.