High on The Vagina Monologues and 200 plays & films, Emmy Award winner KAIZAAD KOTWAl is all set to debut on the small scree with Kota Express. He tells Sangeeta Yadav why it took him over 25 years to make a show for television
What made you say yes to Kota ToppersIJ
Only a few TV shows speak to the youth realistically. Kota Toppers does. The story is fresh and interesting. The sitcom requires shooting for 10 days a month which I can manage with other work. I was a little hesitant to play Professor Vardhan as the character had its own challenges — he speaks with double meaning and in puns. I didn’t want to be sleazy as that’s not me. But the showmakers and I worked on it and everything fell into place.
Why 25 years to make a debut in TVIJ
I was being offered daily soap which I’ve said no to because TV writing tends to be bad. Sometimes schedules didn’t work out. But now is the time and Kota Toppers the right project to foray into television.
Is there a new wave on Indian TVIJ
We’re overdue for one in terms of content. Indian TV has not matured the way it should’ve. Old stuff that of the black and white TV day was much better. It was more relatable and attracted the best actors in the industry. I hope that returns with a fresh approach.
Web series, Netflicks and apps like Hotstar have become game-changers…
After HBO changed the game by having fewer restrictions on content and language, other networks found themselves lacking. Now Netflicks and mobile entertainment have taken the game ahead. You don’t need TV to watch a show. The content there is as daring and edgy. TV channels have to figure out a way to revamp functionality.
What kind of shows do you like on TVIJ
The shows I like are Western. The success of English GECs has to do with the freedom in making good content. In India, the content becomes an issue on TV due to Censor Board objections. That’s what is holding back a lot of content in India. We are self-censoring. We need to be a little more open as a society and give content providers the freedom to create good work. Once we get that freedom, TV will explode with amazing content.
Many Hindi serials are made keeping in mind the regional audiences…
Daily soap largely cater to the regional belt like Chhattisgarh, Bihar and UP. But there are all sorts of demographic pockets hungry for entertainment. We can make shows for a smaller audiences and be successful. like in the West, not all shows are created to satisfy every American audience. Shows made for a very small segment have been successful, viable and financially possible. We have to start becoming more creative in how we think about that.
Your views on TV mini-seriesIJ
TV shows are too stretched and go on for five to seven years with the same story. One day is like one year on Indian TV shows. But in the last couple of years, the idea of limited series has picked up. I believe the best model for TV is the British model. Maybe the BBC model where they do six to 12 episodes a season. They don’t stretch things. That’s the model I would like to follow.
Any project you’ll produce or direct on TVIJ
There are two projects which initially were a film idea but are too long to fit into a film. I’m thinking of developing those as limited episode series. But for now I’m focusing on feature films and I’ve written some stories that I would like to produce and direct.