Entertainment ke liye kuch bhi karega, is the new mantra that script writers on TV and films are hanging on to. When Salman Khan shot a few scenes in the Jodha Akbar ( a serial on Zee TV) sets at Karjat, the thin line between the film industry and the TV world shrunk even more. Deebashree Mohanty speaks with people from both sides of the industry to know why is this concept, song, idea and sets exchange is not going down well with the audience
The day we understand that Bollywood and TV are two distinct entities, we will do justice to both the mediums, claims Namit Sharma, programming head for Zee TV.
“We have pioneered the historical move in the Indian television space through our various themes like Jhansi ki Rani, Akbar and a host of other themes that we have in the pipeline for our loyal audience. We see a lot of scope in this genre on television. We only want that people stop drawing comparisons with the film industry and demand movie-like experiences from TV serials,” Sharma says.
He tells you that almost all serials are hampered due to this strain of thought. “We cannot create content from thin air. It is fine if sometimes creative heads and producers want to replicate a hit formula on TV. This doesn’t mean that we lack original content. It is about borrowing something from a bigger medium. Many films have been influenced by our scripts too. If the exchange is benefitting the audience, why should there be a hue and cry,” he asks.
So popular drama like Dhoop Kinarey (Pakistani tele-series) was made into Kuch Toh log Kahengey and serials like Sasural Simar Ka keep borrowing tracks from Bollywood flicks and sometimes an entire concept like a Jodha Akbar (the film) is borrowed and adapted to suit the TVjanata.
The audience comes down heavy on the film script writers and directors as well. They are blamed of aping the West, copying music and even taking the soap dish route. But, where does the problem lieIJ “A lot of TV shows inspire me. The production quality is right up there and so is the scripting. Hats off to directors who can pull through a show for more than 100 or 1000 episodes and manage to sustain audience interest for that long. There is a lot to learn from either of the mediums and I don’t see why people should have a problem with this exchange of knowledge,” director Mohit Suri, says.
For Sharma, the problem begins when comparison starts. “For our show, we knew people would definitely draw similarities with the tracks that were shown on the film and with those that we had a planned for JA. Sometimes, we get irate fan reactions like ‘this is not historically right, why are you butchering his/her characterIJ Why aren't you going the same way like the film’IJ We have a standard answer for these angry reactions — this is a TV show which has already amassed 300 episodes. If we need to sustain it, we need to build on natakiya rupantar”, Sharma clarifies.
There are many like Khanna who argue that the natakiya rupantar should have some basis and limits. “On TV, you cannot curb the creative licence of the writers. They have the scope, time and the props to create magic. Nowadays money is not a hassle so their demands are easily met with. The result is there for all to see. Now, biggies from the film industry don’t mind crossing that border and trying their hands at soaps and reality shows. It is a sign of progression,” Sharma who has been the mind behind the historical on Zee TV says.
TV host Anupam Kher believes in this healthy exchange of ideas. “There is nothing called exclusivity in the entertainment industry. Both the industries have flourished because there has been a mutual understanding. Ideas, people, concepts and tracks are free to cross the border anytime and fans should be happy about it,” he says.