lavish sets, over-the-top costumes, robust technologies and multi starrers — the good old soap, especially the mythological ones, is ready to splurge big. But, are these crore-plus investments on a show rightIJ Deebashree Mohanty speaks with some producers to tell how much currency they lend to the impact quotient
Roti, kapda makaan has just given way to gehna, shringar and haveli in the soap dish. With HDTV, soap are no longer just serials, they’re movie-like experiences and producers of such big budget serials on telly are vying for space.
“The game has only just begun. Give it a decade and you’ll see TV spends over shooting the big banners on Bollywood by 100 per cent,” warns Shabbir Ahluwalia, co-producer of Savitri on life OK, channel. Ahluwalia tells you that his per episode cost is Rs 8 lakh upwards, excluding the fees of the main star cast. Add the two and you get an unbelievable figure! And that is only a small expense he is willing to make.
His show which started with a whopping TRP of 3.7 points has staggered a bit at 2.8 but Ahluwalia is sure that Savitri will make a comeback. Till that time, there is no need to cost cut, the producer-actor asserts.
But Ahluwalia isn’t the only one who aspires to make over the top sets, spend volumes on costumes and make-up artists. There are a host of other producers who are willing to invest in crores just for one episode. And they don’t mind that at all.
“The industry is flourishing at a happy Rs 300 crore every year. We know that we’re better connected and now the entire world is watching. Some serials are being made keeping in mind the Indian diaspora in the West. They relate to the cultural set-up, to the grand havelis and to the perfect make-up. No longer are they satisfied with just drama and saas bahus,” Nikhil Sinha, producer of one of the most lavish sets in Tellywood today tells you. Ask Nikhil about the spends on Devon Ke Dev Mahadev and he shies away just a little. “We’ve not held ourselves back when it came to costs. I’m happy with the way everything has turned out,” is all he is willing to say.
Sinha says that an average TV soap costs somewhere between Rs 4 and Rs 5 lakh per episode. “Producers are ready to invest much more and take a serial into the crore’s league,” he adds. According to sources, each episode of DVD costs around Rs 14 lakh!
ShockedIJ It isn’t just the mythology serials that are splurging. Many other serials, don’t deter from spending big bucks.
“When I decided to bring Saraswati Chandra alive on TV, I was clear that we’re not going to short-change on sets and other expenses. I wanted everything to be stylish and majestic. So, if we’ve spent in the excess of Rs 10 lakh per episode. It’s totally worth it. I spend way less for movies. They are a three-hour gamble but SC is a five-year thing that we are talking about. Producers don’t want to take the chance. We are also wanting to make it big and surreal,” Sanjay leela Bhansali, producer/director of Saraswati Chandra on Star Plus.
An outdoor shoot is expensive but producers are not willing to let go of any opportunity to make their serial more believable. In the case of Bani Ishq Da Kalma on Colors, executive producer Saveen Shetty decided to let his purse strings loose in the name of authenticity and impact.
“Bani looks much more natural and believable because it is shot in Punjab. Thankfully, producers are not satisfied with the set ambience. If they have the money, it is always a good idea to go all out,” Bhatt says, explaining the need for heavy spends.