Mahesh Bhatt returns to television with a gripping story that raises questions, potent enough to unsettle pre-conditioned minds. Vijay S Kumar reports
Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, known for his ability to grasp the pulse of the audience, has managed to tell stories in varied genres quite successfully. However, in the last couple of years, he seemed to have thoughtfully ignored content-driven cinema. Putting an end to the criticism that has come his way, he said he had found his way back in television.“When people see Naamkaran, they will know that Mahesh Bhatt is getting back to what he was known for.”
From Saaransh to Murder, he has mastered the three-hour audio-visual format and has also received critical acclaim for his television outings like Swabhimaan and Haqeeqat. His stories have always had a lasting impact on the viewer’s mind. He returns to television to make a conscious effort to look into and change the lives of women in India using an eight-year-old girl’s perspective. Bhatt spilled the beans about his forthcoming television serial Naamkaran, which is scheduled for release in the second week of September this year. The story is about a young girl, who is being brought up on the value systems of the Great Indian Parivaar, but who ends up confused because her family members themselves do not end up practising them. Said he, “We don’t live what we are taught. We are taught to be truthful and honest and even punished, for not adhering to the rules and regulations we are conditioned to believe in, yet you see people living a different reality. This has to change. The story is about the perspective of an eight-year-old and how she reacts to these situations and the damaging consequence of a convoluted world on her tender mind.”
His ideas and story lines have always had a part of him breathing in them. “Yes, true, I use my real life experiences but this time it is not just about facets of my life. It has got a lot to do with what I have read and observed,” Bhatt added.
From Balika Vadhu to Udaan, there has been a constant rise in creating girl child- centric television soaps. Was it a marketing or cause-oriented moveIJ Bhatt nodded in agreement and said, “Women are the main consumers of television programmes, and it is easier for a woman to connect to a girl child than a male child. So it is more viable commercially.”
So how will his new show end up breaking stereotypesIJ “Naamkaran is not what you have seen before, it is about breaking the myth of having a man by your side at all stages of your life. The narrative will drive a girl to be a hero herself than wait for one,” Bhatt added.
It is being said that films magnifying eroticism under the aegis of love stories have gone way beyond what is needed in a story and that the essence of content-driven cinema is now going down the drain. Bhatt rejected the argument and said, “I would not agree to this completely. There are different kinds of audience, some like the idea of a story that has depth and asks them to think. While some are satiated by films like Murder. Film- making is a business and success is based on numbers. Being a modern-day film maker, you have to cater to everyone.”
Shooting schedules for television can be very demanding and laborious. Asked if this would affect the child actors’ education and childhood, Bhatt said, “Yes, it is a serious concern but one who has talent should not be left behind either. This young girl that you will see in the serial is my find, she is magic. And there are unions that intervene in such matters. No child is made to work more than a 12-hour shift. All child actors are given the same treatment as other lead actors.” The show will air on Star Plus.