Director Ravindra Gautam wanted to be an actor but realised he could be a good director after working on Ekta Kapoor’s popular TV show. Having helmed a number of TV serials, he has made his debut as a filmmaker. He shares his journey with Divya Kaushik
He speaks with a lot of conviction and his tone reflects the passion and dedication that has gone into his maiden Bollywood project. Ravindra Gautam has donned the director’s hat with utmost ease and perfection for many years now, but all that he was directing was for the small screen so far. As a filmmaker he has made his debut with Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami, the film that might not boast of big budget or an ensemble cast but surely has a very engaging and entertaining story. It is popularly being termed as a ‘socio-political satire’ but the director holds a different opinion. “More than a satire it is a beautiful story of a father-son relationship. It is on the generation gap that each one us can relate to. We all think that our fathers are too idealistic when we are young, it is only when we grow up and face situations on our own we realise how difficult it is to hold on to the gems like honesty in this world. So here is this father who has always been honest and truthful and is always chiding up his sons for not living up to his values. As his last wish he wants ekkees toppon ki salaami, which is a token of honour given to politicians and government officers. The father demands that if the honour can be given to a politician, even if he is corrupt, then why should he not get it when he has remained honest his entire life. So the sons run from pillar to post to fulfill his last wish. It is a laugh riot and a very emotional story,” says Ravindra, who got his first big break on the small screen with Ekta Kapoor’s Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Post that there was no stopping for him.
The transition from TV to films has been a well-planned one. Once he dreamt to be an actor but when he landed in the TV industry he recognised his calling and was sure that he would make films some day. “The experience that I received by making shows for the small screen is immense. It has taught me many lessons and most importantly we TV guys are used to producing quality content in limited time. The television industry trains you so well that nothing looks really difficult after that. But making a film needs focus and attention to detail, so I completely stopped making shows to make a film. We completed the film in about a year and that was just because of my training in the TV industry and my focus on the project,” he shares.
The director says that during his TV tenure he tried to make differentiated content that reflects reality. “I tried to be different with each of my TV show, be it Uttaran, Pavitra Rishta or Kumkum Bhagya. But the sad reality of TV is that most storylines are stretched to fetch the TVPs. There is a pressure to work on leap after leap. The change has started to happen now and in the long run only finite series will survive,” he says.