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Soni
Razdan, actor, is not new to audiences. Her metamorphosis
into a producer and now, a director, however, has not been
as talked-about though.
Her forays into production have been few, but not run-of-the-mill.
Her first venture as producer was Aur
Phir Ek Din
on Star Plus, directed by Vinta Nanda, starring Kiran Kumar
and Soni herself in lead roles.
Next
came Hamare
Tumhare,
a story of two sisters who have a strained relationship, due
to some mysterious incidents in the past. A fresh storyline
and strong performances ensured that both serials left a strong
impact on viewers' minds. Soni is now ready with her third
offering Jo Dil Chahe for Zee, which features the lives of
five central female characters based in Delhi; their trials
and tribulations. Her first venture as director- a movie based
on the novel Difficult Daughters, will also go on the floor
shortly.
Soni
is placed in a unique position. Neither a big time corporate
giant like Balaji Telefilms, nor a struggling producer, she
can objectively analyze several issues confronting the industry.
Excerpts
of an interview with indiantelevision.com's correspondent,
Amar.
What
made you turn producer?
I guess turning producer was a logical extension of my career.
I had been an actor for more than 30 years and wanted to give
something back to the medium. The most feasible way was to
produce the kind of programmes I really liked and which appealed
to my sensibilities.
What
kind of storyline appeals to you?
Stories that have a strong subject with an enormous scope
for drama. Ideally, I love stories based on relationships
with a strong undercurrent of passion.
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'Ideally, I love stories based
on relationships with a strong undercurrent of passion'
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How
do you choose a director?
I chose Vinta Nanda for Aur Phir Ek Din because
I have always admired her capabilties for directing and we
share a great rapport and understanding. As for Hamare
Tumhare, the story and the treatment were both different
and new. Also, apart from the two sisters who were the central
characters, there were four children who were very important
in the development of the story and to whose characters full
justice had to be done. Keeping these factors in mind, I had
to take someone who was young and had not got typecast into
any category.
On what basis do you choose a channel?
Frankly, as a producer who has just one serial on air
at a time, I am a little selfish in my choice of a channel.
I prefer Zee for the viewership it gets my serial and also
because I find it more receptive to new ideas. But I am open
to considering other channels, including Sahara, which I believe
has a great vision. As I roll out more serials, I will also
consider other channels.
Are
you open to producing a daily serial?
Yes, but I will do it only if the budgets are really good.
I will not produce a daily just for the sake of producing
one.
What
are the disadvantages of producing a daily?
There are so many disadvantages. It is very difficult
to keep a tab on the quality when shooting is on for 20-25
days of the month. The sheer pressure of shooting so many
episodes at one go is not the way most creative people would
like to work. Besides, due to budget constraints, it is not
possible to get good quality actors either.
Do
you like to work with a closed group of actors or do you like
to experiment?
I like to experiment. I like to take on new people depending
on the requirements of the role. One of my favourite actors
on TV, though, is Kiran Kumar.
What
is your production set up like?
We have a small set up. I head the creative team, carry
out negotiations with the channel, see to the development
of the storyline….. I have a team of writers helping me with
the story. We have a chief executive producer; with an assistant
who oversees the actual organization of the shoots, submission
of tapes etc.
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' I
will do it only if the budgets are really good. I will
not produce a daily soap just for the sake of producing
one'
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How
does your association with Vishesh Films help?
Vishesh Films is our official financier. Besides, even
though he does not like to be involved so much, Mahesh (Bhatt)
is always there with his creative inputs. In fact, he had
a major role to play in developing Hamare Tumhare.
Are you continuously hassled by the executive producers
in channels over the storyline, casting etc.?
No, not at all. I feel the involvement of the executive
producers is a very valuable exercise. TV is a business of
ideas, though I would maintain there is a difference between
making suggestions and being maniacal about them. However,
I have been lucky not to be forced to do anything unfeasible.
How often have you been asked to re-shoot an episode ?
Touchwood. Never.
How much of financial and mental insecurity does a producer
have to put up with today? Wasn't Zee's abrupt ending of your
programme a major blow?
There is a huge amount of insecurity no doubt, but that
is true of most businesses. With competition warming up, TV
has become no different. But as far as the winding up of my
serial Hamare Tumhare goes, in all fairness to Zee,
we had been asked not to shoot beyond a given number of episodes
and we had not exceeded that.
India is probably the only country where producers don't get
a share of the channel revenues even after forfeiting their
rights. Your comment?
Yes, that's really bad. The re-run rights are the bare
minimum a producer can ask for, because they serve as an incentive
to produce better quality stuff. Till now, we did not even
have a body to take up these issues but hopefully the Indian
Television Academy (ITA) will take them up now.
Do corporate giants like Balaji and UTV have a monopoly over
the best time slots?
Not that I am aware of.
Which are the areas where a Balaji or UTV is able to obtain
economies of production and save costs vis-ŕ-vis a producer
like you?
A Balaji or UTV is a manufacturing factory. They have their
own studios and editing facilities, and this reduces costs
drastically. Also, when manpower is employed on a regular
basis and optimally utilized, it tends to come cheap compared
to when it is hired from time to time.
Are enough issues being tackled in terms of entertainment
or have we reached a dead end?
On TV, we can never reach a dead end . Yes, about six months
ago, there was a dominance of saas-bahu sagas, but Zee's new
programmes have come as a breath of fresh air. See, when a
bomb is dropped, the effects of this are bound to be felt
all around. Similarly, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
(KSBKBT) and Kahanii Ghar Ghar Kii (KGGK) led to a
trend into which all other channels were indirectly getting
carried. But luckily that's no more the case.
Which do you think has been the best phase of programming
in Indian TV history?
I feel the best is yet to come. Programming per se is yet
to evolve fully. In fact, I would say it is in its infancy
stages. The mid-eighties were still a much better phase compared
to other phases. We had varied programmes like Yeh Jo Hai
Zindagi, Buniyaad, Tamas - all very different
from one another and rich in content.
How do you balance your roles as a producer, actress and
now director?
(laughs) I don't balance them. They get balanced. In any case,
so many things get stalled over here for several reasons -
channel approval, finances etc. So it's really not as hectic
as it seems. In fact, I plan to roll out more programs as
producer. I feel I am in a position to do that.
At this point of time, are you really excited about any
subject?
I have a vague idea - a story of a family that spans three
continents in three different time periods. I can't say anything
more about it at the moment.
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