| Interview with Balaji
Telefilms creative director Ekta Kapoor |
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"
No company which does not have
an attitude can ever be successful"
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| Posted
on 9 September 2003 |
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If
she is not slogging away on the sets to shape up her TV serials,
she is seeking divine protection and blessings.
"I
just returned from a trip to the Kumbh Mela, Nashik, and Shirdi
at 3 am last night. I had a meeting with an executive producer till
4 am. And now barely six to eight hours later, you are ready to
shoot questions at me. Poor me!" she tells indiantelevision.com's
Vickey Lalwani,
when he meets her for an interview.
Then
suddenly she sits up straight and says, "Ask me anything connected
to work. No problem, even if I am half dead. Nothing gives me a
bigger high than when I see how my characters can make people laugh,
cry, angry and happy." Tea arrives, and she is all set for
a tete-a-tete:
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What
makes Balaji Telefilms tick?
It's very simple.My company works on two principles. One, nothing
is bigger than the programme, not even the company. Two, if you
believe in me and really want to share my goal and vision, please
join me; else don't show me your face. I have never told this to
anybody before, but seriously, the company needs an attitude. No
company which does not have an attitude can ever be successful.
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It's
said that you are a very tough taskmaster?
I
know what you mean, even though you aren't saying it. But I'll answer
you. Aren't you hinting at the things you get to hear that people
here are scared of me, and if they leave, they get blacklisted etc?
Is that possible? About 2000 people are working for Balaji Telefilms
across the country, how can so many people be scared of me and yet
give off their best? I am just paying the price of being successful
and famous. Therefore, you hear all this loose talk against me.
It's just that there is a strong sense of achievement in all the
people who work under me.
And
because they achieve professionally, they achieve personally. I
want only those people to come to me who believe that Balaji Telefilms
can make them a millionaire. If you want Rs 3000 per month and wanted
to attend office for only five days in a week, please get out. I
want people who understand that working four years in my company
would be equivalent to working 40 years in some other. Most of my
creative heads get more money than their counterparts in any other
production house. Tomorrow, if they move away to some other company,
they can easily demand a phenomenal rise over what they are getting
from me. That's why they work 18-20 hours per day. They don't work
that much because they are scared of me. Believe me, sometimes this
backfires on me (smiles).
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"The
viewer needs to be jostled, then allowed to rest and put to
sleep, and then jostled again with renewed vigour. That is the
secret of serial making" |
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How?
Sometimes it becomes difficult to retain the talent. An entry
into Balaji Telefilms is considered as the criterion of your skills.
Consequently, these people are offered premium salaries by my rivals.
and they get lured.
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And
those who don't?
Those who don't are sensible. They understand that stability
in life is the most important thing. And that, they get it here.
In a period of few years with me, some creative guys are drawing
eight to ten times of what they were given at the time of joining.
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| "It
is likely that if I show a mother leaving her kid at home and
going to office, people would come out and say that I am breaking
up homes" |
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What
about the raise given to actors?
Not as much as creative heads, because creative heads allot
more time and energy. But yes, we have a format of first leads and
second leads. An actor belonging to the first lead gets a higher
rise every year, say double, unlike the second leads who get a rise
of 50-70 per cent.
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What
makes 'Kyunki...' tick?
Simple. Because every situation is quite real. And the same applies
to Kahaani... as well. Many incidents in these serials have
happened with each one of us. Believe me, there is nobody who does
not like these serials. A section of self-made intellectuals are out
to malign this show of mine, but have they succeeded? Even some actresses
are jealous of this show. A beautiful 30-plus actress shot for a family
serial of mine, but the channel strongly felt that she was looking
old. Another young actress gave me dates, but later backed out. And
now what are these actresses doing? They are painting the newspapers
black and white saying that they are not made for the saas-bahu stuff!
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Tell
me honestly, don't you think that these two shows are dragging?
No.
They are not dragging. If they were dragging, how would they have
consistently achieved such fantastic TRPs? The basic thing is that
these serials have had many peaks, and believe me, there are more
to come. By peaks I mean, the high drama and the surprise element
which leaves you amazed. Now surely, you can't keep peaking a serial
every week. Then, the surprise element would fade away. The viewer
needs to be jostled, then allowed to rest and put to sleep, and
then jostled again with renewed vigour. That is the secret of serial
making.
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Still,
some characters in 'Kyunki....' are shown in excess?
I agree, but do you think that things are rosy with me? Sometimes,
I am helpless. Like Smriti is all ready to deliver in mid September.
She is the backbone of Kyunki. She is there in at least three
or four scenes every day. I have to underplay her character for
a while, and shift the focus probably on to Gomzi and Karan.
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How
were 'Kyunki' and 'Kahaanii' conceived?
There's an old lady called Amma in my house. Looking at her, I realized
how we tend to ignore and neglect the elderly people around us.
That's how Kyunki... took shape. Then I wanted to make a
modern Ramayan. Doesn't every home have a Ram? That's how Kahaani...
took shape.
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What
makes 'Kasauti...' tick? How was it conceived?
Unrequited love between Prerna and Anurag. I was inspired by a real
life incident. A friend of mine ditched his girlfriend to marry as
per his parents' wishes. I was disturbed. Why couldn't the other woman
be positive? Prerna was born. Why can't the wife be negative? Komollika
was born. |
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What
about 'Kaahin Kissii Roz'?
Kaahin Kissi Roz seemed to be nearing an end... but it was
resurrected. Isn't that the first part of your question? (laughs)
I wonder whether you or anybody else knows that this serial is a
visual delight... I get letters from men going ga-ga over Ramola
Sikand and some middle-aged wives jokingly complaining that their
husbands are not paying enough attention to them! The TRPs had dropped
sopme months back, but over the last few weeks, I have figures and
letters to prove that the show is rocking. As to how it was conceived,
well I wanted to make a highly entertaining filmi stuff. Some revenge,
suffering hero, heroine, villain, suspense. that's it!
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What
is the source from where every serial of your's germinates?
There is no fixed source. There are some people who relate to personal
experiences only. There are some people who relate to what they read
or see or even hear. I am a combo of all these people (laughs). |
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Does
a good equation with the channel help?
Of course, it helps. For instance, I have a good equation with Star
Plus. But mind you, I have to deliver the TRPs. If my show does not
deliver, my relationship would not help me to swim in smooth waters.
I might even go for a toss. |
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So
there is no such thing called as PR?
There is PR, there is a greater degree of comfort, they know that
I'll turn it around, they trust me. They immediately come forward
with ideas, we sit together, we discuss, we argue, the sole aim is
to better the show not only when TRPs fall but rather, with the passing
of every single day. Today, serial making is not autocracy. It's meeting
on common grounds. Why should a channel sail on a boat which does
not know how to wade its way through troubled waters? |
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Why
have you shied away from Doordarshan?
I have not shied away from DD. It's just that their policies keep
changing, this creates lot of confusion, misunderstandings and stress.
Anyway, I am working with them again. I hope that things will be better
this time. I believe they are quite pepped up. |
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There
is a school of thought that your serials tend to focus on the denigration
of women...
(Interrupts) It is not necessary that those who care for their family
are the backward type of women. It is likely that if I show a mother
leaving her kid at home and going to office, people would come out
and say that I am breaking up homes. Think of it, my serials have
so much clout (laughs). To tell you the truth, I am the favourite
target of the so-called critics. |
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How
long will you continue to make soaps?
As long as they last. |
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And
how long would that be?
This genre may suffer a slight dent, but not at least for the next
three years. This is my vision. Face it. Indian television is mainly
catered by women. The television is on when the man leaves in the
morning for his office, and often, remains so even after he is snoring
in the night! Women like to see 'saas-bahu', 'bhai-bhabhi', 'ma-beti',
'nanand-devrani' relationships, the gossip, the misunderstandings,
the jealousy, and above all, the unity in adversity times. KBC
was a stray case. Even before KBC it was soaps all the way.
Weren't Hum Log and Buniyaad soaps? Please don't get
misguided by the look of those programmes. Keeping with times, only
the look has changed, a few new permutations and combinations have
come in but the gist remains the same. It would be foolish if I switch
over on some other track and allow my competitors to perform a dance
of victory on an empty field! |
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And
after it suffers a slight dent?
Without stopping my soap product, I'll dish out something else in
addition. I am not a dud. |
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You
told me last time that nowadays you don't like comedy, so how about
making a theme for a social cause?
You really want me to do that? Or, are you pulling my leg? Didn't
I tell you last time how much I was panned for showing that rape scene
in Kahaani? And why had I shown that rape scene? To inform
the people that they should be wary of domestic rape. Alongside, films
like Bandit Queen and Mirch Masala whch were more objectionable
than what I had shown, were labeled as creatve pieces of art! |
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Rajeshwari
has come back in 'Kahaani...' but not so long ago, she had been thrown
out?
Rajeshwari was not thrown out. It's just that her track had ended
and she was not required for a couple of days. It is essential to
have different tracks going in a daily, else you'll get fed up of
watching the same characters every day. |
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Rewa
Babbar- the 'Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr' girl who came in as Karan's girlfriend-
in 'Kyunki...' was replaced after seven-eight episodes. Why?
Star Plus wanted it that way. They said that Rewa looked very positive
and the character is now going to acquire negative overtones. So...
(shrugs her shoulders). TV-serial making cannot be autocratic, it
has to be meeting on common grounds. |
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There
is a buzz that Amarr Upadhyay will come back in 'Kyunki...'?
(Smiles). No such thing is going to happen. |
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Why
did Sweta Keswani opt out of 'Kahaani...'?
That's something to do with her personal life. It was her own decision.
I can't throw much light on this. |
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The
stage had been set for Ketki Dave to come back. Why it didn't materialise?
Remuneration was the main reason. She wanted something more than my
company policy permitted. But we have mended the bridge on a personal
level. Recently, she even attended one of our parties. |
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Why
has 'Kahaani...' taking a 20-year leap?
That's happening from the first week of September. It's required.
Doesn't life move ahead? Mark my words, Parvati (Sakshi Tanwar) will
become exceedingly popular in this new format. If you recall, the
20-year leap in Kyunki... added instant fizz to Tulsi's (Smriti
Malhotra's) character. |
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What's
this 15-year old girl filing a public interest litigation that your
serials show women in very poor light? The girl appeared in person
in court and said she feels that your serials propogate that you cannot
trust yopur sister, sister-in-law, mother and even your wife!
I knew you had kept this for last. You couldn't avoid that, could
you? What can I say? (shrugs her shoulders and smiles) Let's conclude
and have some water-melon juice. |
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