The sudden winding up of IPKKND has bothered all of us in various ways. We've been playing the blame game all week, trying to pinpoint what went wrong. My suggestion ... let's put all that behind us, stop pointing fingers ... and if we want to discuss, do so more positively, in terms of not what went wrong, but what can be done to make sure such things don't happen again. There seems to a deep rot within the television industry as seen in the declining quality of daily programming, with a concomitant ever-burgeoning quantity. Are the two related?
I am adding here two articles which I feel are relevant to the debate, with my views in brief.
What Ails Daily Soaps
Indian television probably had never seen such outpouring of emotions when Barun Sobti decided to quit the hugely popular show 'Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon'. The show went off the air breaking millions of hearts. Following Barun's 'quitting', are Ankita Lokhande, Shivaji Satam, Pawan Shanker, Sriti Jha and Harshad Chopra, who are all leaving or are on the verge of leaving their signature shows. The reason that the actors offered when it came to leaving their respective shows halfway might vary from 'moving on to better career prospects' to 'refusal to grow old on screen' but it also raises the same old debate, do Indian TV soaps run out of steam after a certain amount of time, causing a sense of fatigue for viewers and lead actors?
In the initial heady days actors were thrilled to be part of saas-bahusoaps and even stuck to the show till it went off air. But times have changed since then as the landscape of the Indian television industry now boasts of more GECs which means a fractured viewership that's changed the rules of telly viewing.
Actors need to stay on
When a lead star quits a show, it sends the producer/broadcaster in panic mode. The most obvious answer is to get a replacement actor. Scarred by the rejection of new actors stepping into shoes of popular leads, producers are wary of treading the same path and prefer to either 'send off' the lead or 'kill him/her off'. Actor Aditya Redij says, "I quitNaa Aana Is Des Laado as I had inhibitions about playing an 18-year-old's father. If the makers keep an actor creatively happy, why will he/she quit?" Aishwarya Sakuja shares, "An actor playing the lead has to be available for a long period as the story line revolves around him/her. But, if an actor feels a sense of monotony, then there are many waiting to be in their shoes."Karan Kundra says, "It is impossible for me to be a part of any show beyond a year. When I started with Kitni Mohabbat Hai, Ekta Kapoor was clear on not extending the story beyond a point and we wrapped season one gracefully and came back with 160 episodes of season 2."
Calling it quits
Pawan Shanker
The male lead of Kya Hua Tera Vada has reportedly also quit the show
Reason: Doesn't want to grow old
Aftermath: Show set to take a leap, new male lead might be roped in
Barun Sobti
The official heartthrob of TV and broke millions of hearts when he decided to 'take a long break' from Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?
Reason: Health and to eventually look at a career in films
Aftermath: The show shut shop abruptly a week ago
Shivaji Satam
After 15 years of playing ACP Pradyuman in CID, Shivaji has decided to move on
Reason: Wants to focus on films
Aftermath: New characters will be brought in
Harshad Chopra & Sriti Jha
After making an entry in Dil Se Di Dua Saubhagyabati Bhavo some months ago, a disgruntled Harshad has quit the show, taking along with him the leading lady Sriti
Reason: Unhappy with the track
Aftermath: The show has introduced new characters
Ankita Lokhande
There are reports that Ankita won't be continuing with Pavitra Rishta after February 2013. Reason: Doesn't want to play grandmom
Aftermath: Talks of show going off air are doing rounds
Long running soaps end on a whimper Most top shows, from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi(1830 episodes), Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki (1700 episodes), Dill Mill Gayye (721 episodes) to the more recent Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? (398 episodes) started on a high note, showing lots of promise and generating fan frenzy. When it came to their closure, the shows ended abruptly, an indication that the production houses had no choice, but to hurry up with the storylines, upsetting loyal audiences. Producer Sumeet Mittal shares, "Producers have a long story on mind when a daily soap airs. But, if we have to wrap it due to low TRPs, we do try to do justice to it."
We'll be back after a season break Shows with returning after a season break has always worked in the West. Following the footsteps of popular shows like Sex And The City, Grey's Anatomy and Lost, some popular Indian TV shows have also tried the 'second season' experiment In the past soaps, seasons of shows like Karamchand, Baa Bahoo Aur Baby, Kitani Mohabbat Hai, Na Bole Tum have been aired, with mixed results, says, "Yes, introducing a second season is definitely a good option. When shows come back on a fresh note, it definitely works. There is no point dragging the soaps without any relevance. Second season of a show like Na Tum Bole Na Maine Kuuch Kaha is awaited by fans eagerly."
In the end, it's not a jaded story line but a mint-fresh story line evolving continuously with powerful performances that does the trick. But with tracks being changed, altered story-lines, lead characters quitting the show — you never know in which way the show takes a turn.
The second article, with the relevant portion highlighted in bold and different color.
World's Sexiest Asian Women
Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra has won the 'Worlds Sexiest Asian Woman' crown, according to an on-line survey conducted by a weekly magazine.
Priyanka, 30, defeated reigning championKareena Kapoor and three-times winner Katrina Kaif to claim the crown of sexiest Asian woman on the planet this year.
"Priyanka Chopra secured top spot with Kareena Kapoor coming second and Katrina Kaif third," Asian weekly Eastern Eye said.
A permanent fixture in the top three in recent years, the beauty queenturned A-list Bollywood star beat off very tough competition from some of the most stunning women from around the world.
"It has rounded off a dream year for Priyanka, which included a starring role in super-hit film Agneepath, delivering a superbperformance in India's official entry to the Oscars, Barfi! and launching an international pop career alongside chart-topping singer Will.i.am," the release added.
Clearly delighted with the win, Priyanka said: "I'm hugely flattered. Who wouldn't want to have a title like this bestowed on them! A big shout out to everyone who voted for me."
Eastern Eye showbiz editor Asjad Nazir, who annually puts together the popular list and is chairman of the judging panel believes a dream year will give Priyanka the perfect platform to possibly becoming a Hollywood star in 2013.
"The sheer diversity of the projects that Priyanka did in 2012 combined with her close connection to fans online worked in her favour and added to her already impressive fan base. That is why she was able to beat off pop stars, TV personalities, models and fellow film stars," said Asjad.
The biggest surprise of 2012 was the number of television actresses from India who entered the list for the first time. Ek Hazaaron Kein Meri Behna Hai stars Nia Sharma, who came fifth and Krystle D'Souza on 9th became the first ever TV actresses from India to crack the top 10.
Other Indian television actresses who made the list included Drashti Dhami (12), Sanaya Irani (13), Kritika Kamra (19), Jennifer Winget (21), Yashashtri Masurkar (24) and Asha Negi (32)."The fact that so many television actresses made the top 50 showed that Bollywood is no longer the only dominant force in India and that television is playing a much bigger part in the lives of people around the world," added Asjad.
Other notable stars in this year's list include Deepika Padukone landed on the fourth spot, Bipasha Basu on the sixth, Sonam Kapoor on the seventh, Diana Penty (15), and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (16).
The highest placed Pakistani was supermodel turned television personality Mehreen Syed (10) and the highest placed star from the west was once again Hollywood actress Noureen Dewulf (11), who is currently starring alongside Charlie Sheen in hit US sitcom Anger Management.
Priyanka's cousin Parineeti Chopra (18), Rani Mukerji (22), Esha Gupta (23), Sussanne Roshan(25), Alia Bhatt (29), Giaa Manek (41) and singer Tasha Tah (47) were also included in the list. .
There was another article on Asia's Sexiest Men, with Barun in it, but since it was just a list of photographs, and there was no text article alongside, I haven't added that. Didn't check how many TV actors were on that one. I would guess a similar number.
*Edit*
A third article with just the relevant part added
Silver Screen still a Distant Dream for Television stars (TOI)
Barun goes to Bollywood
The latest actor to bid adieu to television is Barun Sobti aka Arnav Singh Raizada of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. Sources associated with the show say, "Barun recently completed a movie. He now harbours the desire to try his luck in movies and is quitting television. The channel apparently received 20,000 emails a day, requesting that he be convinced to stay back. But Barun decided to move on."
However, Barun refutes all that is being said about him, "I had put in my papers in February itself but the makers asked me to stay on for a while. I have quit because I want to spend some quality time with my family. I am in talks for a few Bollywood projects but it's at a very nascent stage."
Relevant points from my side:
Actors quit for many reasons. IPKKND was the first instance of a soap shutting down because the lead actor quit. Most soaps either replace the actors with a new face, or with a new character, killing off the old one with an accident. The accident option leaves the path open for the actor to return if he wants to/ channel, PH or fans demand it.
Karan Kundra is the only person in this list who says Ekta wrapped up the show because she was clear the story had ended. Rajan Shahi is another producer to wrapped his first show, Bidaai, when still running with high TRP's, because he felt he had nothing more to the story.
Another exception is the YR shows which always aired with a fixed time frame in mind, they told their story and ended when the story was finished.
Factual inaccuracy in the first article ... Na Bole Tum is slated to re-appear with a second season - it hasn't aired yet. So mixed results is a very premature statement on that one!
TV and TV stars are becoming bigger and bigger ... as evidenced by the entry of so many into these lists of Sexiest Men and Women. As the article states, Tellywood is becoming as dominant an influence as Bollywood in people's lives. It is often said that in India there are only two religions, films and cricket. It seems a third might be entering the picture.
Questions:
Is Barun's quitting merely a small symptom of a much bigger problem with the television industry today? Long working hours, daily rigorous shoot schedules, last minute changes of script, unending sagas, which mean that sooner or later storylines crash or meander into nothingness ... And add to that, soap stars are paid much less compared to Bollywood ones, and the discontent within the TV industry, and the ever-present lure of Bollywood.
Or is the daily soap meant to be exactly what it has become today? A mind numbing source of entertainment, where if you miss a day or two, or an episode or two, it doesn't really matter? And they carry on for years anyway, what's an episode or two here or there?
In that case, what then of the more discerning viewer, who wants more than that? Would you be happier with a show which aired say once weekly, or even thrice-weekly, if the quality of the story-telling was better? If the acting and the story-lines kept you gripped, interested you, involved you, engaged you in debate and discussion? Should there be such alternatives available?
Is the situation different for men and women in TV? I read an article a long time back where a number of TV actresses had said they preferred working on television because the TV industry was a much safer place for women, as compared to Bollywood. I have heard horror stories of the casting couch in Bollywood, and how very widespread it is, from very authentic sources ... believe me, you would be surprised and shocked at some of the names involved!
From the third article, Barun's name needs to be added to that of the PH and Gul, as among the people who lost interest in the show. He has confirmed that he put in his papers in February itself, which he also said in the interview with Gul. This is in spite of the fact that at that time, ASR was still the original ASR, and had not been watered down into the rather wishy washy Arnav we saw after the kidnapping. So was the lure of Bollywood so strong that he jumped ship halfway, to the detriment of the show? Despite the fact that he had an author-backed role?
TV is a women dominated medium, while Bollywood definitely has more to offer the men. (However this cannot be said for IPKKND, as ASR was the central character, whose journey was the central theme of the show.) Barun is not the first actor who has left a show for Bollywood, the list is pretty long. However, he is the first actor whose leaving has caused the show to shut down. And most of the other actors on the list left their shows after a much longer period of time, not after barely a few months.
The second article indicates that the popularity of TV stars has grown exponentially in recent times. I've seen saree shops advertising the clothes worn by TV stars to attract customers, something which happened earlier only with film actresses. Has their confidence that they will be able to make it on a bigger platform, grown along with the increase their their popularity?
Sushant Singh Rajput has bagged a reasonably big film, and is rumored to be in talks with Yashraj films and/or KJo. Ayushman, who is well known as a TV host, recently did Vicky Donor, which was a surprise hit. However since he's not part of a long-running show, his film didn't disrupt any TV schedules, he has therefore kept his options wide open. Ram Kapoor and Ronit Roy have been doing a balancing act for some time, the latest example being their very successful outing in Udaan. Ram Kapoor continues to move between TV and films, he does small roles of substance in films, and manages them despite being a lead on BALH. Raj Zutshi has done films and TV, Raquesh Vashisht has shifted from Bollywood to TV.
SN - I didn't know I remembered so many ... I must be really jobless!!!
Interestingly, many Bollywood stars have also made a foray into TV ... Amitabh Bachhan being the most well-known, of course, followed by Shahrukh, Akshay, Shatrughan Sinha (he did the Bhojpuri version of KBC), Ajay Devgan and Kajol (they hosted a few episodes of a very forgettable show), and now Aamir Khan. Any more?
Note - from this weekend, I will start IPKKND Rewind - a Journey down Memory Lane. Let's remember and cherish the good memories, and forget the bad.
I am adding here two articles which I feel are relevant to the debate, with my views in brief.
What Ails Daily Soaps
Indian television probably had never seen such outpouring of emotions when Barun Sobti decided to quit the hugely popular show 'Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon'. The show went off the air breaking millions of hearts. Following Barun's 'quitting', are Ankita Lokhande, Shivaji Satam, Pawan Shanker, Sriti Jha and Harshad Chopra, who are all leaving or are on the verge of leaving their signature shows. The reason that the actors offered when it came to leaving their respective shows halfway might vary from 'moving on to better career prospects' to 'refusal to grow old on screen' but it also raises the same old debate, do Indian TV soaps run out of steam after a certain amount of time, causing a sense of fatigue for viewers and lead actors?
In the initial heady days actors were thrilled to be part of saas-bahusoaps and even stuck to the show till it went off air. But times have changed since then as the landscape of the Indian television industry now boasts of more GECs which means a fractured viewership that's changed the rules of telly viewing.
Actors need to stay on
When a lead star quits a show, it sends the producer/broadcaster in panic mode. The most obvious answer is to get a replacement actor. Scarred by the rejection of new actors stepping into shoes of popular leads, producers are wary of treading the same path and prefer to either 'send off' the lead or 'kill him/her off'. Actor Aditya Redij says, "I quitNaa Aana Is Des Laado as I had inhibitions about playing an 18-year-old's father. If the makers keep an actor creatively happy, why will he/she quit?" Aishwarya Sakuja shares, "An actor playing the lead has to be available for a long period as the story line revolves around him/her. But, if an actor feels a sense of monotony, then there are many waiting to be in their shoes."Karan Kundra says, "It is impossible for me to be a part of any show beyond a year. When I started with Kitni Mohabbat Hai, Ekta Kapoor was clear on not extending the story beyond a point and we wrapped season one gracefully and came back with 160 episodes of season 2."
Calling it quits
Pawan Shanker
The male lead of Kya Hua Tera Vada has reportedly also quit the show
Reason: Doesn't want to grow old
Aftermath: Show set to take a leap, new male lead might be roped in
Barun Sobti
The official heartthrob of TV and broke millions of hearts when he decided to 'take a long break' from Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?
Reason: Health and to eventually look at a career in films
Aftermath: The show shut shop abruptly a week ago
Shivaji Satam
After 15 years of playing ACP Pradyuman in CID, Shivaji has decided to move on
Reason: Wants to focus on films
Aftermath: New characters will be brought in
Harshad Chopra & Sriti Jha
After making an entry in Dil Se Di Dua Saubhagyabati Bhavo some months ago, a disgruntled Harshad has quit the show, taking along with him the leading lady Sriti
Reason: Unhappy with the track
Aftermath: The show has introduced new characters
Ankita Lokhande
There are reports that Ankita won't be continuing with Pavitra Rishta after February 2013. Reason: Doesn't want to play grandmom
Aftermath: Talks of show going off air are doing rounds
Long running soaps end on a whimper Most top shows, from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi(1830 episodes), Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki (1700 episodes), Dill Mill Gayye (721 episodes) to the more recent Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? (398 episodes) started on a high note, showing lots of promise and generating fan frenzy. When it came to their closure, the shows ended abruptly, an indication that the production houses had no choice, but to hurry up with the storylines, upsetting loyal audiences. Producer Sumeet Mittal shares, "Producers have a long story on mind when a daily soap airs. But, if we have to wrap it due to low TRPs, we do try to do justice to it."
We'll be back after a season break Shows with returning after a season break has always worked in the West. Following the footsteps of popular shows like Sex And The City, Grey's Anatomy and Lost, some popular Indian TV shows have also tried the 'second season' experiment In the past soaps, seasons of shows like Karamchand, Baa Bahoo Aur Baby, Kitani Mohabbat Hai, Na Bole Tum have been aired, with mixed results, says, "Yes, introducing a second season is definitely a good option. When shows come back on a fresh note, it definitely works. There is no point dragging the soaps without any relevance. Second season of a show like Na Tum Bole Na Maine Kuuch Kaha is awaited by fans eagerly."
In the end, it's not a jaded story line but a mint-fresh story line evolving continuously with powerful performances that does the trick. But with tracks being changed, altered story-lines, lead characters quitting the show — you never know in which way the show takes a turn.
The second article, with the relevant portion highlighted in bold and different color.
World's Sexiest Asian Women
Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra has won the 'Worlds Sexiest Asian Woman' crown, according to an on-line survey conducted by a weekly magazine.
Priyanka, 30, defeated reigning championKareena Kapoor and three-times winner Katrina Kaif to claim the crown of sexiest Asian woman on the planet this year.
"Priyanka Chopra secured top spot with Kareena Kapoor coming second and Katrina Kaif third," Asian weekly Eastern Eye said.
A permanent fixture in the top three in recent years, the beauty queenturned A-list Bollywood star beat off very tough competition from some of the most stunning women from around the world.
"It has rounded off a dream year for Priyanka, which included a starring role in super-hit film Agneepath, delivering a superbperformance in India's official entry to the Oscars, Barfi! and launching an international pop career alongside chart-topping singer Will.i.am," the release added.
Clearly delighted with the win, Priyanka said: "I'm hugely flattered. Who wouldn't want to have a title like this bestowed on them! A big shout out to everyone who voted for me."
Eastern Eye showbiz editor Asjad Nazir, who annually puts together the popular list and is chairman of the judging panel believes a dream year will give Priyanka the perfect platform to possibly becoming a Hollywood star in 2013.
"The sheer diversity of the projects that Priyanka did in 2012 combined with her close connection to fans online worked in her favour and added to her already impressive fan base. That is why she was able to beat off pop stars, TV personalities, models and fellow film stars," said Asjad.
The biggest surprise of 2012 was the number of television actresses from India who entered the list for the first time. Ek Hazaaron Kein Meri Behna Hai stars Nia Sharma, who came fifth and Krystle D'Souza on 9th became the first ever TV actresses from India to crack the top 10.
Other Indian television actresses who made the list included Drashti Dhami (12), Sanaya Irani (13), Kritika Kamra (19), Jennifer Winget (21), Yashashtri Masurkar (24) and Asha Negi (32)."The fact that so many television actresses made the top 50 showed that Bollywood is no longer the only dominant force in India and that television is playing a much bigger part in the lives of people around the world," added Asjad.
Other notable stars in this year's list include Deepika Padukone landed on the fourth spot, Bipasha Basu on the sixth, Sonam Kapoor on the seventh, Diana Penty (15), and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (16).
The highest placed Pakistani was supermodel turned television personality Mehreen Syed (10) and the highest placed star from the west was once again Hollywood actress Noureen Dewulf (11), who is currently starring alongside Charlie Sheen in hit US sitcom Anger Management.
Priyanka's cousin Parineeti Chopra (18), Rani Mukerji (22), Esha Gupta (23), Sussanne Roshan(25), Alia Bhatt (29), Giaa Manek (41) and singer Tasha Tah (47) were also included in the list. .
There was another article on Asia's Sexiest Men, with Barun in it, but since it was just a list of photographs, and there was no text article alongside, I haven't added that. Didn't check how many TV actors were on that one. I would guess a similar number.
*Edit*
A third article with just the relevant part added
Silver Screen still a Distant Dream for Television stars (TOI)
Barun goes to Bollywood
The latest actor to bid adieu to television is Barun Sobti aka Arnav Singh Raizada of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. Sources associated with the show say, "Barun recently completed a movie. He now harbours the desire to try his luck in movies and is quitting television. The channel apparently received 20,000 emails a day, requesting that he be convinced to stay back. But Barun decided to move on."
However, Barun refutes all that is being said about him, "I had put in my papers in February itself but the makers asked me to stay on for a while. I have quit because I want to spend some quality time with my family. I am in talks for a few Bollywood projects but it's at a very nascent stage."
Relevant points from my side:
Actors quit for many reasons. IPKKND was the first instance of a soap shutting down because the lead actor quit. Most soaps either replace the actors with a new face, or with a new character, killing off the old one with an accident. The accident option leaves the path open for the actor to return if he wants to/ channel, PH or fans demand it.
Karan Kundra is the only person in this list who says Ekta wrapped up the show because she was clear the story had ended. Rajan Shahi is another producer to wrapped his first show, Bidaai, when still running with high TRP's, because he felt he had nothing more to the story.
Another exception is the YR shows which always aired with a fixed time frame in mind, they told their story and ended when the story was finished.
Factual inaccuracy in the first article ... Na Bole Tum is slated to re-appear with a second season - it hasn't aired yet. So mixed results is a very premature statement on that one!
TV and TV stars are becoming bigger and bigger ... as evidenced by the entry of so many into these lists of Sexiest Men and Women. As the article states, Tellywood is becoming as dominant an influence as Bollywood in people's lives. It is often said that in India there are only two religions, films and cricket. It seems a third might be entering the picture.
Questions:
Is Barun's quitting merely a small symptom of a much bigger problem with the television industry today? Long working hours, daily rigorous shoot schedules, last minute changes of script, unending sagas, which mean that sooner or later storylines crash or meander into nothingness ... And add to that, soap stars are paid much less compared to Bollywood ones, and the discontent within the TV industry, and the ever-present lure of Bollywood.
Or is the daily soap meant to be exactly what it has become today? A mind numbing source of entertainment, where if you miss a day or two, or an episode or two, it doesn't really matter? And they carry on for years anyway, what's an episode or two here or there?
In that case, what then of the more discerning viewer, who wants more than that? Would you be happier with a show which aired say once weekly, or even thrice-weekly, if the quality of the story-telling was better? If the acting and the story-lines kept you gripped, interested you, involved you, engaged you in debate and discussion? Should there be such alternatives available?
Is the situation different for men and women in TV? I read an article a long time back where a number of TV actresses had said they preferred working on television because the TV industry was a much safer place for women, as compared to Bollywood. I have heard horror stories of the casting couch in Bollywood, and how very widespread it is, from very authentic sources ... believe me, you would be surprised and shocked at some of the names involved!
From the third article, Barun's name needs to be added to that of the PH and Gul, as among the people who lost interest in the show. He has confirmed that he put in his papers in February itself, which he also said in the interview with Gul. This is in spite of the fact that at that time, ASR was still the original ASR, and had not been watered down into the rather wishy washy Arnav we saw after the kidnapping. So was the lure of Bollywood so strong that he jumped ship halfway, to the detriment of the show? Despite the fact that he had an author-backed role?
TV is a women dominated medium, while Bollywood definitely has more to offer the men. (However this cannot be said for IPKKND, as ASR was the central character, whose journey was the central theme of the show.) Barun is not the first actor who has left a show for Bollywood, the list is pretty long. However, he is the first actor whose leaving has caused the show to shut down. And most of the other actors on the list left their shows after a much longer period of time, not after barely a few months.
The second article indicates that the popularity of TV stars has grown exponentially in recent times. I've seen saree shops advertising the clothes worn by TV stars to attract customers, something which happened earlier only with film actresses. Has their confidence that they will be able to make it on a bigger platform, grown along with the increase their their popularity?
Sushant Singh Rajput has bagged a reasonably big film, and is rumored to be in talks with Yashraj films and/or KJo. Ayushman, who is well known as a TV host, recently did Vicky Donor, which was a surprise hit. However since he's not part of a long-running show, his film didn't disrupt any TV schedules, he has therefore kept his options wide open. Ram Kapoor and Ronit Roy have been doing a balancing act for some time, the latest example being their very successful outing in Udaan. Ram Kapoor continues to move between TV and films, he does small roles of substance in films, and manages them despite being a lead on BALH. Raj Zutshi has done films and TV, Raquesh Vashisht has shifted from Bollywood to TV.
SN - I didn't know I remembered so many ... I must be really jobless!!!
Interestingly, many Bollywood stars have also made a foray into TV ... Amitabh Bachhan being the most well-known, of course, followed by Shahrukh, Akshay, Shatrughan Sinha (he did the Bhojpuri version of KBC), Ajay Devgan and Kajol (they hosted a few episodes of a very forgettable show), and now Aamir Khan. Any more?
Note - from this weekend, I will start IPKKND Rewind - a Journey down Memory Lane. Let's remember and cherish the good memories, and forget the bad.
Dia, Sandy, Shweths, and everyone else...
ReplyDeleteIt been almost a year since i started posting on R&R and I remember a point of time when I used to refresh R&R every 20 minutes - lol!!
I absolutely cannot watch daily soaps...thats not to say there isn't some really good stuff on television but it just doesn't appeal to me....Ipkknd was something else. totally undeniable. From the helicopter overhead shot to the airport scene not one episode is to be missed.
Ipkknd has been wonderful....the clearest memories...
...the first fashion show..
...the dargah scene (small scene but it really spoke to me....sort set the their characters - her faith - his faith lost - her returning it to him)
...Teej...Haaayyyyyeeee!!
Naintal and the hospital - clutch-not hug:-)
...the red saree, the payal, the almost...
mission payash...!! (first dates, acting lesson and an likely camaraderie)
...NYE-hehehe
TERI MERI....
...the longest walk..facing the family..
...HOLI..dhak dhak
'hum maike chale jaayenge tum dekhte rehna...:-p'
Airport heartbreaks..
Declarations and rescues!!
tearing up the contract and thresholds;-)
return of the pheras
Old wounds still raw...
the second marriage:-)
END SEASON 1. (in my head)
Its been wonderful, romantic and totally made 8-8:30pm a "sorry! I'm busy' slot...Just recalling all the wonderful episodes is making me smile..Cant wait to relive some of the best episodes with the entire gang...
Paw Print.
oh just had one more thing to say..
DeleteRaaaabbba Veeeey.....!!!
Hey Padfoot,
DeleteSo so happy to see ur comment here....please keep dropping by.....its always more fun when its a full house!! HUGS
I definitely will Rekhs!! I'm looking forward to reliving the best moments...
DeleteIts like your favorite novels...there can be loads of new stuff but at the end of the day you wanna curl up and read Austen...its like that there'll be new shows but every time I want go dose romance and cheer you'll rematch Teej, Holi, Nainital...
Padfoot,
DeleteJhappis bey!! Yep its like curling up with that fav novel.
Thinking of the heady days always makes me smile. Its been a super year with all of you and IPK and I cannot believe soon a New year will be ushered.
Looking forward to the Down Memory Lane posts from Dia.
Hello Hi Padfoot! missed you!
Deletethanks for the link to the IV.. though it is bittersweet, seeing barun being barun and not the usual nautanki he shows on sbs/sbb..
now that 4L knows how to upload HD videos, will they please upload the old diwali uncut?
you know, UK is getting the re-telecast of IPK and i've been feeling sorta jealous.. the way they gush over the old scenes.. that i can watch only online, not in HD-TV..
yesterday i watched sound of music.. and (heck, why does this happen!) it reminded me of IPK, that moment when maria is razzing the captain about clothes for the children. the way any self-assured(read arrogant) man's insides turn into a quivering mass of jelly when he sees a woman being passionate about something she feels strongly about.. hayee the stuff M&B dreams are made of.
looking forward to reposts, dia!
Hey Padfoot, been missing you! *hugs* Good to see you back!
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w853lwkUikc&feature=g-high-rec
ReplyDeletePlease please watch this if you haven't already seen it...Gul and Barun get candid...its pretty awesome.
it'll make you feel better about it all:-)
DeletePadfoot,
DeleteThanks. Watched the interview again.
And like you said,it makes me feel much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGMjD8WVDjk
DeleteI had not seen this ful interview.
Sanaya:
"What's gone is gone. There is no reason for glamourising the reason the show ended. It was a good show. Let us just remember it for the good things."
I'd seen it ... which is why I was inclined to blame the fans' reactions for the abrupt closure, as it came from the horse's mouth, from Sanaya herself, at a time when she was upset enough not to mince her words. Loved her straight shooting ... 'thanks to the fans for making the show what it is, what is was ... and what it is today' :D ... an obvious dig at the fans' demands! Not just a dig, a blast ... no wonder so many people got upset!
DeleteI don't blame her for being upset ... she returned after a hectic overseas tour after shooting overtime to can episodes to cover her absence, and had to rush straight back again to re-shoot the wrap up of the show and the end of her current job ... no wonder she was pissed off!
Dia,
DeleteAnd I loved her perspective:
'Barun ke saath aur koi show karne hi waali nahi hoon (meaning he is not going to be available to do a show with her any time soon- good bye to that SKD of a Sarun show), then I don't know what the fuss was about!'
Her point being, any way fans are not going to get Sanaya and Barun, and we ended up getting not even Sanaya! Now bear that loss for a long time. Who lost out?
But if the non availability of Barun was so clear to Sanaya and Gul, why did SP not tell them to shut the show giving them a two months notice? It is difficult for he PH to make a decisin like that because o the 200 people- and their own profits. Let us face it trp meters don't get the money, right? Do you get any additional benefits as a producer if the show is ranked no: one? My gues is no. So even if IPK went down on the trps and CM, it'd have still been a more watched show that Hitler didi and the likes.
Like Barun said, Gul should be proud that she created this monster...her baby had grown in to something so huge and beyond her control. Like someone said, the team including Sanaya did not realise that the show was all about Arhi and Sarun...
IPK would have still been a good story minus ASR and Barun, but I guess the majority including me wanted a happy ending to this fairy tale.
It'd have been nice if they had taken a leap with Arhi's daughter or a past with Khushi's Amma- Bauji's love story- at least we'd have had a Saraf with Arhi intact.
Yep, she was so matter-of-fact about it ... you're not going to get SaRun again ... so what was the big hulla about anyway?
DeleteMore than SP not giving them two months notice, why didn't SP and Gul make a joint official statement about Barun definitely not coming back? Make that a triple joint statement - Barun, Gul and SP. Rather than SP saying he's going for movies, and Barun and Gul and Sanaya all saying break. Unless it was again Gul trying to accommodate Barun by keeping his return option open ... the accident, body not found route. In which case, she should have been more firm! But if by this time, Sanaya was sure he wasn't going to return, then why chant break?
Read this article on tellychakkar ...
http://www.tellychakkar.com/news/ekta-kapoor-never-ever-work-harshad-chopda-and-additi-gupta
Some people have some pretty harsh words to say about the fans. That's one big negative about these social networking sites - they can be used and abused. Kids don't understand the limits, and being anonymous seems to give them license to be rude.
PH should have gone for a leap ... that's the only way the show could have gone on. And they should have announced it clearly ... due to Barun Sobti leaving the show, the show will take a leap and continue with the story of Arhi's daughter, to be played by Sanaya. Arhi also preserved, and the main cast also preserved ... Mami and Nani would not mind a generation leap, Anjali could have stayed on as the Bua who brought up her orphaned niece. And they needn't have shown an accident - they could have shown that Arnav Khushi died in an accident together a few years down the line.
DeleteDia,
Let Ekta keep her stories. She runs serials, not stories. Much against my judgment, I started seeing parichay and just fr the sake of running the serial, she keeps on getting her leads married to other people. I fr sure cannot sign up for such rubbish. Thank god i got off the bus at the first seperation. This is what i was afraid of for arnav and khushi and that s why i was okay with ASR getting replaced but not another character.
The moment sanaya also made comments such as only barun can be ASR, I lost hope and wanted them to just close so that watching reruns will not cause heartache.
And I don't believe these quotes. As if 100 msgs or even 1000 msgs are difficult to delete and as if she is the admin of her own accounts. And the article quotes star CEO as being pally with Ekta and telling her to tell her fans to back off. Is it even believable. Star plus kicked off Ekta so ceremoniously in one shot. This is just her PR machinery working overtime to keep her n the news using the most talked about topic of the moment on forums and tellychakkar.
A love story has to be a lovestory with a beginning and an end whichever the channel, whichever the production house. Otherwise let them stick to their family sagas of sacrificing for the family etcetera. I hope even the actors keep this n mind before they start thinking that love stories can go on and on and then start blaming fans for its end.
Dia, I agree with Usha. Ekta and Star are no buddies and there is no love lost between both of them. Ekta was kicked out and her show Tere liye had to be closed down within 2 weeks. Ekta's all shows are tanking left, right and center. She is just trying to be in limelight and who else can she take advantage of other than Aditi and Harshad. And Kis desh got closed 4-5 yrs ago. I doubt if people are still spamming her for recasting these 2 together. Sushant moved on and now is in movies. Aditi tried some other serials. I don't think people are wanting to see these 2 together. It is just PR machinery to keep her in limelight. These kind of things should not be taken at face value.
DeleteWas going through the forum and seems like Rajan Singh was in Chicago and they had some discussions with fans(kind of honest feedback and opinion) and the person who attended has posted this.
1. Rajan is very aware of Barun & Sanaya demands. He received about 500 messages a day. So I was not going to go there and "demand" anything.
2. He started the whole conversation with Iss Pyar
3. The reason show ended was due to viewer request. They were planning to kill off Arnav (in fact Barun shot death scene) & continue show.
4. Season 2? Big question mark. I personally got the feeling it's not going to happen. Barun just started his break less then 2 weeks ago. He's not going to commit to another show right now.
5. SP & Barun on good terms
6. Rajan wants to bring Sanya & Barun to the US in Jan/Feb for a show.
She also says this "The show not having a bank of episodes was purely mismanagement by the PH.
Rajan stated that this "whole situation" was handled poorly"
Look at this link (first post)
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3332298&TPN=3
Looking at the post somehow why do I feel SP is miffed with PH and not that much as Barun. If they were miffed by Barun, I doubt they would still keep him on SP contract. The point that Rajan was in US trying to gauge the audience reaction to the serial and planning a tour of US with Barun/Sanaya suggests that Star is fine with Barun even with he quitting the show. What does that mean? Is SP leaning more towards Barun and wants to keep him on good terms so that if he comes back to TV, they can have him. Seems like that.
Some how I feel that Sanaya and Barun will come in different shows. If Sanaya doesn't come in Nach Baliye then most probably she would be on-air by Mar/April timeframe and if Barun's film career doesn't take off as he expected he will be back on TV by mid of next year.
Rajan stated that this "whole situation" was handled poorly":
DeleteHe could have been talking about anything.
I feel he was talking about the spoiler devis freaking out on IF. If he feels the whole situation was handled poorly, what was SP's role in the whole drama. The were having discussions for a month and they were aware of the problem. And the PH wouldn't shoot anything unless the had the go ahead from the channel creative team. So the poor handlers could very well be SP's creative team too.
Or he was talking about the fans who went berserk and the channel and the PH did not address the issue properly.
I don't think Rajan Singh will be unprofessional enough to comment on the PH off hand like that. And I believe SP will think twice before they throw 4 lions out like EK. They know the difference.
And if SP really believed the whole thing was handled poorly, why don't they come out now with the real story and show us how it can be handled 'un poorly'. What is stopping them now? All the info they gave on their site was the same as the disclaimer on TV- Barun is not interested in television. And even that disclaimer was written POORLY.
The spoiler devis were sent by the PH. If they knew that the fans would go berserk then the logical thing to do would be to avoid giving out any spoilers. Both the PH and the channel handled this issue POORLY. If the channel wanted the show on air, it should have stuck to its guns and should have gone ahead with Viraf either as ASR or as a new guy. If the PH wanted to go ahead without Barun, it should have put its foot down and shot the serial. Fans called only the last 2 weeks whereas if a serial is going to go off-air, the fans pester for a whole month from the time it is confirmed to the time the last episode is actually aired. Blaming Fans is just an excuse. All 3 have decided to keep quiet as there is no way they can clear the air without it getting more messier.
DeleteI think Ekta and SP had more of an open squabble and hence SP had no choice but to show who is in more power and that it did by closing the show and blacklisting the PH. Here 4Lions are on watch list but definitely are not darlings of the channel anymore. The moment some other PH is able to deliver M&B drama in a better and organized manner, 4Lions will lose the only edge they have. Compared to other PHs like DJ's, Director's Kut, Shashi and sumeeth mittal and Sphere origins who all specialize in family drama, 4Lions is the only PH which had produced only romantic soaps and that is the edge 4Lions has right now. Maybe that is the reason SP doesn't want to completely blacklist it. Rather watch its next ventures and if need be, get them back to produce a show but this time if SP is clever, they will handle the PH from the beginning and not allow it to become a monster. And if in meantime other PHs are able to crack this code, then 4Lions are goners as their reputation is already in tatters and they would lose their only edge.
Star Utsav is airing the re-,marriage. Today I watched the episode knowing what is going to happen.
ReplyDeleteAnd this was so beautiful...both Sanaya and Barun should definitely get awards for this episode. Not one expression was out of place.
On What went wrong, I read Mary Barton's take from Sandy's link.
She has written down exactly what I feel as an IPK fan. I am a big supporter of the PH and Barun (though Sanaya comes first).
And in this whole drama, my favorite pastime has been SP bashing- don't know why. Probably I am just pissed off with their autocratic attitude. (Never liked SP and their shows much. IPK was the first for me.)
In spite of all my preconceived notions and continued affections for Barun and the PH and the reality that it was the channel that pulled the plug, I will lay the blame squarely on Barun and 4 lions.
4 Lions for not being able to hold their cast together(minus Barun) and for losing their grip on the story. (Here I am as always a little lenient since I know they still gave me the best entertainment in their down- phase. And I understand that creativity does not grow on trees. Plus the channel has to be blamed for not letting the original story to be told, causing the maker to lose interest. I firmly believe in this since it was recently mentioned that Geet also had to be transformed from a family drama to a romantic genre keeping the audience in view.)
And Barun, I will blame because he was simply the catalyst. If he had not decided to leave, this would not have happened.
Here I agree with Mary Barton that he should have simply had the heart to finish off what he had started...he should have given 6 months or one more year to a show that made him. He owed that much to the makers and his fans. Sigh...I wonder if he'd have made this decision if he had known that SP is going to take the show off air
Dia,
I welcome the idea of a show being aired thrice or 4 times a week. Definitely improves the quality of the product and the QOL of the actors too.
The actors may be paid less than BW, but I don't think that was the reason for Barun leaving- one of the videos mentioned that he was getting paid 1 lakh for a day- don't know how true that is. I think for Barun it was that he was losing out on time with his family.
After watching the Gul- Barun interview:
DeleteThis interview actually always takes away any negative feelings I have. It was heartbreaking the first time I watched it, knowing the certainty of Barun moving on. But now, 1 week after THE END- they are both so casual and honest...life goes on. Loved the way Barun says he is not gouing to take away any credit from himself because he has worked very hard on ASR(Ofc, however well written the role is- the actor has to always bring the character to life)- but it would not have been possible if the character was not written that way. That he did not add anything more than what was written on the paper. Hugs and all the best to both of them.
Su, after re-watching this interview, I would blame the PH and Barun equally for losing interest, Barun as far back as Feb. The difference being that Barun had the option of walking out, which he wanted to take, despite knowing what it would do to the show, and which he did take in September, while Gul had to keep the show running no matter what.
DeleteIf Barun didn't know his popularity as ASR, or didn't have enough respect for what the show had given him, and what he had given the show, then I wish he had been allowed to leave. Now I will always wonder, as I did before, who lost interest first ... Barun or the PH? I would actually blame Barun more ... except for the fact that Opti and Usha both had prior knowledge of the PH's last show, and similar loss of interest there, when their actors stuck on till the end ... no excuse there for them. So I will share the blame between PH and Barun ;)
Otherwise, believe me, Barun would face far more flak for this from me! :)))
And what riled me about the interview then as well as now, was that nether of them mentioned the other actors, especially Sanaya, who took up the onus to keep the show going. Barun did double shift for his own movie, his own career, Sanaya and the others did extra work for HIM! And not a word of gratitude or even acknowledgement about that.
Gul gave her even less respect - she made Khushi strong when Arnav was missing, and the moment Arnav was back, she massacred Khushi again ... ASR was definitely Gul's favorite character, to the detriment of the show. If a producer can't keep the balance among her own creations, then the show is doomed anyway.
I don't know about the money part ... but I think Barun did mention in some interview that working on movies is less stressful because there are no daily deadlines to be met. If he was being paid 1 lakh per episode, that is a very big pay cheque, more than most B grade Bwood actors would get for a movie for sure.
I know the Western TV actors are paid very well ... by the last season of Friends, each of the actors was being paid $ 1million per episode! But they had weekly episodes, each season was about 20-22 episodes, I think. But Friends is truly an iconic show ... I can still re-watch episodes again and again, and enjoy them every time!
Dia,
DeleteBarun lost interest first.I don't think the PH put much pressure on him- not for lack of respect or anything. They simply don't believe in forcing people to stay on...if you don't enjoy what you are doing, no one should force you. This was the casual attitude Gul took towards Barun leaving. Really, she is pretty straight forward there.
And Gul lost interest with the remarriage. Remember, Redux shut down. Spice Gals shut down...impending signs of doom. Gul would definitely have lost interest because BFTP was a major turning point- that was for Arhi separation and to lead on to Arnav's RTR- and she had to bow down to fan girls' pressure there too. What story did she have to tell now? She moved on to QH.
On the money part, Barun sounded very casual about it. He believes in doing what his heart tells him to do. At that point he felt he was not being fair to himself. WE all take a breaks in our career when we feel life is not all about work and money.It is not necessarily a BURN OUT.
DeleteQuite a lot of people especially women make this choice for themselves and their families.I did too- when I look back, sometimes I feel I should not have been so casual about life back then...but the break gave me something. I am thankfully not a part of the rat race, I don't want to be.
I think when Barun looks back at his life, he will not be asking if he was successful, he will be asking if he was happy doing what he did. If he gets both...well, he is destiny's child. (Quoting Rekh)
I agree with you Su. Sometimes it is just not about money. I got married and moved to US in 98. I got bored and enrolled to do my M.S in computer science and when I finished in 2000, I had a damn good job offer in hand as at that time the market was heating up. And the US stock market was zooming. But at that time I was carrying my first child and the only option for me was to leave my kid at daycare while I slog at the job. I decided I will skip the offer. People thought I was crazy for leaving something so lucrative. But for me the priorities were different. I wanted to be home when my daughter was growing up. I finally went to job around 2005 after my second one was 2yrs old and both my girls started school. I have been in job since then.
DeleteI did lose a lot by skipping on my first offer however I am really happy that I didn't take up the offer at that time no matter how tempting it was. However this is mostly we women who think like that. Men are mostly career driven and it is hard to believe that especially a person who came to mumbai to earn money is going to leave everything like this. I have no idea what happened during the Feb time frame. Did he get more than 1 offer and he wanted to do only movies ?
I think the bollywood is a too strong of a pull for the TV stars. Once in a while I catch up with Ballika Vadhu and only few days back I was reading that the lead anandi got a film offer and was contemplating to quit. It was shocking for me because I never felt she was BW material. So may be now India is opening up like US wherein you get big budget movies with well established heroes, medium budget movies(like romcoms, chick flicks which usually have established TV actresses) and then independent films which usually are for Jury and awards. I think there is a big opening for the established TV stars to act and earn money in the medium budget movies and maybe that is the lure. You earn money good enough and if you succeed you can move up the ladder or you can go the regional film way. I know for sure the Telugu stars are paid equal to Hindi film stars and most of the Telugu stars don't want to go to BW because they are happy being in the Telugu film industry.
Having said that if Barun wanted to quit at the Feb time, or it may be his contract was up with the PH as his contract was only for 1 yr with PH till May initially then the PH are the ones to blame for the whole fiasco. As an employer you should secure all your options - What is your exit plan if the lead quits ? Do you have him on board till you plan to run the serial. Viren from behna also got a film offer but he can't quit it seems for some time due to his contract with the PH and channel. Why didn't 4Lions get that kind of a contract with Barun when they extended his contract for another 6 months. Fine if they couldn't get him then they had 6 months to close the story off in a high note assuming that they did get indications of Barun wanting to leave after this contract renewal. So 6 months would have been more than enough for closing the past track and Shyam exposure and closing the story on high note.
Like Sanaya said we can speculate but that is not going to do any good. Anyway Barun's movie is going to be out by March end and he will then know where he stands. But the next time he comes on any show, I definitely would like him to be clear how long he wants to be committed to the show. Just be clear from the word go - The serial is of x number of episodes and would last for this much time. Makes life easier for everyone.
psarada,
DeleteInteresting that you talked about movies being made more easily nowadays.
Actually, my hubby was mentioning the same thing to me today- he talked about making movies being easier because apparently you will not lose bucks (and probably make more) with the satellite rights.
'Why didn't 4Lions get that kind of a contract with Barun when they extended his contract for another 6 months.'
Probably they don't believe in bonded labour?
That is what Sanaya indicated too- she said Gul is a very understanding producer. All producers would not have let Barun go so easily...there'd have been an ugly fight. In this case, all the fights are in the minds of the fans.
Su,
DeleteGetting a contract where you are secured is not bonded labour. The serial IPK was due for extension in Dec and Barun's contract got over by May. It is just known as planning. I think at that time Gul and 4Lions ought to have sit down and figured out where they want to take the serial, how long you want the show to run and when you want to close shop. Then you make contract accordingly and more than anything else you let the channel know your plans.
All indications are that Gul wanted to close the shop by Nov end but SP wanted the show to air till Jan/Feb 2013. I would say if Gul is a bad manager and a planner if she didn't see this issue beforehand. And more importantly if you know that your lad is going to walk out then make sure you close off the story at a high point. It would have taken 6 months to get in redemption, remarriage and Shyam exposure and past track. Then if the channel wants they should have thought about other options like leap and other stuff. But clearly by May, Gul's interest wavered and she moved on to Arjun and then QH. What I felt was that she was fickle minded who couldn't concentrate and take the project to completion. Even in IT industry we do hire contracts but we hire them for the entire project. They are paid more and it is kind of you know for how long you are with the company. I wouldn't say that it is bonded labor.
Scrambling at the last moment when the lead is dead burnt out and the story has gone down the drain and getting stupid tracks to ease him out shows that you are basically lost and don't have any handle on your show. That is what the whole issue is about. Had they planned it better, IPK would have been on air. But given that I didn't see any interview of the PH after the closure of the serial, I feel that they are happy that the serial closed shop and they have moved on - which again shows that we viewers nurtured the show much better than the creators.
I don't think this issue of Barun quitting is just as simple as that. Barun gets up one day and says 'Hey I am quitting and you have 2 months to wrap up' and Gul is like 'As you wish'. Nope. Not with the kind of channel pressure that SP put on 4Lions, I don't think Gul would have let go of Barun if things were that simple. The point that everyone from actors to creative team had quit shows that there is something inherently wrong with the way this PH operated. And this is not with this show alone. Gurmeet wanted to quit PV and even the creative directors of that show quit midway. This is the trend for 4Lions last 2 successful shows. There is something more than that meets the eye here and definitely ego hassles were playing a part. Given that Barun is being silent, I doubt we will know the full truth anytime soon.
Coming to movies, yes I think you recover the investment back via the satellite rights itself. Like the movie Ek main aur Ek tu recovered all its investment before it even hit the theater via the satellite rights and music sales. So even if the movie runs for 2-3 weeks successfully in India and abroad, it would mean hell lot of money to the producers. I am thinking that is why we are seeing more TV actors moving towards the BW because they are safe in the romcom and medium budget movies and if they click, they go up the ladder.
Any contract can be broken by giving the notice period specified in it. Contracts are contracts ... not bonded labour. And when the makers start a show, they and the channel don't know what the audience response will be. Some shows have been wrapped up within a few months - take Ek Doosre and Sajda as recent examples. Some go on for years. So saying that a PH has to have an exit strategy in place is a bit premature, in my opinion. First they have to have a story in place at least for the first few months, if not a for a year, start with that and then continue depending on response. This is not like making a movie or writing a book.
DeleteEven in the West, successful shows return season after season depending on response. And it is the creatives' ability to keep the audience engaged that determines their popularity and hence their return. The writers then keep bringing in new twists and turns to extend the shows, as long as there is demand for them. There are very few shows which come in for a definite time frame, tell their story and wind up. I can only think of the YR shows on Sony as an example. I don't know of any similar Western shows. Shows like Friends, B&B, Dynasty and MASH went on for years, season after season.
If you look at it that way, then the PH did what was required of them. If Barun had stayed on, the audience might have grumbled and moaned about script and story, as we had been doing for the last few months, but no one would have asked the show to shut down. The TRPs would have been the final determinant ... as they were with the DKL track ... people didn't like the focus on Di and Shyam it was reflected immediately in the TRP's, and the track had to be changed. There were no demands for the show to be shut down at that point, which means people were still ready to watch it. If the PH had persisted with unpopular tracks, like for example the proposed new man in Khushi's life, while Arnav was on an overseas trip (for example, again assuming he stayed on in the show) again the TRP's would have reflected it, and the track would have been changed again. If the TRP's dropped low enough, the show would have been pulled. That is how it should normally have worked, or has worked till now.
TV actors moving towards BW ... they still manage to balance TV and BW, because doing one niche movie once in a while might not be enough to keep the home fires burning. TV provides the bread and butter and the movies provide the jam, both in terms of money and creative satisfaction. Am sure Ram Kapoor got more satisfaction in Udaan than he has from BALH. But an Udaan happens once in a few years, if he's lucky. BALH has been on for over one and a half years already.
We are also seeing a reverse trend, many BW actors moving towards TV. Is that because TV is really becoming a bigger phenomenon than ever before? - as the second article I posted above points out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjZzQoZoHv0&feature=youtu.be&a
ReplyDeleteSPL promo from Rajan Singh's tweets.
Ah!(note to self) Always better to do your inbhestigation yourself.
DeleteFrom rajan's tweets.
5 dec Sadly Jeevika & Viren unable to come to Artesia Shop fest,LA instead got Khushi (Sanaya Irani) to come.Hope to see you there this weekend
28 nov: working hard to achieve goal of getting Sanaya & Barun to North America as a channel we had said we would,we love the people we work with !
Clarity after lots of mis communication . A actor wants to develop his career why should we stop him
Lets make it clear under no circumstances we were trying to insult Barun he is a great actor and hope he will work with us in the future
----so that's it. All is well that ends well!!!---
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3330675
ReplyDeleteA few things clear from this ... the TM seems to be fairly balanced and reported the meeting very matter-of-factly.
Barun wanted to leave for a long time. Very clear. It appears SP is not upset with him, and are happy to bring him back for stage shows if there is demand for him, as long as there is demand. But apparently they have accepted that he wants to concentrate on movies for the moment. So they will milk his popularity as long as it lasts, and see if it is indeed long-lasting, and whether it was more for ASR or for Barun Sobti. No permanent friends, no permanent enemies in show-biz, only what works.
Apparently Rajan acknowledged that there were problems in management. Whether he meant the mismanagement in the PH, that it never banked episodes, that it didn't run proper parallel tracks, he hasn't specified - he hasn't even specified that the mismanagement was in the PH. That is our surmise, from the facts that yes, they did NOT have banks, they did NOT use their parallel actors. This is one area where this PH apparently fails abyssmally, they have great concepts and creativity, but they fail at day to running of daily shows ...
So many other PH's have been in the business for a long time, soaps have been running for years on end, a successful soap is one that runs for 2-3 years at least, but this PH does not seem to have grasped the fundamental essentials of running a daily soap for longer than a year or so. Maybe that's because they deal essentially in love stories, and love stories, by definition have to end at a Happily Ever After or a tragic end. You can't drag them for too long like you can a family drama.
Or maybe it's sheer mismanagement - they start off with a huge cast, and then ignore the rest completely! :)
Barun had not worked with this PH earlier, so he was probably not used to their haphazard style of working and last minute ways. Also I don't know how much screen space he had in his earlier shows, that could be another factor, he was more popular here than he was in his earlier shows, and he was needed onscreen more, which he couldn't handle. He has complained about the working hours quite a few times.
Sanaya has worked with this team earlier, so she was probably more used to them. Besides, I always felt she must be taking less time to can her scenes, especially the solo ones - she had the bulk of screen space even when she was on leave or out on tour, and if we didn't know this, no one could guess when she was on leave. Khushi was almost always on screen for a majority of the episode.
Mismanagement could also mean the mayhem created by the spoiler devis ... and the fact that they (PH or SP or both) relied too heavily on the reactions to those spoilers.
Mismanagement could also mean the vague statements given by Barun and the PH about his "break", when apparently they both knew he wanted to quit. I would be more inclined to excuse this because no one is really obliged to give out details of their career plans ... but apparently most fans did not understand or appreciate this. Besides, for me this meant that both Barun and PH were keeping the option of his return open. However, no denying that if Barun or the PH had said firmly that he was leaving, especially after SP said so, then it might have improved the situation.
Contd ...
DeleteBottom line ... SP is not upset with Barun as long as he can bring them viewers.
SP also knows IPK was one of their most successful shows ... and they will continue to cash in as long as possible from it :) If that is by giving him occasional stage appearances, they will do so - keep fans happy and make them, and Barun, more money!
SP may not bring Barun back in a show until they are sure he will be able to commit to it properly. Hence covering their position by saying he wants to do movies. Of course, that might be the genuine truth as well. He really does want to wait for the response to his movie, to decide about TV.
SP might be upset with the PH for mismanagement ... but again, the PH has given them a very successful show, so for the moment, they will excuse the mismanagement, and keep them on. However, SP blacklisted Ekta, Gul is small field radish, so PH will really have to be careful the next time round.
I hope, and I do expect, this means that SP will not wait for Barun, to sign on Sanaya in another show. Frankly, I'd much rather see Sanaya with someone else, not with Barun, if all the time I'm going to keep wondering if Barun is going to get another movie and walk out again.
And I see no reason for Sanaya to have to wait on Barun's plans ... from the sounds of recent reports, she is not doing so ... and I am very happy about that!
Agree with you Dia. If SP wants to cash on Sarun's popularity the best way is to get them together for stage shows and then depending on the availability of them, cast them in the shows. I would want them to be in 2 different shows because that would give them more dimensions to their acting.
ReplyDeletePH really needs to be careful with the way it handles the tracks and the show. This episode was indeed a damp spot on SP's credibility however seems like SP is letting this episode slip by solely because IPK got them international acclaim. But this is the same story the PH had with the earlier show Geet too. The thing with this PH is they hardly have any banks and once the jodi is hit, they lose all the parallel tracks, lose the characterizations and basically it becomes one downhill slope until the show closes off. The net effect is the leads are heavily stressed out. Both Gurmeet and Dhrasti fell sick very often when they were working in Geet and same seems to be the case of Barun. He got burnt out. I am not sure how Gul is managing QH but she better pull up her socks and get the stuff going in the right manner or pretty soon her PH would lose the little credibility they still seem to be having.
I too feel that Barun will try out movies till mid of next year or so and if they are not taking him anywhere then he will be back to TV. That is the reason I think SP is still keeping him in contract. But if Barun does come back I want him to be clear on his commitments this time around and once his debut film releases I think he will understand how BW fares and he will have a real gauge of what he can do.
Gul seriously need to chalk out plans for her shows like what to develop the first 6 months, what to show next and what to be the high points and what should be the exit. Barun wanted to quit from some time and I think he was in PH contract till May. Something happened and he extended the contract till Nov. Fair enough. Now what. Gul should think what should be her exit point. She has the lead on for 6 months so she should have thought how long she can carry this show and what should be the ending point. It shouldn't be the thing that at the end she will change the complete concept of the story and the lead so much that the entire team gets pissed off at her. That is utter bad management. Arnav walking out with Sheetal over Khushi is complete killing of the character and Khushi moving on with the killer of ASR is complete destruction of the character. And Gul came up with these 2 ideas to ease out Barun. No wonder everyone got pissed off at her. And once and for all 4Lions/Gul should know how to handle fans in diplomatic manner via press conferences and not to mock them via their outbursts or their spoiler queens.
All in all seems like things are settling down for the channel and Barun. So let's hope things turn out good for both. Now that the channel knows there is market out there, hopefully they will encash it properly and get some good serials on air. I am sick and tired of watching the slow torture their successful shows are throwing at me.
Serials Vs. Stories
ReplyDeleteA line in the comments above from Usha set me thinking. The perception is serials can be pulled along belong they can be forgiven the eventual demise of the original concept or lack of story whereas a story based show for e.g. a love story or suhc will have a definite end point beyond which logically storywise it will stagnate.
Interestingly as per wiki even Buniyaad which was the longest running series of its times was only 154 episodes long.
Mega series began with Shanti and then Swabhimaan. Inspired by Dallas and similar other serials of the west with triangles and other angles such that eventually mind was a dahi.
Tamil serials for a long time were short story driven. I recall K Balachander serials that ran for approx. 3 months, focussed on a specific issue and closed out that story. It was the storyteller's vision and the audience agreed or disagreed and the weekly magazines would carry debates and discussions. But what they achieved was provoking thought.
Then came Radaan PH and Chitti in Tamil serial land following in Hindi series footsteps and now it is all about longer the better mindless of what and how story goes. Time to time you get a watchable one but mostly they cut it short or transmutate it into mindlessness. Not sure if TRPs are that great at play there cos there the channels are run by filmstars / politicos and generally all that is needed seems to be money to spend and a good understanding with the channel head.
So is a story and a serial separate or is a serial also supposed to have a story outline. Possibly certain stories have wider coverage (like societal customs in BV while others may have lesser like Iss Pyaar)
So should the planning for the 2 types be different? Given that some are going to be watched for solely passing time while others compete with people wanting to see Star World or an English serial on youtube. Basically is it about separating sudience by those who have a higher probability to use the net and those who have a lesser probability.
Should a GEC from now on have both kinds in a certain proportion in their basket?
Can youth oriented shows also have potential for a slightly wider audience without compromising their basic premise - for e.g. Navya about 2 yound people who fell in love, from differing backgrounds amidst parental pressure and then had to settle into married life while accomodating yet not losing their basic nature
What is the current main flaw that most channels seem to have in their stories? The fact that their female characters are almost always perfect and saint like? And if she is bad, she is a vamp and is definitely expected to reform. Should someone think of writing a story where the female is not an absolute but rather a reflection of the times she is facing - hence good at times and perhaps bad at others?
Is sacrifice such an integral part of a female's psyche. Will the answer vary depending on whether you talk to women from different location within India and/or outside India?
The whole naari shakti is it a twisted way for women to feel empowered? To feel as if we stuck one into otehrs at least in reel if not in real?
Bad boy heroes, anti heroes, flawed male leads - Is it necessary to make them lose their edge over time or would it be more palatable that they realize teh error of their thoughts, accept new perspectives but retain certain basic traits of their own. Would that be more realistic?
Are Good TRPs related to good suspense alone or are they about good suspense and a convincing story point too?
Do people sometimes continue to watch serials because it is more bearable and they need to spend time or would they actually switch if a new offering comes up on another channel which they happen to like?
Fixed Timelines Vs. Extendable Timelines
ReplyDeleteGEC's have a channel to run, PH have shows. Both need to safeguard their interests.
Actors need salary, fame and career growth as per their personal outlook in life.
So is it that the channel sanctions a pilot run for 6 months post which the performance is reviewed and an extension granted for another 3 or 6 months - depending on how well or poorly you have been performing and what is on offer to replace if needed and how soon that can be ready. Plus does the channel have some kind of a differential approach to granting extensions in terms of strictness and leniency when it is dabbling in a new genre - youth, romance, reality based, etc.
Now in the midst of this if the show picks up, is the cancellation revoked?
So suppose you have a basic premise and a story, supposing you get a notice to close and it is communciated to PH and by them to the story team as well as the cast and they start planning to bring it all together by the end and also start looking out for job opportunities for themselves once this project wraps up perhaps plan vacations.
Or is the first approach from PH to pull up socks and see if the show can be made a viable option again for the channel? So storyline compromises are made at the cost of creativity at times?
Sometimes audience is roped in to show support and ask for show continuation - what does not come in the form of TRPs is taken in the form of audience support in favour of show and hence the PH.
Now somewhere into the process to wrapup, suddenly channel realizes audience is back with their support, why not milk it for a while more (given that settling in a new show has higher risks and costs / losses than just letting the present settled in one continue).
PH by this time had closed a few plots, skipped a few and thrown away some high drama aces.
So the order to not close but continue is passed on by channel to PH and the PH again passes it on to its employees. Some may be on the verge of exit by this time depending on clauses, may have committed elsewhere, may have agreed to new projects, PH may have planned new projects to keep their chulha going and now everyone realizes it is a scramble because things are not going to end but continue for a while longer. Basically plans made go haywire for all concerned.
How would a scenario like the above affect:
1. Present and Future Committments from actors, creatives, directors, PH and so on.
2. Story pace and quality being shown
3. Audience satisfaction
Knowing this is the nature of the industry where things are ever changing, is it still possible to mantain the overall story continuity or will a story based show suffer more than a premise based / issue based show?
Is it possible that if faced with such a scenario where post 6 months, the show Iss Pyaar was given another 6 months due to high TRPs, all concerned expected to wind up by May / June 2012 and the story may have ended with Shyam's underhandedness being exposed to all, Arnav seeking apology for misunderstanding Khushi the families getting them married and they living happily ever after. Past may never have come up if they had run out of time.
But unexpectedly, in Mar/Apr SPA happened and the channel realized the reach and success of the show and changed the cancellation in June to a to be reviewed status leaving evrything open ended and causing plans all around to go haywire?
What would have been the right stand then? And who should have made that stand?
REQUEST:
Deletehealthy discussions and logical thinking only.
Think about it as a what if analysis and logically answer knowing who are the various people involved in the delivery of a show.
NOTE:
Nothing specific to BS leave, PH past history etc. to be dragged in. No fan pressue angles. The above scenario can be thought out without bringing this in.
Else I will get Dia to delete my comment.
It is just something for me as an audience to think about what am I signing up for and why sometimes I feel disenchanted after a while and how it could be something as simple as dispassionate business for all otehrs except me.
E.g. Mum was yday discussing Kya Hua Tera Vadaa which was about an extra marital affair and which she has felt has been dragging for a while and now she is flumoxxed why go on and bring a leap. Why not end it saying yes a promise was made and broken but life went on. End of story!!
Sandy, I think GECs should come up with fixed story line shows. There is no point in dragging the story so much that the whole premise is lost. Example in case like your mother said Kya Hua Tera Vadaa and most of Balaji's shows like Pavitra Rishta. Pavitra Rishita was supposed to be a relationship between Manav and Archana but now it has turned into khichdi with a exta martial affair between the daughters and their son-in-law. That is one reason I hate Balaji shows. They start with one premise like in PR it was how an uneducated girl gets married to a mechanic. So far so good. Then it suddenly became a triangle of sorts with stupid drama, divorce thrown in and then leap and now the daughters and now you have 2 daughters loving the same guy. God in heavens, do give some brains to the maker of these shows.
DeleteI watch TV for entertainment but at the same time I want intelligent characters to be on the show - someone I can relate to. I can't relate to any of the characters on Balaji's shows. That said my very close friends follow these soaps. It is not to say they are dumb - they are quite good in professional area but the thing is Indians have been fed on these shows for a long time and it would take time to break them and change the thinking. And I think most of the Indians are okay with the different breakups and different relationships because they take it as fiction. That's all. Just like people enjoy the mindless movies in which the hero will single-handedly kill off all the goondas(when we know it is not humanly possible), I think soaps especially those of Ekta's are the same for the general audience. They watch it because it is on air and they don't have anything else to look at.
So would the people change if choice is given. I think so. Actually today I was shopping in Spencers in Bengaluru and was looking at things to buy. I heard the helper girls in the aisle discussing IPK telugu dubbed version(choopulu kalasina subhavela) and the scene they were discussing was the one where Arnav and Khushi fall on the Diwali Rangoli. The way Arnav becomes all intent knowing about a possible marriage talk and then breathes easy when Khushi deflects the talk was being discussed. These helper girls I am sure are not even 10th pass and most probably would not have ever read an M&B book when growing up. But to my surprise they were discussing the pangs of jealousy on Arnav's side, the confusion of Khushi, the dumbness of Anjali as good as we dissected it. This shows audience if given a change other than the normal saas-bahu saga, achaar stuff and extra marital link ups would lap the new ones quite good. The onus is on the channel and the PH to create new dimensions to the real life stories. I am quite sick of girls being portrayed naive, all forgiving and always believing in things take time to finalize stuff. Almost all of the heroines from DABH,Yeh Rishta, Pyar ka dard, Behna have the same type of girls as leads. Enough of these. Give me some real girls, girls who blast the wrong guy, who are not afraid to do things on their own.
Cont in next post.
My analysis on why the channels go for the time tested saas-bahu way. Simple because it is easier for them to manage. A serial takes minimum time of 6 months to get its audience hooked up. And if the serial is supposed to go off air by 1yr that means they will reap the benefits of the fans that tuned in for that show for only 6 months which is far too less - I mean the channels/PH compare the investment costs vs the profits. So the best way I feel would be to fix a serial to be 18 months old which would give them around 350 episodes. Just fix the storyline to be around that number. Even if 50 episodes are fillers, the rest 300 should be taut and crisp. That would give you a memorable show and even the audience would enjoy. And I for one would want the show to have a wrap up date fixed. Start the show with a fix end in sight. Then even the actors would be free to pursue another chances in case they end up with other offers. And frankly it would be good for actors to be not stuck with a single soap for a long time. Even though staying with one soap may be financially safe for them, they run the chance of getting type-cast in the role and it would be hard to the people to accept/see in new role. I for example can't imagine Naitik or Akshara in any other role and I don't think they can do anything more than their comfort zone. Same is the case of pyar ka dard hai heroine. I don't see any emotions on her. She is just a plain beautiful face.
DeleteSo basically I think the serials tend to go on for a longer time because the channel, the PH and the actors acting in the show want to play safe but it is high time all 3(channel, PH, actors) think outside of the box. Till that happens I think I should stick with books and english shows.
Sandy,
Deletea lovely post!!
To me it always seemed strange that a few people on an online forum repeatedly sending mails and calling operators of a leading GEC could cause the downfall of a successfully run show. To me even stranger that an actor can be cause of a show ending. At the most, the responsibility of an actor is to relay his character till the time he is on screen.nothing more nothing less.
Story telling is the sole prerogative of the story teller and the medium. if the story teller failed to tell a story or if the viewers felt tat the story was abruptly ended, it remains the failure of the story teller.
This is further vindicated in my opinion by all the articles quoted above...where all serials (sole exception) have continued despite the leads/actors quitting...To me it only proves that had the medium so decided, the story could have gone on.
However by deciding against it, to me the medium and maker signaled :
A tacit acceptance tat the actor in this case has brought such significance to his character that without him, the story cannot go on. this is unprecedented and whichever way we look at it, i would call it a feather in the cap of the actor.(the purpose of the red ticker, notwithstanding)a matter recorded for posterity.
How the medium came to acknowledge this is a matter of conjecture. If their aim was to continue the story, their meek acceptance to end the story with the actor's exit can only mean the following things:
a) a deference to the voices that felt that the ARHI story had to have an ARHI end and not the continuation of one of the characters without the other....
b)an admission that replacing the actor with another for their iconic character was not a suitable decision given the stature of their current actor, the points brought home by the belligerent fandom but in equal measure by the stupendous response received at SPL
well, why did the medium and/or the maker take this long to come to the conclusion is hard to analyse, and i only have my guesses about it...
To me it only signals the utter lack of understanding by SP and/or maker (?)of the actual reach of IPK and the effect that their equally iconic pair brought to the serial.
If they had understood this, perhaps they would have worked on the story with better adherence to timelines/plots to greater satisfaction, considering they had almost 8-9 months to work out their schedules when the lead actor proposed to move out...ofc hindsight is 20_20 but i guess it may help them plan better in future...what are mistakes if not an opportunity to learn from them?
Sandy, I am not sure if it is always possible for GECs to work only on a start to end model...but i do think they must eschew the tendency to stretch a very gud thing even while wanting to carry on a funda of "why fix if it ain't broke?"
However, this is where the paid executives must be able to distinguish an IPKKND from a YRKKH. They are as diff from each other as chalk and cheese. I wonder how much attention do these executives pay to the enormous change happening in the way entertainment is perceived in today's times.
I also wanted to add that an actor leaving a show should ideally be of the least consequence in this business if tats the more the norm than the exception....which means that the GEC/makers were not properly planned on how this was to be tackled in manner of BAU...either becos they were out of bounds in understanding how this serial was diff in its placement or plain simple lazy in handling the exit in a more sensible manner.
DeleteI don't have much expectation of maturity from fandom simply becos its mostly a fickle thing...but even in its "fickledom", there could be some lessons for a GEC on how to manage its bus better
If the GEC has found a new market niche, i presume they also have some pulse of what that segment is about who knows they may stored the lessons of this adventure?
Sarada,
DeleteYes the channels especially Star is playing it safe. I have long given up on Zee. But Sony and Colors are trying and I guess someone somewhere needs to realize that the audience engages with some intelligence irrespective of age, vocation, education and other factors.
I was telling someone that with IPK, if the channel has at least realized that there is an actve audience for content based shows and a market for it, all the yelling and shouting did some good for us in the long run.
Now since I stated Kya Hua Tera Vadaa and you mentioned Pavitra Rishta (PV btw is the adaptation of a Tamil serial). There is also a gimmick here - when they start they have no end goal in mind so they air promos with the main actors. And many starts watching for them. So you actually et people to watch for teh actor and hope they stay for the character. Also the main banners in each case spoke of only one story and hence logically with that story gone it should end.
The other is to market the show solely on the catchprase. Then KHTV can be about Broken Promises - they can show it in the case of all the characters involved in varying degrees with different reactions as each is of diff beliefs, age and so on. Similarly Pavitra Rishta is about a pure relationship - pure is defined by them, but them without just the faces of 2 leads on it, it can have a wider scope and therefore actually be a lumping together of multiple short stories under one serial and longer running.
Something like the concept of Dus Kahaaniyaa...
In that vein if Iss Pyaar had not been marketed only as an intense love story but shades of love in relationships, it would have had a wider scope for storytelling and acceptance from audience. The highlight could still have been the ArHi story.
If I recall in the past, if Tamil TV said K Balachanders Jannal, it would be just the name of the serial. No leads tagged. And people tuned in solely because they believed the man to narrate a good story. I recall Kaialavu Manasu, Jennal, Premi. And oh yeah they used to play the title song fully each day even though not much big bucks were spent like today on them.
One of the Tamil serials which Istarted to follow and was disappointed was Chindambara Rahasyam - it started out to explore the uncharted world of Naadi shastra but then became plain dumbed down and too much who dunnit. Ofc had to have a romance angle there too *headd desk*
Similarly I recall one of Renuka Shahane from DD called Kora Kaagaz. It was a very moving story and so relevant to the times. They touched upon parental pressure, arranged marriage, extra marital affair, divorce, devar bhabhi attraction, an initial reluctance for a second marriage and finally a second marriage I think (I was very young and never understood some things in totality then but they left a memory).
Then there was Saaya I think with Achint Kaur and Shefali Chhaya which began well and then I have no memory. Saans too was very mature in its handlings of teh repurcussions as much as I recall.
And yeah I think 6 months is a gauge to see positive, break even or loss so a year seems a good enough timeframe overall. After that irrespective of actor and storyteller exhaustion I think, we shall have fatigue and want something new (IPK was an exception!! :))
Rekha
DeleteHow many today can claim to do this: the responsibility of an actor is to relay his character till the time he is on screen.nothing more nothing less
There was a time when specific actors were a draw to a serial bcos audiences expected them to deliver an impactful character (most names I think of seem to be theatre or Marathi stage personlaities)
And they actually used to repeact actor pairings in those days. I recall Pallavi Joshi and Vikram Gokhale in many Hindi serials of yore. But the serial hinged upon, story, dialogues and powerhouse deliveries.
Like I said below, the actors were the lure for the audience but it was the story and the performances that kept us glued. Anyone recall that serial on Sony Viruddh I think - it had so many good actors and actresses and began on a terrific note, had an intriguing story, every week a new turn itno a story we felt was mostky there but then it was pulled off suddenly I think.
But somewhere these very channels have tried to lure and keep audiences glued only for the actors. People watch a chow for a particular actor or actress. IPK after a long time IMO actually made us watch for the characters. And it takes a special kind of actor who makes you see the character beyong himself.
I think Dia was saying that AB and Naseeruddin Shah have in that manner played multiple roles and it is the character that remains with you and not the actor. I dont see DABh regularly but the character of Suraj seems realistic compared to most others.
Now if it is because audiences only want to watch some chillax entertainemnt or they watch it because they have not much option I dunno. But there was a time I think TV became serious and then someone came up with this entertainment for only entertainment sake and then everyone followed. Perhaps it is time for the channels to sit back and review if entertainment could alos mean sincerely thought provoking. There are enough instances around and they will never be immediately profitable.
I sincerely hope TV channels would make a better effort to study the audiences that like their various serials and how they may or may not be proportionate to the TRPs and also liek you said
"eschew the tendency to stretch a very gud thing even while wanting to carry on a funda of "why fix if it ain't broke?"
stretching it or not - will have to be the call of the storyteller and if they say done then I guess done!
My take on this. I am quoting Rekh here.
Delete'However by deciding against it, to me the medium and maker signaled :
A tacit acceptance tat the actor in this case has brought such significance to his character that without him, the story cannot go on. this is unprecedented and whichever way we look at it, i would call it a feather in the cap of the actor.'
I think what happened to IPK was an EXCEPTION. To me, IPK = Arhi= Sarun. I think that was how the story was conceived.
When I look from the maker's POV, this is what I feel .(I agree that they should have given a proper closure to the story in the 2 months of Barun's notice.) I go back to the PH's confession at the end of Geet- 'no one wants to kill a cash- cow'. And I will not hold that decision against them. That is probably the only business sense they have got! But they need at least that much.
Sanaya and Barun who were closest to the story, felt that IPK could go on without Barun...they both emphasised on the power of the script writer. For me the very fact that Sanaya did not request the PH to close the show down and was upset about the shutdown, proves a major thing...faith in the story teller.
And me as a viewer would have applauded the decision in any other serial, with any other actor...not in IPK...Not with Barun, not with Sanaya.
I don't think we will see this kind of response on any other serial...this was simply a once in a lifetime kind of thing.
There will be many more Gia Maneks and KSGs...none of them will receive the special treatment Barun got. I will agree to one thing. Indian telly might slowly wake up to the fact that they are over working their actors...which should bring about the change all of you are talking about. I hope so too.
Su,
DeleteI respect your POV. But as a friend, I ask you to go back to that equation you wrote.
IPK = ArHi = SaRun
1st IPK = ArHi
2nd ArHi = SaRun and hence IPK = SaRun
The first equal to is the most important. The second a bonus, an added incentive but without the first the second will not have much.
Yes they may have given tacit agreement for the second; but no one has owned up for the loss of IPK = ArHi. Because since Jun/Jul this year it was somehow in a way about various individual actors and not the characters of IPKKND.
Of your 2 legs if one is already missing, the loss of the second would inevitably prove fatal.
Sandy,
DeleteI don't for a moment support the PH blindly.
Yes, they FALTERED...according to many from the time of hate marriage.
(To me it was a bumpy ride from whenever I watched...even when I go back to the old epis I find perfection only in diwali and Payash marriage scenes...simply my own perspective. But it was the most beautiful ride still and for that I applaud the whole team- Sarun and the creatives.)
Why did IPK= Sarun happen?
Who gave the actors the cult status?
Who screamed - 'give us more Arhi...'
Who could not bear to live without Barun during the kidnap drama?
Who bashed the Cvs everytime they tried to take the story away from Arhi- read- 1.create a rift through dadi efect of BFTP 2. Anjali's insecurity post kidnap.
There was a story in all those subplots...much more than Masala mamu and Babli. Who did not want all these and demanded they stick with Arhi?
If fandom had not bashed the story teller and killed their confidence and screamed for a remarriage NOW, we would have had a more lovable and real Arhi. Ofc, even then, only till Barun stayed on.
Sarun= Arhi became the boon and the bane of the show- and I DON"T FOR A MOMENT REGRET THAT. I don't think Sanaya does too. Barun will probably realise it much later.
This is where I find my relief:
We all agree that a show like IPK can run only for a short period. That is exactly what happened. Fandom got a concentrated Arhi.(I am not defending the PH on wasting Payash...pure lack of creativity there.).
The concentrated Arhi story had run its course. And the end was due. That it happened like this- is a lesson for all parties involved.
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3271324
A post that kind of explains my POV.
I repeat, I am not saying the creative team is blameless. But we put them under a lot of pressure- when they gave us better stuff than DABH or Behna. And look at their fandom- they appreciate every minute sneeze.(LOL. Agree with you that I cannot compare the target audience.Somehow, I feel our expectations were a bit too much. They did give us a lot of beautiful stuff post hate marriage- holi, HR,hut scene, haldi,farmhouse...remarriage...it was still the only thing that had me hooked on to TV.)
So I'll continue to hold on to the happy memories. *hugs*
Sorry if I went sligfhtly overboard here.
DeleteMy point is, fandom wouldn't tolerate any Arhi separation under any pretext. It had to be Arhi TOGETHER- bringing down Shyam, and FOREVER TOGETHER. That is exactly what we got. With Arhi separated there could have been beautiful character growth- a proper RTR to Arnav. Arhi revisiting their past...all this was indicated...I am not going only by Doods..I don't sgree with her all the time. But there is no doubt that the Arhi remarriage was not supposed to happen NOW. The CVs were bullied in to it. And once you have ARhi TOGETHER, what more story do you have to tell. Might as well sit and watch YRKKH. NO wonder Gul lost interest in IPK.
Ofc, Barun made it easier for every one to accept the end of the show. IPK ending would have been hard to take- this sudden death - this unforeseen ending was probably befitting this epic show. Even when it ended, it did not go down with a whimpre...it CREATED HISTORY...which will probably never be repeated. I don't think any other show wil be pulled off air like this...UNBELIEVABLE! (LOL. For sometime even my hubby wouldn't accept IPK ended. He thought it was unlikely for a soap to end like that.He thought I was pulling his leg. The longest he watched IPK was when the disclaimer came- he went near the screen, read it and there was not one word after that. That was the power of the sudden kill- IT SILENCED EVEN THE BIGGEST CRITIC OF THE SHOW.)
Sandy, thanks for such a great and very well thought out post. I will come back to reply to some of your points in more detail ...
ReplyDeleteJust a few more thoughts ...
We did have some very good shows in the past based on short stories on Hindi telly too ... Malgudi Days was one I loved. Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi was a sit-com ... each episode was complete in itself. Buniyaad, Nukkad and Hum Log were among the first long running shows, and they were very good in their own right. I don't think when they started, their ending was already envisaged and chalked out. In fact when they started, they were experiments in themselves, they were the pioneers of Indian soaps. Because they succeeded, others came in.
To paint all shows with the same brush is short-sighted in my view. I agree with Rekha on that one. YRKKH is a family drama, I have watched many episodes, and in my experience, it takes up different tracks one after the other, of problems which can beset any regular household. They don't have any dark villains or dashing heroes, they have normal (if slightly boring!) characters, and normal problems. I think that is one of the reasons for the success of the show, that people can relate to many of the issues shown. Not everyone has a witch for a MIL, but most girls have adjustment problems in their new homes. Some girls go from more conservative to less conservative homes, some from less to more ... both sides were shown in YRK. I could relate myself or various family members in many situations. I even watched a few episodes now and then, they were watchable. Now I find it dragging.
Similarly with BV, the initial couple of years showed Anandi dealing with actual problems in her village, educating women, adult education, then questioning legality of child marriages, a divorced girl's remarriage ... as long as the tracks are well-written, and people can relate to them, then the show will have an audience. I find BV preachy, but I can't deny that it tackled some real issues in a very good way. The feminist in me liked the concept, even though I couldn't sit and watch most of it! But if it propagated adult education and women's education in smaller towns, then I'm all for it.
A comment on the audience. Can you say there is one Indian telly audience today? TV has a huge reach in India, and it's getting bigger and bigger and more people can afford TV sets. At the same time, the Indian audience outside India has suddenly expended tremendously. There was a time when Indians abroad struggled to fit in with the local population. Now with the growing clout of India worldwide, they are proud of their Indianness, and even flaunt it. Bollywood is popular worldwide among non-Indian audinces as well as Indian ones. But is the audience who watches a DABH and BV the same as the one who watches an IPK or Behna? Is the audience sitting in a village or small town in Bihar or Rajasthan the same as the audience sitting in New York or Southall in London ... or in Hong Kong Singapore?
So again, the CV's have to cater for all audiences, and therefore there will always be a variety of shows on air. And they SHOULD BE. I don't watch DABH, but that doesn't give me the right to pull it off air because I can't relate to it. There are people who do watch it and relate to it ... and don't watch IPK. It takes all sorts.
Dia,
DeleteDifferent brushstrokes is the base!
I was thinking and realized when there was only DD - it catered to so many types, fiction, music, movies, news, documentary, short story, religious, regional language and so on.
Then came more channels dealing with specific content. Today Star themselves have Star Plus, Star Utsav, ABP News, Channel V, Star Gold, I think a music channel too and so on. So they had broken the content shown on a single channel and categorized it and opened up news channels for each type seemingly. Now perhaps with the competition, a consolidation is in the works again.
IPK was an experiment or just a chance discovery where a love story with enough family elements to highlight relationships was shown on Star Plus.
I agree audiences cannot be painted in one stroke and there should be something for all within the channel but they should be treated differently storywise depending on the audience they think they will catre too without messing original premise.
The thing is with most shows I hate how they are fence sitters when it comes to actual narration. They want to show the thinking of people breaking up moving on but then go back to all back to hunky dory patch ups which is irritable because life like that rahim doha is about knots more than joins. Relationships crack, but are joined but the crakc are there like battle scars. So people's reaction changes not their essence.
Colors by far I have seen a mix. They are a Viacom 18 channel and they seem closest to GEC - reality shows, issue based long running shows like BV, one Ekta show which she alone knows and understands, now MB in romance and a smattering of others. They also once aired Mukti Bandhan - a novel based story and I liked how they kept the chracters intact tho the actors were ok. But it was a good story though never popular or high on TRP.Fixed no of epis because close ended storyline.
I am ok with the variety what I am not ok with I guess is the same process to run all of them or measure their success. For e.g. measuring feedback or success for a Bena or IPK should be diff from a BV and DABH. Like you said with growing interest in Indian telly from non Indian audiences, will they open a new channel altogether or would they attempt to set aside slots in the channel to cater to a slightly different taste. Alternatively like I said, on same channel, diff shows for Indian and non Indian audiences at teh same time. Which is not so fair bcos I know the metro Indian within an age bracket would be open to seeing better content. So how do channels peg audiences?
Fixed timeline for a story again it is not a one size fits all. I think safely for issue based stories 18 months is a good vision while for topic based like Kya Huaa or IPK 6 to 9 months is a good timeframe to ensure content is well paced. And definitely a better view about coming back with Seasons like outside India under the same name or a different name as deemed fit.
Oh and can we please have a better show success measurement system? In a recent IF post understood that UK records TRP too for Indian shows to gauge success in UK audience. Very interesting.
Then again, while we agree that it's not a one size fits all, but how do we decide ... or the channel or PH decide ... how long is that ideal time frame, whether it be for issue-based shows or or story-based shows? Do they carry on as long as they feel they have something to show and a story to tell? Or should they all be like the YR shows which came in with a pre-determined number of episodes? And if a show is popular, and audience demands that it continue, then should they stick to that number or extend the show?
DeleteWhat if an actor wants to leave midway - as Barun did in February? He did again in September, and this time stuck to his decision. Audience reaction was to demand the end of the show now ... and the channel obliged. Should the channel have taken the same step in February and allowed Barun to leave and the show to wind up? Instead of letting it go on for six months and become a mess with the actor and the PH clearly losing interest in carrying on?
If one actor leaves the show voluntarily, should the rest of the cast and crew also lose their jobs, through no fault of their own?
If we go by the adage that 'consumer is king', then the decision should be based on consumer feedback. But we do know that TRP's were not only skewed, but also were prone to 'fixing' ... so what other feedback? Should emails and phone calls count as feedback? We know that some shows were extended on popular demand, and in other shows, popular actors were brought back on popular demand ... where did this popular demand come from? Right from the days of Mihir and Kyunki Saas ... I don't know if there were emails and net spamming those days! Or was it all based on phone calls and letters to the channel.
Seasons for shows is something that should be considered. At least seasonal breaks should be put into place. Revenge was on a break for Thanksgiving, and most Western shows have Christmas breaks, while Indian telly shows go on all year round without any breaks, added to which the actors are expected to do extra shows for Diwali and various award functions that come up. While some of the actors who perform are those who don't have shows running (like Shaleen, Sanjeeda recently), but most actors perform while churning out their own daily episodes without a break.
Hopefully the new TRP's when they return might provide a better gauge of popularity, as compared to the previous ones which were based on a grand total of 6000 homes all over India.
Dia,
DeleteWe may not have the know how but the channels and PH will have statistics to tell them what is a reasonable time frame given how wide or narrow the scope of their story is.
At least a love story is and they lived happily ever after (together in life or death, take your pick). So once you hit it, you anyways are wrapping up. But given the total numebr of characters in the story, if you need to do justice to all, estimate a min 2 month to set up the entire cast, then 2 weeks per story plot highlighting a set of characters, you approx have a timeline in sight give or take from a storytelling perspective from the onset.
Overwork, leave, banking epis, performing for additional shows, etc. will be HR issues unless there is a near uniformity of regulation brought across the industry to govern channels and PH alike. Perhaps we are not at that level of maturity yet.
As for consumer feedback, forget TRPs, why did they not listen to genuine feedback in the past as far back as Feb / Mar about balancing the story overall.
On the tail end of the analysis again and probably repeating what you all have already discussed. Bear with me as I try to articulate my thoughts:
ReplyDelete1) As a viewer outside of India, my biggest gripe about Indian TV was it's approach of one size fits all. You either have a choice of daily soap or reality shows. IPKKND was different not only because of the story line but also because it didn't spoon feed it's audience. Everything was not explained through monologues or a third actor viewpoint. It left some to the audience imagination/ intelligence.
2) Not every storyline can be a daily show. Storylines that have multiple families and 15 odd characters can be a daily show but not a show with two families and 8-10 characters. I am still surprised that SP didn't try a different medium with this show. Maybe the storyline itself was a departure from them.
3)Dia, to your point of Western shows and seasons, even Western shows are laid out in a manner that allow audiences to flick back and forth but then each season has an underlying theme. And if that underlying theme is interesting, audiences will stick to the show for that season - example Friends, MASH, Big Bang theory etc. And then there are shows that follow an actual plot - definitely non routine - such as Lost, Mad Men, Downtown Abbey. This is something that Doordarshan handled very well - Trishna, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, and Buniyaad (or Hum Log, I forget) all aired at the same time. It sill baffles me that Indian TV 20 years ago (withe one channel) was more versatile than today.
4) Lastly, SP=Fox=Rupert Murdoch=business sense (or at least I would like to believe so). As you've all said, SP gains more by keeping BS on the payroll. Get him to anchor something, be a guest on something else and they will have the meters running. I am thinking that the ending of the show and the sticker was a message to other actors - we support our actors with ambitions! When competing with so many other channels for actors, is SP finally on the verge of realizing that they need to think of more fixed timeline shows or smaller timelines to allow actors to move between BW and TV?
Finally, read that Sanaya and Mohit were coming on NB5 and possibly Barun, not with wifey but some other actress.
Isha
Doordarshan did very well for a long time, I completely agree. In fact I feel the plethora of tv channels and the race for TRP's has ruined the quality of content today. Most of the shows are indistinguishable from one another at first glance, if you flick through channels, the same gaudily dressed women, the same grand houses with curving staircases, the same vamps and villains ... two types of heroines, either silent self-sacrificing, shedding copious tears, or loud and bubbly - read rude and obnoxious.
DeleteVery true, Western shows had a theme for each season, hence even though they came back year after year, they were able to provide some freshness, because they had a new theme every time. Again, some shows did better than others even in that ... my daughter used to watch One Tree Hill and OC devotedly - those were her first two 'adult' shows, but I don't think either lasted more than 3-4 seasons. Again, I think it boils down to audience response.
There was one character in one of the shows who was killed off, my daughter was blase about it, although it was her favorite character. When I asked why, she blithely told me, Mom, that girl has been through everything, she's fallen in love, had an affair, been kidnapped, had an accident, memory loss, cancer ... there's nothing else that can happen to her! They had to kill her!
I had to laugh at that one!
Trishna was based on P&P ... I think it wound up when the story finished.
SP allowing their actors to move between BW and TV ... I doubt it for the simple reason that an actor like BS and a show like IPKKND happen once in a blue moon. This closure was unprecedented ... am sure SP will go through a lot of self-searching as to whether it was the right decision or not, whether it could have been handled better (no two ways on that one!) and what they could have done to pre-empt the abruptness of the closure. It's put SP in a bad light more than anything else. Other actors do move between BW and TV, bigger names than Barun Sobti - Ram Kapoor and Ronit Roy are two recent ones who have been in a very successful movie recently, and yet keep their commitments to their TV shows. Ram Kapoor has a lot of BD's though - have seen complaints on the BALH forum as well. So the shuttling comes at a price - for the viewers.
Personally I'd rather watch a show where the actors are committed to the show. Yes, the timings and the work hours need some serious adjustments ... but while an actor is on a show, he/she should stay committed to it. If he wants a break, let him opt out, SAY THAT HE IS OPTING OUT and return in the next season. Or next show. As a viewer, I can demand that much. Let the PH then come up with a track that doesn't require the actor.
Sanaya and Mohit are not coming on NB5, neither is Barun - the final list has been released by TellyBuzz.
Isha,
DeleteSame pinch on the thot that the DD of yore seemed to have more versatality than the supposedly varied TV of today.
The non stop 24 hour beaming is allowing a lot of noise to pass through IMO.
Dia,
A qn - is it fair to say that an actor / actress who stays till the end of the show is "committed" when its possibly due to;
a) perhaps does not harbour the need to work in a medium other than TV like movies, stage, theatre, etc.
b) possibly prefers the security of a known team in terms of channel and/or PH so a conflict of interest does not arise
c) possibly does not get an offer of liking in that duration and chooses to mask it as committment
Request: I do not watt to discuss the context of BS leave and committment because I look at it as a doctor needing to fix a fractured bone and make sure it sets well not break it all the way. So, please let us just agree to disagree.
Sandy,
DeleteAnswer to your question - I think it is fair to call them committed. The possibilities you mentioned - Entirely possible. Probable? I don't know.
I will mainly discuss in terms of Sanaya because I have followed her for the last three years or so, so I know to some extent what I'm talking about.
She has done ads with actors like Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra among others (these are the two I remember), music videos with artists like Jagjit Singh, and a film with artists like Kajol and Aamir Khan.
She felt short-changed in her movie role, she had shot far more than what eventually aired, and she found BW too dirty for her taste.
Hence she has experienced a number of media already. She has opted for TV consciously, and made it her career.
When she decided on TV, she struggled a lot because of her looks, being rejected for roles because she looked too non-Indian.
So she had plenty of choices, she tried lots of avenues, did well in some, not so well in others, and then made a decision, and has stuck to it.
She did MJHT, her first leading role after two supporting roles in LRL and Radha Ki Betiyaan ... she was grateful to Nissar for casting her as Gunjan, when everyone, including she herself doubted her ability to do the role - Gunjan was a complete opposite of Sanaya in terms of personality. IPK was her second show with the same PH, or rather, with some of the people - she worked with Nissar and Gautam Hegde in MJHT, not with Gul. Gul was never associated with MJHT as far as I know.
After MJHT, she chose to shift to SP, rather than stay with the PH, but when she had the option of Jeevika or Khushi, she chose Khushi. Her commitment is to the channel, not to the PH. She chose the PH when offered the choice by the channel.
Regarding getting other offers, I doubt that ANY of the IPK actors are in such a position today that they are not being offered any other roles to their liking. IPK has done that much for them. Abhaas has already accepted an offer. Sanaya is already working on something new barely a week after IPK has wrapped up. Mama is working on another show since ages (I think Mahadev?), he left IPK for that, Mami was always concomitantly working on Mrs Kaushik. Jayshree T - this is the third show I have seen her in, in quick succession - I didn't follow the first two, but I noticed her there. From all these examples, it's clear they were getting offers both before and during IPK, some accepted and left - Mama, some accepted and managed both - Mami, some waited till their role in IPK got over - Abhaas, some stayed on board IPK till the show go over - Jayshreeji, Sanaya, Mami, Daljeet, and were prepared to stay on as long as the show was on air. And of course, Akshay and Deepali also made their choice, their roles were effectively over so they opted out. They all made their individual choices, as they were entitled to do. Maybe for some of them, a good working environment and friendly cast and crew was more important than anything else, while for others, work satisfaction took precedence. Their choice.
Do some actors stay on board their shows because of one or more of the reasons you've mentioned? Quite possible ... but then we hear everyday of actors leaving their shows for various reasons too. Some of the reasons are detailed in the article I quoted in the main post. By and large, I think most TV actors who are in it for the long haul, stay with their shows till the end, at least the majority do. Or at least till their tracks wind up. I remember Gaurav from Maryada left quite abruptly because he felt he had nothing more to do in the show. His character was sent off to US, and his wife stayed on in the show.
Sandy,
Delete'I look at it as a doctor needing to fix a fractured bone':
Now I get your perspective.
What if the bone that was fractured was the spine?
The show'd be a paraplegic forever. Arhi was the spine of the show- was always intended to be.
There was no way the show was surviving if either Sanaya or Barun chose to leave.
I say this because one of my constant fears once I realised how good Sarun was, was that Sanaya'd move on if she got a film offer. I really thought she'd be the one to get the offer and not Barun. Once MAMR happened, I knew it was only a matter of time before something else came up. I knew that bollywood was not going to leave IPK alone in peace.
Dia,
DeleteI was generally wondering about how teh terms affinity, compulsion or choice could be swapped with committment while they should not be.
Thanks for that insight on SI. I respect that SI seems particular about her role and the kind of character she is expected to play and enjoys having a good relationship with the the rest of the cast and crew. So she will choose well in future and do justice within the bounds of her present employer that is Star.
Su,
The day the show became about BS and SI was the day the spine called ArHi frst cracked. Since then paraplegia was a matter of time.
I respect both your views but mine differ a bit and so I have agreed to disagree :)
Dia, psarada,
ReplyDeleteA contract is a contract. I agree.
It is a security both ways. For the employer it ensures the employee stays and for the employee there is a guarantee of a steady income.
If there is one thing I have realised from the whole drama and the various ivs, it is this.
Barun does not need the security of the contract. In fact, it is more like a burden for a guy who wanted to move on as early as feb itself and stayed back not just for the money. (I think a big factor was the good naturedness too- they were all friends and were having a good time and also his indecisiveness.)For a man like that, a contract is like a bonded labour.
I think Barun finds his security in his confidence in his talent. He was aware of it way back in feb when he was probably flooded with a lot of offers.I have been a fan of Ram Kapoor and recently of KSG too- I find him a very good actor. BUt Barun is different, I feel. He has greater things written for him if he makes the right choices...I think/ hope he will go for characters that have been written well, like ASR.
Even as I like KSG, I was thinking recently if it'd have been better if Gul cast him as ASR (he was one of the options)- the show would have lasted longer- my answer is no. No one could have played ASR the way Barun did...he was simply amazing.
And if the PH did not push for a contract, it does not speak much for their business sense. I guess they are creative people first, and businessmen last. Even in feb, when Barun wanted to leave, I think it'd have been SP that forced him to stay (def SP was involved). I don't think the PH would've pressurised him to stay.Gul simply believes that if a person wants to move on there is no point in holding him back.
My question is, when SP was involved in feb, why did they not ensure that the actor will stay for the entire period- there is mismanagement on SP's part too, I believe.
Su,
DeleteAs far as I make out this Feb quitting thing I think Barun wanted to be true to one thing - either his serial or the movie MAMR and hence he wanted to quit. His contract was with PH for 1 yr till May and hence MAMR it seems went on floors only after May even though Barun okayed it in Feb. My feeling is that Barun wanted to quit when the serial was at its heights and go on and do the movie and see where it takes him. But by that time SP got aware of his popularity in the SPA awards and they pressurized them to stay on. So he extended the contract for 6 more months and also did chip in for his part in the show. It is not a matter of Barun losing interest. Rather I think he decided to quit at the high point because he felt someone else can take it up from there and he can move on. But the point is by that time ASR was made iconic by Barun's portrayal and the channel was not ready to replace him.
So now comes the extension part. Gul knew that the lead was with him for 6 months. My gripe with the PH is that after Barun came back they could have taken the show on high road and closed off all the loops and effectively would have given this serial a good note and closed it. Rather than doing that, the PH completely lost the focus and kept on dishing stupid tracks one after the other thereby making the actors and the creative team completely pissed off. I can understand Barun quitting maybe he got completely burnt out with the movie and the show and the show was becoming borderline stupid and ASR's character was slowly being butchered. ASR walking out over Khushi and going with Sheetal would have been complete murder of this iconic character. I am glad that even though this was initial plan of Gul, this didn't get showed on the show. What I don't understand is why did the creative team quit - everyone from Ved Raj to Janaki and Gautam quit - Why would the creative team quit ? they are not the ones who got burnt out due to acting.
So here I fault the PH for not able to keep the team in order and keeping the show running. The PH didn't had any plan on how to take this show ahead. And the last straw I felt was Gul's idea of breaking up Arnav-Khushi and making them moving on with 2 different people. If Barun quit, there were so many ways they could have taken the show forward - leap with Sanaya playing the daughter of Arnav - Khushi and getting a new love story for her. That would have given the serial lifeline for 6-8 months. That is why I blame the PH more than anyone in this whole mess. They had lot of chances to close the show on high note and even with Barun out they could have taken the show on a different level all together if they so wanted. All this talk of being shortchanged by Barun and the channel is complete bullshit according to me.
psarada,
DeleteI have no idea what Gul was planning.
I have read about the accident scene being shot, but I don't know if it was supposed to finish off ASR once and for all. If that were so, why did Barun talk about an indefinite break? Why was it not quitting? Does that mean he was lying to us? And even Sanaya saud Barun was taking a break. I firmly believe Barun was supposed to be back after his indefinite break, at least till mid- nov.
If this is the impression Gul got, she must have tried to work in something...either let ASR leave with Sheetal and return later or ASR's body not found in the accident...some sort of a loop would have been left behind. Even then, I don't think fandom would have accepted an IPK minus Arnav..we were all irritated with the kidnap itself.
Why did SP not intervene then and give Gul exactly one month to plan the end? Afterall, their creative team knew all about this too, and the reins are in their hands at the end of the day.
Read Dia's new link to San's new iv with IF member...we need to stop looking for reasons. If we want to believe there was a fight, let it be.
If we believe that it was just an unjust end to a beautiful thing- let that be.
Like San said, Gul or Sanaya or Rajan or Barun don't need to come out with explanations any more. They have all told us the same thing over and over again...even Akshay after he left said he had nothing against the PH. (He left because the creative team had nothing to offer for his character.). I did not know Ved Raj had left. Evidently the creative team had a lot of interference from many quarters. And once Barun's leave hung like the sword of Damocles...many of them lost it, as evident by the Barun bashing the spoiler devis started. Then it was about retaining the character...total mayhem. I am not going to make any inference from people's behaviour when they were hit with devastating news. Some quit, some bashed, some pleaded...I sympathise with all of them.
Su,
DeleteI think time has come for me to be in AD fully and with books more preferably. Read an article on IF which I am not sure how far it is true but I have come to the conclusion that Indian TV is not made for intelligent audience. If we want some intelligent drama better stick to novels(get finished with specific duration) or stick with English shows. That is what I am going to do now till either Sanaya or barun come in new shows - separate or together. Like Sanaya said IPK is a done deal. No point in thinking about it. But alas, dil hai ki manta nahi. And to rub salt in my wounds the telugu version of IPK is now running the Diwali 2011 - the point where this serial was something different, something magical. Seeing that I am feeling literally bad that the serial ended so bad. Actually I plan to see the Telugu version till the hate marriage and then I am going to call it quits all together. Hopefully by that time I will get something else to catch my eye and I will enjoy it.
Sarada,
DeleteSo effectively you are saying that once Barun decided to leave, after graciously agreeing to stay on for six extra months, the PH and channel should have decided to close the show and acted accordingly.
That is the entire crux of the argument that I don't agree with. You CANNOT hold the entire cast and crew of a show ransom to the personal ambitions of one person, no matter how popular that person is. Especially when the show itself continued to be popular.
I will agree though, that SP and PH should have realised the popularity and the USP of the show is Arhi, and wound up the CHARACTERS ARNAV AND KHUSHI ... But again we have no idea what they were actually planning to do.
Did Barun actually want a break, not to quit, as he, Sanaya and Gul have repeatedly been saying? Or did he opt out for movies, as SP is saying? Did Gul keep the accident scenario in order to keep space for Barun's re-entry ... while SP was insisting belatedly that the show has to go on without Barun but with ASR? Which they should have done in Feb itself, when Barun first wanted to leave?
Or were they planning Arnav dying, Khushi giving birth to baby Khushi and then dying to join Arnav, and then a leap?
WE WILL NEVER KNOW. And I think the biggest mistake they made was to not give the viewers that reassurance.
Hence it's best we stop the speculations and blame game ... the calls to retain Barun failed to take into consideration the MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR - BARUN DID NOT WANT TO BE RETAINED.
Agree with Su, there were a lot of factors at work here, we don't know them all, we know very little in fact. Hence no point pointing fingers. Even Sanaya and Rajan, who definitely between them know far more than any of us do about what actually happened behind the scenes, are not pointing fingers, they have said it's best we put it all behind us, as they obviously have.
Sanaya is already in talks for something new, Rajan is still discussing bringing Barun and Sanaya to the US for more live appearances, the main cast is all on good terms with the PH, as evidenced by the farewell snaps ... Akshay, Deepali, Shyam were all there ... so obviously they don't bear any major grudges against the PH. This is show biz ... no permanent enemies, but they do seem to have made some good friendships. Let's hope they all keep it that way - for them it's their bread and butter, for us, it's just entertainment.
Dia,
DeleteI will agree though, that SP and PH should have realised the popularity and the USP of the show is Arhi, and wound up the CHARACTERS ARNAV AND KHUSHI
This is my argument too. They should have wound up the characters Arnav and Khushi and should have moved on if they wanted the show to last. Given that the show was supposed to breathe off within 3 months, I have no idea what they the creatives wanted to show for the last 3 months. Anyway one thing I have learned with this show is 'Ignorance is bliss' and had I been ignorant to the all offscreen drama that the serial had going on since sept, I think I would have by now done by goodbyes with this show. Next time onwards I am not going to analyze and be attached to any show this much. Well as soon as I get over this serial ending which doesn't seem anytime in near future given that the telugu version is now actually on the Diwali time.
And hopefully all the cast do get good roles and come in good shows. I am also waiting for new show of Sanaya hopefully which we will know by next 1-2 months.