pallavi joshi

“Inspite of JCPK people are watching Hamare Tumhare”

After Alpviram you disappeared for a while. Now you’re back in Hamare Tumhare. What prompted the long gap?
First of all, let me tell you that it was during the making of Alpviram that I got pregnant. All the scenes in the serial where I was shown to be pregnant were real (laughs). After I delivered my daughter I stopped working for a while. Also, if you have noticed, I love to work in issue-based programmes and am not very keen on doing family dramas. In fact, last September, I had shot for a serial Dil Pukare which was being made by the Alpviram team Vipul Shah and Shobana Desai. The serial was approved by Star Plus in November and consequently we shot around 12 episodes. After that there’s been no news about the serial. Looks like the channel’s got more interested in saas bahu dramas which have started gaining popularity. Dil Pukare being a issue-based serial, probably, isn’t what the channel is looking for. Also, now-a-days the channel seems to be more interested in dailies rather than weeklies. Dil Pukare is a weekly and probably that’s another reason for it being stalled at the moment.

How did Hamare Tumhare happen? It’s not an issue-based serial but a routine family drama...
True. But there was something about the subject of Hamare Tumhare that appealed to me. After director Rajan Shahi narrated the story, it remained with me for a long time. It’s a family drama that deals with relationships, specially between two sisters. I play a lovey-dovey, romantic character in the serial which I have never done before. So, I thought I’d give it a try. Also, Hamare Tumhare happened when we had stopped shooting for Dil Pukare. Rajan and I were also supposed to do a serial long time ago. We had shot a few episodes of a serial that didn’t take off. So when Rajan offered me this role I readily took it up.

Zee has pitted the serial against a gameshow on a rival channel. How do you expect to lure viewers who’d rather watch somebody making money?
Frankly, I’m a little sceptical about this, myself. In fact, when the second episode of Hamare Tumhare was to be telecast, I saw an ad announcing that the serial would be telecast at 7.30 pm instead of 8 pm because of the Zee technical awards. I was wondering what would happen to the serial if such things are going to happen. Fortunately, it was telecast at 8 pm only.
But people who’ve watched the serial say they’ve liked it. At least, it shows that inspite of Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke, people have switched onto Zee at that time. I guess the reason why Zee has slotted Hamare Tumhare at 8 pm is because it wants to establish the Sunday slot with a well-made serial. I hope we’re successful or we may end up becoming the guinea pigs.

Besides Hamare Tumhare, are you doing any other serial?
Not at the moment. I had shot for a few pilot episodes but one doesn’t know the fate of those. Besides, I am busy with my production. I am producing two programmes, Irshaad a musical show and Ijazat, a serial for UTN. I am also producing Marathi plays for Alpha Marathi. The plays that have already been aired are Hasat Hasat Phasavuni and Phulacha Sugandh Matila. Even this market has become tight because the rights for most of the plays have already been sold. The Marathi theatre is very much in demand and having been associated with Marathi plays earlier, I am proud of it, though the competition is stiff.

You had produced Arohan, a serial based on the navy. Aren’t you producing any more Hindi serials?
As of now, there are no such plans, though I have a couple of subjects in mind. I don’t have the time to run around the channels to get my serial approved. When I did Arohan I was young and had the time and energy to visit Mandi House. Now, DD has become a little inaccessible for me. As for the private channels, they are interested only in Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi type of serials or those that are heart-wrenching tear-jerkers. I am hoping that the bubble will burst one day and channels will again go for different kinds of serials.

To what extent are you involved in your husband Vivek Agnihotri’s project POW for Zee?
POW is basically Vivek’s idea. It’s a game show where a given number of people (the number is not decided yet) will be taken to a place from where they have to escape. Whoever makes good their escape will be given a prize. The intricate details have to be worked out but it’s a 50:50 venture between us and Zee. I am involved in the creative part of producing the show.

Chaya Unnikrishnan

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