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Are camps emerging in Tellyland too?
For
Mahesh
Thakur’s
replacement I suggested three names to Zee and they gave me the freedom to
choose the actor of my choice depending upon
his price and availability. I too had heard that other
channels try to force actors
of their choice
on producers - Gulshan Sachdeva
The matter is not as white as it is made out to be. And it is neither as
black as it appears. But definitely, there are shades of grey to it. When
I made Mahayagya for Sony, I didn’t face any problem during the
serial’s two-year run. The channel never insisted that I should cast
any 
particular
actor - Anil Chowdhary
I have never had any problem with Zee as far as
casting is concerned. I had always done the casting in consultation with
Zee’s programming team. And I won’t call it interference at all
as it’s a mutual decision. I believe that the channel also has to have
a certain say in the matter as they wouldn’t want to repeat an actor
or actress - Raman Kumar
I
would
call it
positive contribution. Since we are the actual
producers, I personally sit on the casting.
But it is finalised mutually between the channel and the producer. The reason
for giving utmost importance to casting is that it is
important to see that rigth actor is cast in right
role - Raveena Kohli
In the good old Doordarshan days, when DD was the only channel of entertainment, makers of television serials had all the freedom to cast actors of their choice. Of course the casting was done on the basis of the actors’ suitability to the characters besides the maker’s personal rapport with a certain actor or actress.
However, with television entertainment going beyond Doordarshan with the satellite channel boom resulting in cut-throat competition and channel rivalry, the makers now have very little say in finalising the star cast of their projects. It is the channels who are calling the shots and have the last word in the matter. In fact, the matter has reached such heights that the channels have started blacklisting those actors who are frequently seen on the rival channels.
While it is an open secret that the satellite channels have the final say as regards the cast and the producers have to get the starcast approved before going ahead with the shoot, the programming head honchos of the channels deny that theirs is the final word. And so also say the makers for obvious reasons. “There is absolutely no bulldozing,” says producer-director Raman Kumar who has so far made five shows for Zee and currently has Raahein and Agnichakra on Zee airwaves.
“I have never had any problem with Zee as far as casting is concerned,” he clarifies further. But he admits that for all his projects after their approval at the concept level, he has done the casting in consultation with Zee’s programming team. “And I won’t call it interference at all because it’s a mutual decision. I believe that the channel also has to have a certain say in the matter because they wouldn’t want to repeat an actor or actress who already has four shows on air on the same channel. Any matter decided mutually is the best solution to avoid any disagreement or dispute at a later stage.”
While Raman denies that Zee takes a rigid stand as regards casting, he says he has heard that other channels interfere a lot. So also says Gulshan Sachdeva, the maker of Aap Ki Adalat, Zanjeerein and Lakeeren for Zee. “They do suggest,” admits Sachdeva, adding, “but the final decision is that of the producer.” As an example, Sachdev cites the case of Mahesh Thakur whom he had to drop from Lakeeren when the actor demanded a steep hike in his price. “For Mahesh’s replacement I suggested three names to Zee and they gave me the freedom to choose the actor of my choice depending upon his price and availability,” he explains further. But Sachdeva says he has also heard that other channels try to force actors of their choice on producers.
“It is not as white as it is made out to be,” clarifies producer-director Anil Chowdhary. “And it is neither as black as it appears. But definitely, there are shades of grey to it.” Chowdhary says when he made Mahayagya for Sony, he didn’t face any problem during the serial’s two-year run during which period several actors came and went in supporting roles. “But the channel never insisted that I should cast any particular actor. “It was only once that they suggested Ashutosh Rana’s name for a particular role but I chose an actor of my choice for the role because as a maker I was in the best position to decide which actor was suitable for the role,” says Chowdhary.
But he agrees that actors are being forced on certain producers. These producers, he says, are either new comers who desperately want an entry in channels or they are the assembly-line manufacturers of TV software who are keen on running their factories at any cost.
Speaking on a condition of anonymity, a well-known producer who has churned out software like factory products for a leading satellite channel says that casting has never been the central point of dispute between him and the channel. “But I do give a fair amount of space to the channel to air their views on who should play which character because they are in a better position to judge since they have all the feedback from the marketing department as well as from viewers,” he reasons.
Producer Asit Modi who is making the popular sitcom Hum Sab Ek Hain for Sony is of the view that while the channel which is the ultimate producer has the right to give suggestions in the interest of the programme, he has never faced any problem with the channel in the last one and half years. After the recent demise of Jatin Kanakiya when Modi had to cast another actor in the role of Brigd. Kachroo, he says he gave three options to the channel. But his first preference was Sudhir Pande and he was approved for the role.
While Zee’s programming head Lakshmi Venkat maintains that Zee doesn’t interfere but merely gives suggestions unless there is a rare case when the channel has to put its foot down, Sony’s Raveena Kohli disagrees with the word “interference”. “I would call it positive contribution,” she says. “Since we are the actual producers, I personally sit on the casting. But it is finalised mutually between the channel and the producer.”
The reason for giving utmost importance to casting, according to Raveena, is that “we are casting for characters on television which, in some cases, become eponymous. So it is important to see that the right actor is cast in right role.” She further adds that she is all into discovering new talent and she prefers to have faces which are “exclusive to us”. She also admits that Sony hesitates to cast actors who are overexposed on other channels.
Leave alone exclusivity, STAR Plus’ senior vice-president Sameer Nair is of the opinion that not even a degree of exclusivity has happened on Indian television because actors are not being paid that kind of money so as to maintain programme or channel exclusivity. While at Sony there is “positive contribution”, at STAR Plus there is, what Sameer calls, “creative input” but definitely no bulldozing.
“We don’t force actors on producers,” he clarifies. “But we do have open discussions not just regarding the cast but also the technical crew. Producers come to us with a definite plan but everything is decided mutually.” Ask Sameer why Swapna Joshi who was directing Main was shown the door a few weeks ago and Anant Mahadevan was brought in her place and he says the channel and the producer felt that the programme needed a different approach and style of handling. Swapna says she doesn’t know why she was asked to quit the serial after 14 episodes but she is happy that Main has been nominated for SCREEN-Videocon Award on the basis of the episodes she has directed. “I not only feel honoured but I am also happy with the fact that justice prevails in this world,” she smiles.
Call it interference, positive contribution, creative input or whatever, some of the actors and actresses we spoke to say that these days they are at the mercy of the channels’ whims and fancies. “There is a nexus between the channels and the producers and casting is definitely not done on merit,” says an actress who wishes to be anonymous. “There have been several serials which have been scrapped, stalled or reshot because the channels wanted a change in the starcast. I can’t take names but there are a few actors I know who have been blacklisted by certain channels. Getting the cast approved from the channels has become a precedent not only for serials but also for episodic series. And frankly nobody here is doing any talent hunt.” Adds another actor, “actors are definitely being forced on producers, but it also depends on who is the maker and his standing in the industry.”
AL
Chougule