Manish Goswami
The best is yet to come

Already, you have more than a couple of serials on air. Can you name them for us?
I have a good many serials on air, most of which are doing well. Aashirwaad, Waaris and Adhikaar are on Zee and they are popular. These revolve around family and relationships. I also have Abhimaan, Insaaf and Meethi Meethi Baatein being telecast on DD1, of which the last one is a sitcom and Insaaf is based on true stories. Everything seems to be fine so far and I hope the same continues.

Aashirwaad, Adhikaar, Waaris, Parampara, Kartavya, all these tele-soaps have one common name behind them and that is - Manish Goswami. He has been producing serials for the past six years under the banner Siddhant Cinevision, and most of them have been successful. Now, he is ready with a few more soaps lined up for telecast within a month or two...

Which are your forthcoming serials?
I’ve got Lekin, a soap, directed by Lekh Tandon, which will probably begin from July on Star Plus. It deals more with younger characters who are a part of the corporate world. Milan, another soap that is due to arrive on Sony within a short time, is a family drama. And there is Khushi, which is all about happiness. These two are again directed by Lekh Tandon. Two other projects are in the pipeline. One is a daily soap Sukanya, written by Shobha De and directed by Vinod Ranganat-han. The other is a stand-up comedy, which I wouldn’t want to name right now.

You seem to be working a lot with Lekh Tandon...
Yes, I like his style and the way he handles everything. Even Daraar and Adhikaar have been directed by him.

Do you have any big plans for the future?
Yes, I have a lot many plans. My company is getting corporate by July. So far I have been satisfied with whatever I have done, but I feel the best is still to come.

Which of your works would you say is closest to your heart?
Everything that I have done so far has been close to my heart. I have a different way of working, I go by my intuitions and my gut-feeling. Among all, Aashirwaad and Daraar give me immense job satisfaction. I am into this business not only to entertain but also to pass on a certain hidden message through my serials. If and when I feel the message is reaching across the screen, out to the people, I feel my work is done.

Would you like to start a channel of your own sometime?
I have been working with Zee for more than six years. Right now I’m also working with DD, Sony and Star Plus. According to me what viewers have is programme loyalty and not channel loyalty. In this situation it is the content provider who thrives. I want to continue with my production. I don’t want to start a channel.

Lopamudra Bhattacharya