Revival

Made in America

Indian television is really going places these days. It was only recently that two popular tele-serials were shot entirely in the Middle East. Both of them had a well-known star cast. And now, producer Ajay Bawa, a US-based NRI, is coming up with Tadap, a serial, which he plans to shoot entirely in the States.

There is only one catch. The channels which he approaches here in India, should allow that kind of a budget. The first four episodes of the serial, which has actors like Deepti Naval, Lillete Dubey, Rituraj and Imran Khan, have been shot extensively in New York and New Jersey.

Making his debut as a TV programme producer, Bawa, who frequently flies between India and the US where he has business interests, feels that besides the serial’s American backdrop, the issues which it tackles will appeal to the Indian viewers.

Tadap revolves around the protagonist, Sneh Sethi, who travels to the US to try and bridge the gap within two factions of her family. She leaves behind her parents and boyfriend only to discover that life with the other family is even more complicated. As the serial progress, the story touches upon several issues involving American NRI’s, throwing up complex situations.

Besides Tadap, Bawa’s company, MAAJ Entertainment, has also produced two one-hour episodes called Ehsaas and Kashmakash, also shot in the US. Ehsaas is the story of an aged couple in a foreign land, trying to cope with a crippling Alzheimer’s disease, which has gripped the husband, and loneliness. Once again, Lillete Dubey and Imran Khan play major roles in this one-episoder, with the inclusion of Harsh Nayyar, who had played Nathuram Godse in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.

Kashmakash tackles the highly sensitive issue of colour bias. The focal point of the serial is the murderous attacks on women of Indian origin by a group called Dot Busters. The story depicts the pain which a family goes through when Sharan finds that his wife and son have been killed by the Dot Busters. Ten years after the incident, Sharan still finds it difficult to forgive and forget and hates the Whites.

Along with Tadap, Bawa is also trying to find takers for these two short stories and is confident that he will, before it is time for him to take the next flight to the US.

The soap of the afternoon

Zee TV has an afternoon slot called Darpan, under which the channel is airing a number of serials which are capturing the attention of couch potatoes. One such soap is Daayre, which is being telecast every Saturday at 2 p.m.

The driving force behind Daayre is also a businessman-turned-producer, Anjum Rizvi. However, Anjum’s connection with showbiz is not so remote. He is the nephew of noted film producer, Sibti Hasan Rizvi.

The serial, directed by Anjum’s old friend and documentary film maker Khursheed Latif, focusses on the conflicts which arise within a woman’s family when she refuses to accept the harsh realities of life. The reality in this case, involves another woman who is her best friend.

Anjum, soft-spoken almost to a fault, let’s his director do the talking, choosing to simply look on with a benign smile. Khursheed, on the other hand, appears to be enjoying every moment as the “captain of the ship”, as Anjum addresses him. “It is quite a challenging task to do justice to a serial like Daayre, with its complex characters and their equally complex relationships. But when you are able to portray them well, it gives you tremendous satisfaction at the end of the day,” he exudes.

The main roles of the two women locked in this emotional conflict are being played by Nishigandha and Navni Parihar. Which is a remarkable coincidence, since the two had been pitched against each other in a similar situation earlier in Dastaan. But Khursheed is emphatic that it is “just a coincidence”. Others in the cast include Karan Shah, Daisy Irani and Tom Alter.

The encourging response from the viewers has tempted Anjum to launch another project, the details of which he refuses to reveal. Well, the showbiz bug really seems to have bitten the good businessman.

Manoj Soral