I believe that if you make a show, make it well or do not make it at all - Siddharth Kumar Tewary

Swastik Productions has carved a rather huge niche for itself in the Mythological space, with shows like Mahabharat and Shani. Not only is the production house well known for its Mythological content, but has also given us quality daily soaps like Amber Dhara and Navya among others.

We got in touch with the man behind the production house, Siddharth Kumar Tewary, who is currently helming not one but two Mythological shows for Colors - Shani and Mahakaali.

In conversation...

Swastik is known for its quality of VFX and the post production that goes into their mythological shows. What is the kind of post production that goes into making this level of television shows?

It takes a lot of effort but not only for the post production. You have to first shoot well to make it look well. So it also takes a lot of pre-production to plan the shoot. For Kaali, we shot around 65-70 days of action shoots. A huge amount of time went to pre plan what we wanted to shoot and how it was gonna look. So we pre-plan, we storyboard, we visualise and do a previs of what we want to shoot, everybody comes on the same page with regards to the background, the lighting we want to use... which is why we take more time coming on air with our shows, as we do a lot of pre-production and only then proceed with the shoots.

We have now started our own company called One Life Studios with Colors for Shani as we felt that we need to up the VFX standards. After Mahabharat, almost all shows started looking the same. Some of our shows also were looking the same and that was when I realized that we need to invest in this zone as for the film guys, TV is too small and for the TV guys doing big work is not viable. So we were not getting the best quality and we needed to invest and get your own people. So this company (One Life Studios) has nothing to do with Swastik, it's a separate entity which does VFX for Shani. They got the FICCI award for the best VFX this year for Shani. That is why the team there knows that it was created for the purpose of delivering better content, whether we do promos under that for any channel, it is very clear that if you compromise on quality, you'll get a call. That is exactly how all this comes together.

When we talk about quality, apart from the VFX and post production, the prosthetic that you have used in Mahakaali are amazing.

The prosthetic that we have used, is very difficult. When you put prosthetic of someone's face, one cannot sit properly for a good 45 minutes. And it also takes them 3-4 hours to get ready. And then it starts melting. And we have done it to a lot of characters, as you have seen in the promos also. So we just wanted to try. So we did the whole prosthetic part and figured out a way how to do it. That is why we took so much more time because some things went wrong, some things worked right and that is the part and parcel of this journey we were creating.

In Shani, we did not have prosthetic, so I felt like for Mahakaali, I should use prosthetic and scale it up to the next level. That is exactly why we tried this whole new aspect. On Kaali's front, I am born and brought up in Kolkata. So that's my life and Kaali temples were 20 minutes from my house. So we got a make-up artist specially from Kolkata, because the look in Kolkata is very different. So, Shweta Korde who is our costume designer also did some fabulous work on the jewellery and also got in touch with this make-up artist, just to get the Goddess look of Kaali right. And now, when Kaali comes on the screen, she looks beguiling.

Swastik stands for its mythological content. There have been outstanding shows- be it Mahabharat or Shani or the current shows, it looks really promising. Also, what stands apart in the mythological genre, is that you have chosen topics like Mahakaali and Shani which are relatively untouched subjects that we don't really know much in detail about and is a completely new story to tell. So how much research goes behind the project and what makes you pick such topics that are tricky?

With Shani, when I would tell everybody that "we should tell the story of Shani", they would be a little perplexed. Shani comes into anybody's life and makes it miserable. The seven and a half years are supposedly the most miserable years of one's life and when you know that Shani is approaching, one tends to run in the opposite direction.

Basically, I had a thought that why would someone make a God, who would make everybody's life miserable. It just defies logic and does not make sense. But when I read up on Shani, it was very simple that he was created with the purpose of giving people their due in their lifetime and getting them back on track. In your life, in certain situations, you make certain mistakes and Shani comes and makes you realise that this is what you have done and that is your correct path. And he shows you the right path by making you realise your mistakes.

But Shani's story was a risk and that too showing a child Shani and not the grown up Shani. The normal perception is the grown up Shani with a mooch and all of that. But I felt that we should show Shani's story from the beginning as there are a lot of reasons as to why he came into existence, what happened to him. Everybody was scared about the subject, so I said we could make it with conviction. In India, people are scared of Shani and that might be the reason that people may watch it. We need to demystify it so that people can understand that he is not negative, that he is here to give a message and to get you back on track and that people need not be scared of him. So with this core thought, we made 'Karamphaldata Shani' and summed it up in one line.

We were making a series with a positive message and for that, we needed to be very clear with the communication. And now, I get thousands of messages and mails in which people tell me that their perception of Shani has changed. Imagine the power of television. It is a series that I am very proud of because we gave a positive message through it. That is why I enjoy this genre because its is not just about making a drama series. You are showing entertainment through a message. So it's great stuff.

Since we are talking about Shani, apart from TRPs and Ratings, Shani is being appreciated by the entire industry. It is a very unconventional concept and nobody has so far thought about making a show on Shani. Your efforts are being appreciated all over. How is that feeling?

I genuinely feel and believe I am blessed. One aspect is picking a subject like this. Second is how do we make it. People may think that the idea is very random. But it isn't. If you saw the show, you'll understand that it was not made on a normal level. We presented it in a particular way that all corners were highlighted and not just one part. In TV, there is this notion that all you need is a good story. But I do not subscribe to this. I believe that you either do something good or you do not do it at all. I am extremist by nature and I believe that if making a product, you either make it well or do not make it at all.

That is why for Shani, the making, the writing, the presentation, every aspect was appreciated and so were our efforts. It feels good. People should watch Kaali as well. It's different. Not many people in this country know that Kaali and Parvati are the same person. And why would a simple good looking girl called Parvati who is synonyms to giving life, turn a demoness who destroys everything? See, Indian Mythology has a deep rooted message. There is something that they tell you via a story, so that you learn something and implement that in your life. But people do not know this and simply say things like arre woh Kaali aa gayi.' So when I told Colors that let me tell the story of how a normal girl, when pushed to a corner, becomes Kaali and destroys everything as that end would mark a new beginning, that is how Kaali came into existence.

We decided to tell people that women are not weak. They give life and that is why Parvati is also called Prakriti. So if Parvati/ Prakriti (the giver of life) reaches a point of being a destroyer, there has to be a reason behind it. So I am always into the subtext of the story. That is why the base line of Mahakaali says 'Anth Hi Aarambh Hai', the end is the new beginning. So the story is about the journey of a girl to realising that she is not weak. Why do you have to go to your husband or boyfriend whenever anything happens and say, "Hey this happened!"? It's not just about action. It's about everything in your life. They do it via action because you watch it and learn. But it's not just killing but also about believing in yourself. Its also not about feminism. For me, I believe that you must have a lot of self belief and that's exactly what you'll learnt in the first episode of the show. There is a girl who doesn't know who she is and then she embarks on a journey, where she discovers herself. Now she transforms into Kaali, because of the situation that she is faced with. That is the crux of the show. It's quite relatable.

There are different genres that TV explores... like there's family drama, supernatural thrillers, historical... But when it comes to the mythological genre, India being a sensitive country towards this genre, how responsible do you have to be while portraying the concept, especially the facts that you choose to show the viewers?

I am a firm believer that whatever you create, you need to understand. If you look at the Mahabharata, you would have heard about Ganeshji being told by Ved Vyas that he should understand what he writes. And that's how Mahabharat starts. What it is trying to say is that if you are just reading the story, you need to first understand it and then write. And that's what I do. I first try to understand what is written and try having a mind of my own and presenting it to the viewers in a way that I interpreted it. Some will like it, some will not. There are a lot of different versions of the same story. So what happens is depending on the zone that you have grown up in, or you've been exposed to, that's the kind of knowledge that people have. When people get a little upset or whenever something so called controversial' happens, then we just send them the data and tell them that 'sorry sir but you are unaware'. So then they understand. And regarding interpretation also, I believe that we have to interpret and not show a documentary.

In terms of casting, you have been known to chose the perfect actors for the perfect roles. How do you train your actors for the roles that you cast them in?

So we have a way of working, depending upon the series that we are making. A lot of pre-production work goes into it. First and foremost, most of the actors I cast, they are primarily based on the fact that how interested they are in playing this character. Because the kind of effort that is needed for Kaali, you really have to be there and consistently deliver. Similarly for Shani, not a good looking boy and not the quintessential television face was required, we needed someone who would not cry and would be angry. So you need to have an actor who can play that character and once after every actor is finalized after auditions, I meet up with them to understand whether they are serious enough to play the character or not, post which they are sent to various workshops. Now a days, diction is a big issue. You don't get many people who speak fluent Hindi, we put them in diction classes, in acting classes, to horse riding to sword fighting. They do it for 5-6 months and we try to train them in that journey. That is when we realize if he/she is interested, they will go through it. If they are not, then they'll give up. So whoever gives up, they are replaced. We have to then start the whole audition process again, but you'd rather work with someone who is interested than someone who is not.

What are the limitations of doing a mythological show?

The only limitations that I have so far felt are the mukuts. If you look at the visual references, we are used to idolizing humans. So Gods in the old paintings always had helmets. On shoots we refer to these mukuts as helmets. Otherwise it is beautiful. There is so much of knowledge and learning in the process as to how to shoot, where to shoot and the everyday planning.

With shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat, you know that after a certain scene, the show will come to an end. But with shows like Shani or Mahakaali, how uncertain does the show's end become?

If you see all the shows that we have done in the last 3-4 years, no show has been dragged for a period of 5 years. Because we get tired. We ended Mahabharat in 11 months of airing and Suryaputra Karn was 12 months. So it's a story that has a beginning, middle and end. Like the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.

But with Shani and Kaali, the thought that you are trying to sell is more important. You can't say Mahabharat: Anth Hi Aarambh Hai. But with a character like Mahadev, we need to draw a line as these characters have stories across centuries and across different places. So you do a lot of research to get them all together, get a chronology of events and then work towards what message would you be giving to your audience through these characters. You keep working on them until you reach a point where you are exhausted and say thank you and move out.

Mahakaali is a weekend show. It is such a heavy story to follow up. Do you think people will lose the link as there will be a gap of one whole week?

Repeats and recaps are a part of the process, but I believe that it depends on what you are showing in the weekend. If it's interesting, you will comeback next week. Since, its a weekend series, the writing process is different. It's not in the daily pattern. So we are working towards ensuring that people wait for the show until the next weekend.

So is Mahakali a finite series?

It is a season based series. And we plan to come back with another season if the response for this season is good.

You have made a good amount of mytho shows as well as daily dramas. So does mytho remain your favourite as Swastik is known for their mytho shows?

Definitely, we'll be exploring a lot of things. I believe that we are a premium content company. And we wish to keep on doing so and also expand into other platforms apart from television. Genre wise, we have made a lot of dramas earlier. Currently we are having a great time with mytho dramas and historicals because those are occupying the premium space on television right now. But definitely more things would come and actually speaking, I've just made Mahabharat, Karn, Shani and Mahakaali is the fourth mythology.

Every producer has some basic elements that he wants to add in his show as he draws inspiration from. For you, I believe is Quality. So what apart from this?

My core element from a making point of view is always the story. Its always about what's the story and why would the viewers watch the show. I am always trying to make whatever I am making more relevant to the audience. So my core is relevance. If I am making Karamphaldata Shani. I have to make it relevant to today's viewers. And the same things is happening with Kaali. If it's a daily soap drama, they work because the emotions connect to the audience and are more relatable. But with mythology, you need to be relevant. Otherwise why would we watch something that we do not connect to?

So as a producer, the kind of impact that you create on the screen for your viewers is amazing. So are you more of a Art Creation' producer who likes to create stuff from the scratch, or do you rely on the VFX and post production part?

They are all connected. They can't live in isolation. So what happens is for example- if I am shooting Kailash, I know that this is the look I want for my Kailash. Before I shoot on that location, I need to know what is the background that I want and accordingly, we create the foreground. Then we add the background. It's the sum total of everything. After you visualize, you then break down what parts that will be done on post i.e VFX, what will be done live. So they can't be separated. They are really connected. So one is visualization and the other is making, you know, construct a part of it and make the rest on VFX.

Considering the fact that your shows have always been very elaborate, have you ever had to face budget constraints? Also, have there been constraints from the broadcasters' side as a lot of money goes into making a huge show?

Always. We make a lot of losses and my brother always told me that we need to control our expenses. I believe that of course, we really stretch ourselves from all side to create something that we are really proud of. And in due course of time if the content works, then we recover our dues. But our main objective has always been that if we are making a product and giving our name to it, then we must be conscious about it. We must never feel that we could have done better after the product airs.

Well, the dedication and love for exploring subjects that have not been touched before, has made Siddharth Kumar Tewary one producer whose projects are always something that we would look forward to.