Sequels for Hindi soaps too

For Indian viewers, a large chunk of which grew up watching " Friends" Seasons 1 to 7, this is a signal that Indian television might finally be coming of age.

On the lines of shows like " Sex And The City", "Grey's Anatomy" and " Lost", popular Indian TV shows are coming up with a second season of their shows. Sequels of Hindi serials like "Mahi Way" and " kitani mohabbat hai" are in the offing.

The trend is a marked departure from what's been happening on Indian TV so far. Jog your memory back to "Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi", which wound up after Jassi's makeover, while the serial's American counterpart "Ugly Betty" has seen four successful seasons on TV so far.

"Till now, the trend to have more than one season on Indian TV was confined to reality shows. But now channels are working on this concept for fictional shows as well," says Saurabh Tiwari, programming head of a general entertainment channels, adding, "Serials are being planned with limited episodes, and actors are being signed only for one year instead of three, as was the practice in the industry till recently." In fact, in the saas-bahu days of TV, actors had to sign contracts for eight long years. But Saurabh avers, "150 episodes are more than enough for a serial. And if after those 150 episodes, the viewers want more of the show, we go in for another season, else it is pack up time!"

Terming thedecision to cut short the length of serials as an "intelligent move" is Nupur Asthana, director of "Mahi Way". She says, "Planning everything in advance leaves very little room for the channel to interfere in the plot of the serial. The story then moves as the creative team has planned it to, and not as the channel wants. The best part is that no one from the cast and crew leaves midway, because the show is turning out to be something that they didn't think." Shooting for the second season of " mahi way is already underway. "It means that Indian viewers are cool with the concept of seasons for tele soaps, which earlier existed only in the West," adds Nupur.
Actors are also pleased with the changing seasons, er, trends in the industry. As Karan Kundra, who is all set to make a comeback on the small screen with the second season of "Kitani Mohabbat Hai" says, "Ekta (Kapoor) had told me that the serial was only for one year and that if it does well, she will think of the sequel. I was signed in for a total of 180 episodes."

Karan, who signed a one-year contract with the producers of the show, also opines that working for a serial which may come back on TV with a second season only if it is a hit with the audience, is more challenging. "From day one of my show, I knew that I had to work extra hard for people to love this serial. If the audience does not demand a second season, it reflects on an actor's abilities to impress the viewers. I didn't want this to happen to me. So my co-star Kritika (Kamra) and I strove to make our chemistry work on screen. And here we are, back with a bang!" he says.

The concept makes sense for everyone: viewers, channels and actors. Says TV actor Shubhangi Atre, whose serial "Do Hanso Ka Jodaa" is going off air after completing a year without any confirmations of an upcoming second season, "With cut throat competition, it is impossible for channels to let anything that doesn't work, go on air. If things work out for a show, you have another season, else its good-bye time."

However, actor Shweta Tiwari who has seen been part of both the formats on TV ' the seven-year-long "Kasuati Zindagi Kay" and the much shorter "Jaane Kya Baat Hui", doesn't feel that the trend is here to stay. "One needs to be very cautious while making a sequel. A second season means providing something different to the viewers and not letting it become monotonous. Also getting the same cast together for another season could be a difficult task. One needs to make sure that the lead actors are not replaced. Serials are not like movies where sequels can have different leads," she points out.