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Set appeal

Contrast this with the serials of the '90s. They were all shot in bungalows of Juhu, Goregaon and Madh Island in Mumbai's northern suburbs and made on a shoestring budget ' anywhere between Rs. 2 to 3 lakh or a little more. But today bungalows have become redundant and their place has been taken over by studio like sets with multiple floors and ample shooting space. Besides lavish sets, channels also spend a lot on actors who are paid huge monthly pay packets. That's not all; reality shows are also made on expensive sets and have the best of highly-paid Bollywood actors as anchors besides Bollywood biggies on their jury panels. Why is so much money being poured into fiction and reality shows?

"Television shows of the '90s were shot in bungalows because they were closer to reality," says producer Asit Modi who made Saarthi for Star Plus and is currently making a daily comedy Taarak Mehta Ka Ultah Chashma for SAB. For Saarthi, which ran for three and half years spread over 725 episodes, Asit had erected a huge set costing around Rs 80 lakh which he renovated twice at the cost of Rs 20 lakh each. Such expenses were unheard of in the '90s but are a pass today. For Taarak Mehta... too, Asit has built a huge set resembling a housing society at Film City. "After all, dailies can't be shot in a bungalow," he chuckles.

According to television director Sanjay Upadhyay - currently Sony's creative head (fiction) - who had shot some of his shows like Saaya and Aatish in bungalows and supervised the making of Kumkum on a grand studio set as its creative and ideation head, serials moved from bungalows to studio sets with the introduction of dailies at prime time. "Thanks to dailies, television programming moved from real to larger than life dream. Everything changed completely when channels started selling dream - be it the story, sets, costumes, jewellery or the look of actors. Bungalows are not designed for shooting and hence have lot of limitations. But a set can be explored in many ways for visual beauty, opulence and location variety," he explains.

Sets also became a necessity because dailies are shot for at least 25 days in a month as compared to weeklies which required just about eight to nine days. Explains producer-director Ajai Sinha of Hasratein and Astitva fame who is currently making Ghar Ek Sapna for Sahara One, "Availability of bungalows beyond 12 hours is a big problem. Often dailies are shot in two units and hence sets are more convenient for shooting in a controlled and cool environment. Of course bungalows have their own charm but if you are looking for visual variety and colourful content then there is no substitute for sets." So feels producer-director Rajan Shahi of Bidaai fame, "When you are making 16 episodes in a month, you need to work in a disciplined environment. Like it or not, sets offer a factory-like set up for controlled output and round-the-clock assembly line production. A lot of time is saved in lighting and other things."

Lavish sets are not the only necessity, outdoors are another must-have these days. Sony's Hum Ladkiyan, which is set in Benaras, has had its two schedules done there. Meet Mila De Rabba, another Sony show that is based in a village in Punjab, has also been shot extensively there. Jo Ishq Ki Marzi Woh Rab Ki Marzi, the Sagars' new daily for Sahara, has been shot in an 18th century palace in Satara. Producer Sunjoy Wadhwa had done a 30-day shooting schedule in Rajasthan for Balika Vadhu and currently the show is being shot at a grand set in Vasai spread over 9,000 square feet. "Sets are done as per the requirement of story. We needed a huge haveli set to shoot different story tracks," says Wadhwa. In fact, money is not an issue today. "Because of competition, television spend has increased quite a lot. When the emphasis is on upscale making, grandeur and opulence are a must," adds Wadhwa.

However, Sooraj Rao, creative head of Ekta's ...Mahabharat..., is of the view that while the scale of making is high, he doesn't think a lot of money is being spent as compared to the days of the weeklies. "Bungalows used to cost Rs. 5,000 to 8,000 per day. While a set costing around Rs 1 to 2 crore, taking inflation into account, amounts to almost the same over a period of one to two years. Of course today the making is many steps ahead but that's also because of new technology. From lowband, television programming moved to high-band and then to beta and HD format," he explains. Even in the nascent days of television Sooraj says some of the serials like Buniyaad, Gul Gulshan Gulfam, Shanti and Gatha were shot on sets. "If it was possible then why should it be a cause of raised eyebrows now?" he asks.

source: https://www.screenindia.com/news/set-appeal/393284/

Set appeal : article

No bridal blues for Ragini

Getting Real
AMIDST talk of global meltdown and recession comes the news of yet anothr channel launch. Real Global Broadcasting Pvt. Ltd. (RGB), a 50:50 joint venture between Alva Brothers Entertainment and Turner International has announced the launch of REAL, a new Hindi entertainment television channel. The channel targetted at 'Neo Indians', who are urban oriented at ambitious, will go on air in March this year. Nikhil Alva, Chairman, Alva Brothers Entertainment said, "Our long, insightful experience and success in developing content for the Indian viewer provides us an ideal springboard to embark on this venture. Along with Turner, which brings to REAL, global best practices in broadcast businesses; we are building a platform for distinctive brands and contemporary content. Together we hope to provide a distinct GEC channel which will be dramatically differentiated, yet relevant and aspiring to Indian viewers." REAL marks Turner International's entry into the Hindi entertainment space in India.
Said Steve Marcopoto, President, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., "Turner International is very excited about REAL and Turner's entry in the Hindi GEC genre. Given the market's strong growth, extremely young population, penchant for media consumption and improving distribution delivery systems, India is one of our biggest growth opportunities. Having established many successful Turner brands and ventures in the last 18 years, including our production partnership with Miditech, we're now excited to take our next step with Alva Brothers Entertainment with the launch of REAL."
Some of the shows to be aired on the channel include Sarkaar Ki Duniya, in which 18 Indians meet on a remote island, tasked to transform the island, living under the scrutiny of an autocratic ruler. Each of them has to earn a livelihood under new rules. It seems like a take-off on the hit international show Survivor. Another show Vicky Ki Taxi has stories unfolding in the unique setting of a taxi, with taxi driver Vicky playing the role of a reluctant messiah. Hindi Hai Hum as the name suggests is about the spirit of unity. The internationally successful quiz-game show, Poker Face, where one Indian will take away Rs. one crore in just one week, for keeping a poker face is also being planned.
At a time when existing channels are striving to sustain it remains to be seen how the new entrant will make a dent in the TV space.

Fear factor
Promising a horrifying experience with its new narrative, Ssshhhh Phir Koi Hai Star One brings Qayamat; a story encapsulating fear, panic, anxiety and romance. Starting January 23, the series will showcase four weeks of sheer terror every Friday and Saturday at 10 pm. The story is based on a bizzare romantic affair between the good and evil leading to a tragic end. It's the tale of Priyanka, a bright and beautiful orphan who is invited in the Khurana household in the countryside to tutor the difficult child Hrithik. Her arrival heralds strange happenings in the town' The servant of the Khuranas accidentally releases a secret crypt from its confinement.. A love affair between Yuvraaj and Priyanka blossoms against a beastly backdrop; A creature inflicted by the curse transforms into a gruesome werewolf. We have already seen filmi versions of the story with Junoon which had Rahul Roy turning into a tiger at night! The film flopped, let's see if the serial succeeds in scaring viewers? The series stars Gaurav Chopra, Twinkle Bajpai and Tarun Khanna.

Upasna & Kishwer in Main Kab Saas Banoongi
Two new characters played by Upasna Singh and Kishwer Merchant have entered SAB TV's Main Kab Saas Banoongi in an attempt to evoke more laughter. Currently on the show, Saraswati (Bharati Achrekar) and Sheela (Vandana Pathak) are playing saas-bahu and creating chaos.Now, Rampyari (Upasna Singh) and Shanti (Kishwer Merchant) come to the Bajaj Gharana as the new saas bahu duo but as the servants of the household. Their only agenda in life is to fight and curse one another over just about any petty issue , leaving Saraswati (Bharati Achrekar) absolutely startled and stunned.

Classic love story
Star One is all set to launch a classic love story Shakuntala beginning February 2. Produced by Sagar Arts, the series traces the love story of Shakuntala, King Dushyant. Shakuntala was abandoned by her parents Menaka and sage Vishwamitra immediately after her birth. She was brought up by sage Kanva. She meets Dushyant and falls in love with him but the duo gets separated. To be aired from Monday-Thursday at 9.30 pm, the serial stars Neha Mehta in the role of Shakuntala, Gautam Sharma as Dushyant and Bhagwan Tiwari as Shatanand. The serial is being shot at Sagar Studios in Ahmedabad. Commenting on the show launch, Monika Shergill, Creative Director, Star One said, "Shakuntala is one of the most passionate love stories ever written in the subcontinent. Nowhere else you will see the agony and ecstasy of love as intense and compelling as in Shakuntala."

Angad on Cloud Nine....

Angad Hasija who has renewed his contract with Rajan Shahi is happy that he is getting more and more offers, courtesy ...