Whatever one sees or like, its all about the Television Ratings Points( TRPs) at the end of the day.That is the sole reason why the Star Plus show " Maayke Se Bandhi Dor" is going off air.The show has been under the scanner for quite sometime now.Infact the show garnered ratings as low as 1.6%.The cast and the technicians were very upset with this news as the show didnt even make a year.They further refused to comment.Meanwhile Colors" Hamari Saas Leela,which was rumoured to go off air has been given a grace period to gets its rating up and hence will be seen shifting to the afternoon slot.
This on going battle of shows being on and off air has picked up momentum rapidly ,which is why now all prime time shows want to retain their positions and are extremely careful in not showing senseless stuff to the viewers.
Today was the last day of our set hopping and this time it was Balika Vadhu on the cards. The place where the show is shot, is a two hour drive from where we live but, it was worth the distance we travelled since the entire star cast of the show was present.
As we set off a midst the mist and rain along the track that seemed breath taking to view, the distance seemed never ending. We wondered how the actors may have been managing the distance for the last three years.
As soon as we reached the set, we were asked to keep our cell phones on silent mode as they were shooting a scene. The first person we got to meet was Gehna (Neha Marda). She looked just the way we see her onscreen, only not as serious as she appears to be on the show. She was extremely warm, cordial and chirpy too. She told us she gets along best with our dear Anandi (Pratyusha Banerjee) since they share a Bengali connection.
We soon met Anandi (Pratyusha Banerjee) and Gouri (Anjum Farooqi) who though may not look eye to eye on screen, but they are good friends off screen. They even share the same make up room. It was nice to see them joke and have fun while we were still around.
On screen they share a husband, off-screen they share a room: Pratyusha and Anjum
Later even Jagiya (Shashank Vyass) joined us. We congratulated Pratyusha and Shashank for winning the Best Jodi Award and both of them seemed elated at their latest victory.
Pratyusha incidentally has also won the New Talent award. On asking him about his character, Shashank made fun of his current role saying Jagiya is a HIT hero since he has been slapped several times on the show. It was fun being around the three of them.
However, the most memorable moment was when we met the two actors who we grew up watching on television, one being Dadisa (Surekha Sikri) and the other being Bhairav Singh (Anup Soni). Every actor on the set as well as people in the industry spoke very highly about Surekhaji as an actor and the way she has established the character of Dadisa in the show.
Not many people know that Surekha Sikri is an alumni from the National School of Drama where she is today taught as a part of their curriculum. Apart from her, Bhairav (Anup Soni) & Vasant (Satyajit) are also alumni from the National School of Drama.
We were unable to talk to Sumitra (Smita Bansal) and Vasant (Satyajit) as they were shooting back to back scenes.
The entire cast & crew came across as very disciplined which probably is one of the major reason for the success of the show besides having a huge bunch of talented actors.
As we drove back, we were still reeling in the effects of the day since we had not only met and interacted with the actors but also had grown immensely fond of them, their simplicity and the sincerity with which they interacted with us and spent time around us considering we were meeting for the very first time. Here is a focused bunch of people, all of who, know their jobs well, are popular with the masses and yet are so down to earth, you see through why the show has been a consistent hit over the last three years!
Brahamanand Jhaakar magnifies the screen with his persona, his dialect, his attitude and most importantly his confidence in executing what he perceives right. With his powerful portrayal as a man who does what comes to his mind, and lays down his own rules and principles, this is one man we all hate to love. Rangmunch.TV brings to you an exclusive with Vishawajeet Pradhan aka Brahmanand Jhaakar of Maryada fame. As we spoke to Mr. Pradhan, we realized how different he is as an individual from the character he portrays. Humor is his second skin and knowledge and experience are his strength. Sometimes when you know what you are doing, especially being an actor, adds more essence to the role you play. Mr. Pradhan shares with us his insights on what makes Brahmanand click and his equation with the ladies of the Jhakaar household.
What makes Brahmanand the man he is and what justification does he have to give for his actions?
Brahmanand is a man like any other who believes in his point of view. If he sees that a situation is right from his perspective, he will go ahead with it even if rest of the world feels it to be wrong. Be it Hitler, Chandrashekhar Azaad or even Saddam Hussain, whatever they did was right according to them and they became heroes for their people while they were criticised by the opposition. Basically it boils down to one's point of view and his or her belief in the same. Brahmanand is just that man who believes that his thinking and actions are right .
We have seen Brahmanand as a corrupt man who uses his power to justify his misdeeds. How do you relate to him as a character?
Every man has a good and bad side to him. No one is perfect ."Log majboori mein imandaar bantey hai".(People become honest out of compulsion).Brahmanand has gone through life seeing various situations and reacting to them. Sometimes he has used his power to tackle a situation and then in the next he has also been honest about it. Yes, power is addictive and makes us do things we normally wont. Everyone has a Ram and Ravan in them. Somewhere Ram becomes powerful and somewhere Ravan. When people say, be practical, it means compromise with the truth. That is what I think Brahmanand is doing.
What place does Devyani hold in his life? Does he love her ?
Its like this , when two people who have been staying together as long as Brahmanand and Devyani have, love which was initially there turns into habit ."Main Devyani ke liye ek aadat hoon, waise he woh mere liye".We are not in love as shown in the today's perception of romance but merely a habit to each other. Now that Devyani is suddenly opposing everything that Brahmanand is doing, it is disturbing him a lot. He has always seen her as a caretaker and a homemaker who looks after everyone, but now she is finding her own place and fighting for her family. This is making Brahmanand uneasy. Devyani herself is feeling uncomfortable doing what she is doing. Its basically an association of a lifetime. He may look at other women since variety is the spice of life, but its Devyani he comes back to.
How different is it working in daily soap as compared to movies ? Have you ever felt that your creativity is being challenged due to the hectic and taxing work schedule on TV?
Well both lines have their plus and minus points.Big screen has more budgets , better equipments and more facilities but at the same time daily soaps have detailed character graphs which you dont get in Bollywood.The journey in films starts from point A and finishes at point B, where as in the soaps the journey from A to B has lots of twist and turns and every turn gives more variety to work on.I have never had to live a character for such a lengthy time period but am enjoying it .It can be taxing but you get to learn alot.In a film I would never get to play Brahmanand Jhakaar in so many shades.
Brahmanand, apart from being corrupt is also a womanizer. Having justified his penchant for corruption, how will you explain this weakness for women, especially Uttara at this point?
Its an inherent nature of man to want what you dont have.Brahmanand is married but that doesnt stop him from being attracted to other women.Its probably the growing years that have made him the way he is.Uttara is young, vibrant and beautiful and somehow Devyani lacks in this department.So naturally he gets pulled towards her.It is not lust entirely .Its about attachment and knowing Uttara for a period of time now. Knowing Brahmanand, he never lets go of an oppurtunity ( says laughingly )
How has it been working with Indrani Haldar who is a popular award winning actress from Bengal?
Its a pleasure working with such a great performer. She is a thorough professional and is very dedicated to her art. Actually I'm sorrounded with wonderful actors, be it Raqesh, Kamya or Indrani herself. So the journey has been enriching.
Abhishek who plays the BODY DOUBLE for Maan singh Khurana in a hit Star One show Geet-Hui Sabse Parayi
When the main lead is absent on the show due to health problems or is off on a holiday , then what does a Production House do ? Well in such circumstances they appoint a person who can play the character but at a distance. His height , his mannerisms , his attitude gives the viewers a feel of the main lead always being present on the show. In the world of Television these people are called “Body Doubles”.
Rangmunch.TVtoday introduces you another face that also plays Maan Singh Khurana. No we are not talking about a replacement here. Gurmeet is unwell, and hasnt been able to shoot for the last few days. The show however must go on, and Maan is still very much a part of the daily episodes. If you are wondering how this is possible, this is a good time for us to introduce you all to Abhishek, who plays Gurmeet's body double in his absence..On quizzing him about his role , his aspirations, his contribution to such a popular show , this is what he had to say…
“I enjoy playing Maan Singh Khurana.MSK has become very popular and is larger than life.My first time as the body double for MSK was when Geet got married the second time round.In reality Gurmeetji was himself getting married, so I stepped in his shoes and did the role. I have done many other scenes too where Gurmeetji has been away.Off late I have been also essaying small roles in the background of the Geet .It feels nice to know that you are contributing something vital and show is moving on.Gurmeet ji and Drashti both have helped me a lot in inacting a scene.Even with Dhrasti when the seen becomes a little uncomfortable,she completely relaxes me and help me in the shot.I would love to continue doing MSK till I can and do a lot more too.There is a sense of satisfaction that one is a part of such a pivotal character.”
It was a sheer pleasure getting to know Abhishek and the role he potrays . Today the body doubles have become very popular and important to any show.The show must go on even if the main leads are not present.Body doubles are definitely the production houses knight in shinning armour.
Interviewed by: Swati Ghosh and Niharika Vidya Sagar
