Today we met our parents after an entire week. It was the best feeling in the world considering we are completely home birds. Swati and I, got really emotional as we said our goodbyes to one another. While I am already lounging on my sofa writing to you guys, she is still half way away from home. This entry had to go out however, as we had planned on the 8th day of our trip!
The last one week has been splendid in every possible way. We got to meet different people, interact with them, watch our favourite shows from close quarters, and also learn the other side of the story. Its true that you don't realise how green the grass is until you get onto the other side. We look at the glamour, the gloss and the sheen that pulls us and attracts us to the screen. The hard work that goes into making what it looks like, is what we never get to perhaps see. We at Rangmunch, learnt so much in just one week only to be told it was just the tip of an ice-berg!
When we set out on the 15th of this Month, we were unsure of what this week was going to be like. We had few plans laid out, and wanted to certainly do something different, but had no clue how it would all pan out. Right from an impromptu visit to the sets of Iss Pyaar Ko Kyaa Naam Doon, where we met Bua ji, Shyam, Payal and Garima on our first day to the impulse decision to visit the sets of Balika Vadhu which we wanted to closely watch being made since it is the longest running show on TV today, our trip has only had lessons to teach.
Our big Thank You's to Abhaas Mehta and Lalit Mohan who called us to see where they work and what they do. We got to meet Aabha Jee, who is an experienced theatre and TV actor. That was the time when, we also learnt Deepali Pansare had infact lost 8 kilos only because her love track was to start! Pyumori who plays Garima, empathised when we couldnt get her name right, but was equally thrilled because I recognized she was the new mother because of the saree she was wearing!
Waseem Sabeer the Director of Dharampatni, seems like a man with a mind of his own. When he starts talking of life, its lessons and his experiences, you understand why he infuses so much sensitivity into each of his shows. Apart from being a Director par excellence, he is also a body of knowledge. He is well informed and knows the ways of the world. Its no wonder, he is still fondly remembered on the sets of Maryada even today, long after he has stopped working on it!
Harshad loves chocolates and how ! We were a live witness to the gobbling session of 10 of them right in front of our eyes, if there were more he would readily eat them as well. This visual treat happened after he confessed to having 20 five stars before we had turned up! Do watch the video we uploaded with him on the diary entry we made for that day!
I had met Mr. Siddharth Sengupta (Director of Balika Vadhu, Gulaal) earlier, but we will remember this meeting better only because, we saw and understood his work and his style only through his words. As he spoke we could relate and visualize how each of his shows turn out on TV. Whats on his mind is on the screen! He doesn't mince words and that's one thing we loved the most about that particular interaction. While he made us have coffee, french toast and more he was content with his green tea! So now you know how particular he must be!
Generally Sundays are days when we prefer sleeping till late and starting our day late. But Swati and I were up and on our toes pretty early since this was the day we were invited on the sets of Humse Hai Liife to meet the makers and the actors of the show. Most people acquainted with his work, and love it call it the ''Nissar's touch''! We were fortunate enough to watch how the same is infused as Nissar Parvej explained the scene to be shot for the day to Maan Singh the Director on the set. Gorky who is also the Director of the show, kept us involved and engaged all day as he spoke about the current show and how he is still getting used to the idea of Directing. How could we let go of an opportunity of asking him to click a picture for us! He gladly did! And its right here for you all to see. Thank You Nissar and Gorky for giving us a Sunday worth remembering and for so much encouragement. We were thrilled to know people appreciate our passion and don't brush it off as madness!!
Maryada had just turned 200 episodes old the day we went visiting them. We must say we were lucky since Manjari the Creative Head of the show, though wasn't available on the sets made sure we got an opportunity to talk to each and every member on the show. Every actor on that show is so strong as a character, we almost spent an entire day trying to talk and learn things about the show and their characters! Director Iqbal Rizzvi, wasn't around but we did call him to let him know we missed him!
The next day, was a testimony to the fact that we will always remain fans when it comes to Geet-Hui Sabse Parayi. Despite knowing the leads wouldn't be around and were unwell, we had to make a trip to the sets only to pass on our wishes and feel the air around the show we have loved over the year. We don't know what it is each time we visit the sets of Geet, there was a cake being cut since one of the creatives had bought a car. This is what we call celebrating small joys of life!
Drashti looked and sounded so much better than what she did on screen in the last few days. So it was a sigh of relief. Now we get the news Gurmeet has resumed his shoot again! We loved meeting Lucky and Mamaji, who are always very sweet and welcoming. But to us, the highlight of the visit was definitely our little interview with Abhishek who has been silently playing Maan Singh Khurana's body double. After showing his back to the world for months, we were elated that we could finally show you the face!
We already spoke of Mr.Sengupta, so when we visited the sets of Balika Vadhu we realised there was a stark similarity between the two names; Discipline. Whether it was the actors, the cast, the crew everyone knew what they were doing, and they exactly knew how to go about it. There are no airs and graces about anyone who works on that show. And to stay down to earth, humble and simple three years after such a successful show is indeed commendable!
As we were on our way back, we joked about how, there were some days when we skipped our breakfast, lunch and sometimes just had a simple dinner .. "jab hum hit ho jayenge, tab hum bhi kahenge, we lived on just one meal a day"
We loved and lived every inch of the last 7 days and have definitely come back home as different individuals. We are rearing to go and feel elated at the response we got from TV Land as a whole. We cant fail to thank our parents enough for letting us go off for a week! Thank You Neeraj aunty for arranging us a place where we could crash at night! Last but not the least, a big big big Thank You to Navya and Neeraja who brought our work to you guys every night without failing. Had they not been around, the Rangmunch Diary wouldn't have become such a hit. As we look at the number of you who have read it and responded to it, we are thrilled for having made a good start! Thanks for reading us! We hope to bring in some of this just for you in the coming days! For now this is the end of the Diary series, atleast for the time being! Happy Reading!
Niharika Vidya Sagar &
Swati Ghosh
Rangmunch.TV
