Ritvik Arora and Shaheer Sheikh in Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke

Rajan Shahi on the trials of the lockdown and the way forward for TV producers now
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 31, 2020)

The three-month Coronavirus-induced lockdown has proved fatal for several fiction TV shows, with Nazar and Beyhadh 2 facing the axe. Rajan Shahi’s four shows, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (YRKKH), its spin-off Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke (YRHPK), Anupamaa and Marathi show Aai Kuthe Kay Karte, have survived the test. “Our endeavour is to follow the government’s SOPs and even go beyond, like sanitising the set thrice a day, have a health inspector in attendance, organise individual makeup kits and healthy food arrangements. We also have different immunity tests every week,” he shares.

However, he also admits that taking care of the team during the lockdown, when shooting came to a complete halt, has escalated costs and taken a financial toll on producers. “It will take more than a year for us to get back on our feet with such huge standing costs and no income in the last four months. Under IFTPC (Indian Film and TV Producers Council) and Producer’s Guild, we have requested the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) to waive off the rent to Film City studios which houses most of our sets. That will take a huge burden off our shoulders,” says Rajan, adding that they are expecting a positive reply to their request.

Modifying content according to the situation is currently the big creative challenge. YRKKH showed a corona track which went viral and for Rajan, that’s an accomplishment. “It proves that TV shows have the biggest impact on the audiences,” he points out.

He came into limelight recently after he ousted Ritvik Arora from his popular show, YRHPK, when the actor demanded an increase in his remuneration to return to the set. Rajan insists that they parted on a cordial note and he will always wish him well. “Things didn’t work out for us, on professional and ethical grounds, but Ritvik has a long way to go and I hope this experience is a pointer to him on how to conduct himself professionally,” he avers, admitting that he spent hours speaking with each actor before resuming shoots and there were some reservations, that were dealt with. “I have never objected when any of my actors felt they had outgrown my show. But sometimes, an actor begins to believe that he is the face of a particular TV drama and that realisation goes to their head,” he rues.

Avinash Mishra has been roped in as Ritvik’s replacement. “The creative team felt Avinash fits their vision of the character. He started shooting from Wednesday,” Rajan informs.

His latest show, Anupamaa, was supposed to start on March 16, but had to be pushed. The producer admits that it was a task ensuring its survival. “The soap was anyway a risk since it revolved around a middle-aged protagonist. Many were sceptical, but in my 27th year in the industry, I wanted to reinvent myself,” he informs, agreeing that after Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai, his subsequent tele dramas were beginning to look similar in terms of story and character. “I needed to get back to my roots. Anupamaa is one of my most calculated moves and special because, in a first, I have co-produced it with my mother, Deepa Shahi. Also, I had directed leading lady Rupali Ganguly in my first TV project,” he signs off.