Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 2, 2017)

Ekta Kapoor’s ambitious web series, The Test Case, which is based on the Indian Army, failed to enjoy a successful run, with the makers reportedly pulling the plug on the show after one episode. midday had earlier reported that creative differences between director Nagesh Kukunoor and Kapoor had been cited as reason to bring the show to a halt. Now, we hear, the team of The Test Case has decided to resurrect their pet project.

A source says that Kukunoor has been shown the door, with Dangal (2016) assistant director Vinay Waikul being appointed to helm the Nimrat Kaur-starrer. A unit hand adds, “While the city was battling with the deluge on Tuesday, the actors shot for the show. Nimrat, who sustained a leg injury on the set, also continued shooting. A major chunk of the narrative is being re-written and Ekta is being much more involved this time around.”

In an official statement, producer Deepak Dhar, MD & CEO Endemol Shine India, said, “We’re happy that the production of The Test Case is on in full swing. It’s a show that is close to us.”

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 5, 2016)

From logging video cassettes for Rs 20 each, to helming huge productions such as Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi and Bigg Boss, Deepak Dhar’s professional journey has been full of unexpected twists and turns. He tells Deepali Dhingra why he is an ardent fan of Amitabh Bachchan and how he assured his parents that he isn’t part of the underworld
Deepali Dhingra (MID-DAY; January 25, 2014)

During his school days at Activity High School in Peddar Road, Deepak Dhar used to spend his pocket money buying video cassettes of Amitabh Bachchan’s films. On one particular occasion, the video cassette library he used to frequent was on the verge of going bankrupt, so they put everything on sale. “They were selling each VHS tape for Rs 100 and I had the exact amount,” he recalls. While most of his friends spent their sum on Bachchan’s superhit films such as Sholay, Don and Deewar, Dhar went ahead and bought Mahaan, a hit but not-so-popular movie of the actor, where he had a triple role. “All my friends were like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ My reasoning was that I’ll get to watch three Bachchans at the price of one!” he laughs. The film buff might never have imagined that his ability to understand the logistics of entertainment, will, one day, lead him to becoming the CEO and MD of Endemol India, one of the leading content production companies in the country.

Baby steps
Born in Hyderabad to Kashmiri Pandit parents, Dhar remembers speaking fluent Telugu till the age of 10, when he moved to Mumbai with his parents. He stayed at Breach Candy for almost 15 years before moving to Powai where he currently resides. “I was always very filmi,” says the entrepreneur, referring to the ‘Mahaan’ episode, “I always had this flair for writing and photography,” he adds. Taking up engineering in college was not out of choice, but by default. “I come from a middle-class orthodox Kashmiri family, where you are a nobody if you are not an engineer or a doctor,” he states.

However, very soon the young student realised that engineering is not his cup of tea. “A friend called Raja used to work for a production house called Magic Box Productions, and asked me to come to his office. It was my final year of engineering and I was whiling away my time, so I went to their office in Oshiwara,” he recalls. That’s how he bagged his first job in 1996 that entailed him to log tapes. He was paid a measly Rs 20 for each tape that he logged. “I must have seen some really trashy films, but I enjoyed the stint thoroughly,” he smiles.

That same year, Prime Sports — now called Star Sports — was setting up a team for their production department that would broadcast the Cricket World Cup being held in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. “I joined the team and was assigned to cover the matches that were going to be played in India,” he says. The young trainee would carry tripods and cables and in return, get to watch some of the cricketing greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sanjay Manjarekar in action. “It was a big thing for a young guy like me, as I’m a full-on Bollywood and cricket fan,” says Dhar. But he adds sheepishly, “The real lure for me was the merchandise — the T-shirt and the cap emblazoned with the words Prime Sports. It might not be a big deal now, but in those days, it was a matter of pride to own something like that,” says Dhar, who adds that just like the Mahaan VHS tape, he still has the T-shirt and cap at home.

After the three-month stint, he was absorbed into Star TV as a production assistant, a job he held for a couple of years, before joining MTV. “I got sucked into writing, creating, direction and production. I worked in close proximity with Cyrus Broacha, Danny McGill and VJ Noni and started getting known as the guy who was good at creating music television,” informs the 40-year-old.

But while things were going great professionally, home was another story altogether. “Extremely turbulent,” that’s how Dhar describes it. “My career had taken a detour and how. While my parents had grudgingly accepted the earlier jobs, they could not come to terms with my job at MTV. I would not come home for days, neither shower nor brush my teeth. My mom thought I’ve joined the underworld!” he chuckles at the memory.

Reality strikes
After a five-year stint at MTV, when Dhar joined Channel V, he was asked to direct Channel V Jammin, a show that was as close to reality TV as it could get in those days. “We would lock two musicians, as different from each other as chalk and cheese, in a room and ask them to come up with a track. It became a cult show,” he recalls. That was also the time when the channel was coming up with a talent hunt show called Popstars. When Sameer Nair, the former Star India head, called Dhar to ask what he thought about the show, the latter’s immediate reply was that he could direct it. “I bagged the show, but I had to cancel my vacation with my wife to Goa. Thankfully, she’s supportive of me and my activities,” he grins.

A night before the auditions were to begin, Dhar messaged Nair to inform him that everything was set for the auditions the next day. “Within a minute, I got a reply from him that said, ‘Remember, it’s not about auditions, it’s about emotions.’ For me, that was the brief. You won’t believe the number of girls who cried at the auditions — I think Popstars was known more for its emotions than its music,” Dhar says of the show that went on to become a cult series and gave birth to pop bands such as Viva and Aasma.

By then the maverick producer/director had had enough of music television and decided to shift gears. Nair put him on to Star One, a new channel. Here, the television whiz was in charge of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, which made stand-up comedians Raju Srivastav, Sunil Pal and Naveen Prabhakar overnight stars. The triumph for Dhar was getting Navjot Singh Sidhu to co-host the show. “Nobody thought that Sidhu could be a perfect fit for the comedy genre. Everyone thought I was making a huge mistake by getting him on board. Star thought this was going to be the biggest misfire, but Sidhu’s one-line repartees helped him garner a huge fan following,” he adds. After a few seasons of the show, when Dhar went to Nair seeking a change of job, the latter let him go, but not before putting him in touch with then Endemol India CEO, Rajesh Kamat.

What lies ahead
Dhar may have decided to join Endemol, but it didn’t happen before facing some stiff opposition back home. “My parents, who had by now accepted and were even happy with what I was doing at Star TV, had never heard of Endemol. To my mom, it sounded like Paracetamol!” he laughs. He joined the production house in 2006. Things moved on pretty quickly from there. “I would have breakfast in Filmcity on the sets of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, lunch on the sets of Fame Academy at RK Studio and dinner at Karjat on the sets of Bigg Boss. My driver Dilip and I are buddies now. His number on my speed dial is even before my wife’s,” he guffaws.

Dhar took over from Kamat after the latter quit Endemol in 2008. “Sameer and Rajesh were the two biggest influences in my career. While Sameer taught me entertainment, Rajesh taught me the business of entertainment,” he says. Today, Bigg Boss and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi are two of their most successful shows, with the former currently on air in its eighth season and the latter’s sixth season about to go on air soon. Bigg Boss, of course, has its share of critics, but as Dhar points out, everyone’s hooked on to the show. “When we got Sunny Leone in the house for season five, my mom stopped going for her evening walks,” Dhar chuckles. When she told him that their relatives don’t like it, his response — ‘This means they are watching it’ — put an end to the discussion. The show also has its regional counterparts in Kannada and Bangla and they plan to introduce it in Telugu as well. The company has also ventured into fiction with shows such as Mile Jab Hum Tum, Sabki Laadli Bebo and Lagori on Star Pravah in Marathi and with the Telugu version of the Hindi blockbuster Kahaani, they ventured into the business of cinema last year. Their next move is into the digital space. “I love treading into unchartered territories. One has to swim in the river to reach the ocean,” he philosophises.

Family first
With so much on his plate, how does he find time for himself? At this, the producer shares yet another anecdote from his Popstars days. Between two seasons of the show, Dhar, too, had got a little star of his own — his baby daughter Anushka. “Work was really hectic, so when I went to inform Sameer about the birth of my daughter, his boss, an Australian, who was present in his office asked, ‘Deepak, how do you find the time?’ I didn’t know what to say,” he bursts into laughter.

Dhar loves to spend his free time with his family. He enjoys watching Hindi movies with his daughter on weekends, playing badminton with her in the mornings and going with her and his wife for vacations. “For the last season of Khatron Ke Khiladi, I took my family to Cape Town, and we had a lot of fun participating in adventure sports, like deep sea diving and sky diving,” he says. The doting father reveals that as a child, he owned two Alsatian dogs — Gabbar and Bullett — and now, it’s his daughter’s now wish to own a pet dog. “In Hyderabad, we had a huge house but here, our house isn’t large enough for one. Last year, I got parrots for her for Christmas, but she’s extracted a promise from me to get her a dog by Valentine’s Day,” he says. So will he? “Difficult to say, I’ve broken that promise twice already!” he quips.

Inside Track
Born: April 23, 1974
Education: Electrical engineering from Mumbai University
First job: As a logger at Magic Box Productions
Mantra in life: Take a leap of faith
Best advice I ever got: Sameer Nair’s words ‘It’s not about auditions, it’s about emotions’ and Rajesh Kamat's lessons on the business of entertainment

My favourites
Film: All of Amitabh Bachchan’s movies
Sport: Racquet sports including squash and badminton
Destination: Cape Town, South Africa
Tv show: From Endemol’s offering, it’s Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. I also love Kaun Banega Crorepati

Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 7, 2014)

In the Bigg Boss house, there is always someone always watching. Every corner of the Lonavala bungalow is under 24-hour vigil. The feed plays out on multiple monitors, throwing a fluorescent glow on the faces of crew members of one of the most followed shows in reality television. While this means hours of inactivity and lull, it also promises moments of mad excitement.

Model Diandra Soares kissing actor Gautam Gulati, caught on tape, was one such instant where the sleep-deprived crew in the production control room flew into a tizzy. It was a first for Indian television and a sure-fire TRP bump. But being a primetime show, telecasting the lip-lock was tricky territory. "We're used to seeing kisses but when a fullfledged smooch takes place on TV, it's unheard-of and can create controversy. We decided not to air the actual lip-lock and focus instead on the reactions of other contestants in the house," says Manisha Sharma, Head of Programming, Colors. The audience is smart enough to read between the lines, he says.

Similarly, they draw the line at placing cameras in bathrooms. "We can, however show Gautam walking towards it with Diandra in tow," adds Sharma.

Behind the reality

A unit of 500 crew and 70 cameras follows every move of each contestants. The 48-minute-episode trickles out of 24 hours of footage. "At the first level, story editors work in four-hour-shifts, tracking conversations and interactions. From it emerges a possible outline for a plot," says Malay Pradhan, creative director of the show. The findings are then pitched to an episode producer, who changes with each episode and brainstorms with the creative team and channel representative to compile the final line-up. The goings on of the previous day leave scope for development. For example, "When Gautam was given a secret task, he started behaving curiously. So we knew, we had to keep an eye on him. We also had to keep a lookout for contestants who suspected he was up to something since they may have tried to catch him in the act."

Set in cast

But, the game begins much before contestants step into the house. Months before the show is due to air, the creative team dons their casting hat to hunt for a certain 'type'. "When we thought of getting actor Puneet Issar on the show, we imagined his towering personality that could intimidate people who would follow his instructions. Instead, he is a soft spoken man but the general premise follows through," says Pradhan.

Expecting a storyline to flow from general personality traits though isn't always a safe bet. The team learned this lesson last year when casting Tanishaa Mukerji. "We knew that Tanishaa was single, so we had to think of a single guy who'd hail from a family that's equally gifted. Then you hope there will be a love story or a good relationship," says Sharma, who admits that the Armaan-Tanisha's love story surprised him as much as it did audiences at home.

The show must go on

Regardless of months of planning, the team must be ready for contestants to veer away from the pre-decided plot. Audience reactions to unlikely candidates are also anyone's guess. "We didn't know Sonali (Raut) will be such a 'dheeli'. But people love her for being herself. They enjoy watching her speak at inappropriate moments and the way she conducts herself," says Pradhan. Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions to Puneet who comes off as brash, some love that, others don't.

On American socialite Kim Kardashian slipping through the channel's fingers (she was allegedly held up due to visa issues), Sharma has a ready answer, "The international contestants are always a value-add. We don't bank on them to be game-changers, so it's not a bother."

Putting to task

Without labelling themselves a social experiment, reality TV has the ability to crack contestants. Nudging and cajoling them to reveal their true selves that hide under a PR-driven glossy persona.

The Bigg Boss team has been privy to its fair share of such insights. So, it's no secret that; Praneet Bhatt is a self-righteous satyavadi and the noisiest when nominated, Puneet Issar is a gossip monger who has the merit of masterminding a majority of the fights, Karishma Tanna talks to the cameras for attention, Upen Patel can't help constantly licking his lips when he finds time away from his beloved protein shakes.

"Apart from individual quirks, we consider inter-personal relationships. Karishma and Gautam don't get along, Pritam and Dimpy have friction. We keep this in mind while devising tasks," reveals Pradhan, who considers the idea of having contestants smash pies in each others faces as a means to nominate them for eviction as one of the brightest.

Sharma admits that her team tries to push the boundaries of human endurance. One such idea that created a stir among viewers was strapping contestants in an airplane that served as the Bigg Boss house in the first few weeks. "You put 15 people in a small plane and you know it's going to be claustrophobic. Beyond a point, they will get on each other's nerves. You're sleeping on a chair and sharing one bathroom. We took it a step further and introduced the business class. That's great TV," says Sharma.

Other tasks are inserted just to be timely. "We came up with the 'app task' where one had to collect batteries hidden in a tub of cowdung to win prizes. At this point, we were eight weeks into the show. Contestants had started to miss their families so one of the biggest rewards was a chance to meet them," says Pradhan.

From experience

In the eighth season of the show, contestants are better informed about how to conduct themselves by learning from past trajectories. They try to project themselves in a certain way.

Contestants believe that being noticed has to do with creating a scene and "taking a stand", and nominations drive them to become attention seekers. "They are smart enough to take their act up a notch since they just have four days and need to prove themselves. So if they're in a love story, they will be all over their partner, if they've had an old argument with someone, they'd bring it up and make their point, if they've had differences, they'd want to clarify and make amends," explains Sharma.

The formula approach can backfire, as in the case of Karishma Tanna. "She is trying to be like Gauahar Khan but not quite there," adds Sharma.

And, if the makers of the show are onto the contestant's motive, it's down time. Pradhan and his team come in to foil contestant's plans. "Contestants like Sonali, Ali and Praneet have been fence-sitters and have always tried to side with all the groups. By crafting a 'team vs team' task, we make them pick a side."

Fighting fame

Through the first couple of seasons it seemed that the fighters never fail. A tried and tested mantra for reality TV, not much has changed. "You cannot manufacture a fight. We might stay on Gautam Gulati or another contestant a bit more, if we find that the person to be more dramatic than the others but apart from that, we can't do much," says Deepak Dhar, Managing Director, Endemol India, who worked as the creative director for the first two seasons before moving onto a managerial role.

Dhar also shares that a considerable portion of viewers don't like watching fights, and would rather watch relationships bond. "I remember, something we never expected, was the bromance that happened in the second season of the show. It was fun watching guys coming together to discuss life and girls," he adds.

Reality bites

Producing cutting-edge reality TV means sleeping for three hours or less, being cut off from the world and locked up in an editing studio for weeks. "You have to be invested in the show. We have to take many on-the-fly calls and this means being clued in constantly," explains Dhar, who jokes how Pradhan had to get on with the show even with conjunctivitis by slipping on shades.

"We make day trips to Mumbai 4-5 times throughout a season, when we need a haircut or need to shop for groceries but apart from that we're here," says Pradhan. Shital Iyer, the other person required to be in Lonavala constantly, misses her family dearly and is nursing her slipped disc. "My son watches the show and asks me about what's going to happen next," she says with a smile. 

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; August 28, 2014)

The eighth season of Bigg Boss will be launched on September 21. The show’s makers have already locked names of the celebrity contestants and are said to be finalising the contracts soon.

A source says. “Initially, we planned to start airing the show in October but now we are launching it in September and a few more contestants are being signed on. This includes Minissha Lamba and Maryam Zakaria, who will up the glamour quotient of the show. Talks are also on with Shivaji Satam and Kumar Vishwas. The opening episode will be shot at Karjat, while the rest of the show may be shot in Lonavala.”

Meanwhile, sources say that TV shows Rang Rasiya and Beintehaa might go off air. A source says, “Rang Rasiya has not been getting good TRPs and it has aroused concern among the show’s makers. It may make way for Bigg Boss. Beintehaa may go off air too, but since it is doing well so far, the channel might push it ahead to a late-night slot. The final call will be taken in the coming days.”

Maryam and the channel’s spokesperson remained unavailable for comment. Deepak Dhar, MD, Endemol India, said, “I cannot comment on speculative stories.”

Minissha replied, “No, this is not true.”

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; August 22, 2014)

The Film Studio Settings and Allied Mazdoor Union have issued a non-cooperation notice against production house Endemol. Gangeshwar Srivastav, the union’s general secretary, says, “Endemol is yet to make payments worth nearly Rs 50 lakh for various tasks done by our members over the last couple of years. In fact, a worker from our union, Ramesh Maurya, had died on the sets during the last season but a compensation of Rs 10 lakh — that is due to his family — has still not been made.”

Srivastav says that other payments for Bigg Boss Kannada and shows like Encounter have also not been cleared by the company. “After our members got to know that a lot of money has still not been cleared by Endemol, they decided to walk out of the sets. They will only start work after the payments have been cleared. So far a cheque of only Rs 18 lakh has been sent to us. The production house keeps calling us saying that they want to have a meeting with us but nothing has happened so far. They could’ve just cleared the payments instead.”

Deepak Dhar from Endemol was unavailable for comment.

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; August 11, 2014)

If sources are to believed, Sangeeta Bijlani has been approached to be a part of Bigg Boss. Interestingly, she is the former girlfriend of Salman Khan, who will host the show.

A source says, “This year, the show is expected to go on air in October instead of September. Accordingly, the show’s production team has just started approaching celebrities for the show. The three people who have been approached are Sangeeta Bijlani, Inder Kumar and Amy Jackson. But they are yet to get back to the team with their answer.”

Although Salman has denied having a say in choosing contestants for the show, it just so happens that every year, people close to him have made it to the Bigg Boss house.

Looks like this year will not be an exception either. Sangeeta is believed to share a good rapport with the actor and his family and she is often spotted at their family gatherings. Inder too is friend of Salman and has acted with him in Wanted. Another source says, “So far, only Karishma Tanna has given her nod to the show and talks are on with other celebrities.” Inder, however, says that he has not been offered the show so far.

When contacted, Deepak Dhar, MD, Endemol India, replied, “I cannot comment on any speculative story at this point of time.”

The channel’s spokesperson remained unavailable for comment.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 4, 2014)

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 30, 2014)

After infecting many of her contemporaries, the TV bug has finally bitten Kajol. A few months ago, she missed the bus (Mirror, December 28, 2013). She was bowled over by Rensil D’Silva’s 27-episode fiction show, scripted by Priya Pinto, which revolved around a single mother living in an joint family in Delhi but her telly debut came at a premium which the channel wasn’t willing to cough up.

But now, if all goes well, the actress will enter the small screen with the Indian adaptation of the series Forbrydelsen (The Crime). The Danish drama, which also has a critically acclaimed American remake The Killing, revolves around a veteran investigator Sarah Lund. The show follows the police investigation of one specific case, day to day, with each hour-long episode covering 24 hours of the investigation.

A source close to the show reveals that while the actress has agreed on principle, the official modalities are still being worked out.

Adds the source, “Kajol is a movie star who will attract a lot of eyeballs on television. She loves the part but the character may turn from a detective to a cop. She is currently working out her terms and conditions with the production house and the broadcaster.”

When contacted CEO of Endemol India's (the company producing the show) Deepak Dhar, did not deny the story. He simply said, “We cannot comment on market speculation. We will make an official announcement soon.”

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; April 25, 2014)

Will Karan Malhotra, director of Agneepath (2012), make the Hindi version of the American sports drama, Warrior? Sources say that Malhotra will helm the Indianised adaptation of the film that will apparently be jointly produced by Endemol and Dharma Productions.

When contacted, Deepak Dhar, MD and CEO, Endemol, refused to say much. He said, “We are still working on Warrior; nothing has been finalised yet. We are yet to lock the team for this project.” A the Tom Hardy-starrer, Warrior is a 2011 sports drama that was directed by Gavin O’Connor. It tells the story of two brothers, their relationship and how they are pitted against each other in a martial arts tournament.

Not only has Endemol has bought the rights to this film, it seems that Karan Malhotra may now direct this film, even before Shuddhi goes on the floors next year.

Both Malhotra and Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions, remained unavailable for comment.

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; April 10, 2014)

A few months ago, Endemol and Star Plus had come together to shoot the Indian adaptation of the popular US drama, Grey’s Anatomy. But now it seems that the fate of the show hangs in the balance.

A crewmember says, “We shot the pilot last year in December, and sent it across to the channel, after which we got a go- ahead from them. We then shot a few more episodes and our creative team was even asked to make a few changes in the story in order to make it more palatable for the Indian audience. But post that, there has been no word on the show. We have no idea when the next schedule will start.”

A medical drama, a major chunk of the show will apparently be shot at Delhi’s Fortis hospital. “The channel has not given us any confirmation as far as airing the show is concerned. But the cast and crew are hopeful about it happening soon. It looks like things might start moving ahead post the Indian Premier League. Channels are usually averse to launching new shows during the IPL season. The show may get launched sometime in June or July,” adds the source.

Himashoo Malhotra (pic above), who stars in the show along with other debutant actors, says, “We don’t know when the show will go on air. That said, we expect it to happen soon.” Deepak Dhar, managing director of the production house, was unavailable for comment as was the channel’s spokesperson.

DNA (January 25, 2014)

The next season of Bigg Boss is a year away. But the show continues to be in the news. The reality show starring Salman Khan is hugely popular, and always surrounded by controversies. In the last season, the host, in a fit of anger, said that he might not host the show anymore. He was fed-up with the way the contestants were behaving and was facing the repercussions. Whether or not he will host the show again remains to be seen. But sources confirm that he will produce it along with Endemol!

The production house had a five-year contract with Colors, which is completed. While Colors may not want to let go of their big property, news is that other channels are offering more moolah. Insiders insist that the show is moving to Life OK. “The format is likely to change. It will not have celebrities in it, but common people. The show may also have only men or only women participating in it. And no, Salman won’t be hosting it,” says the source. Perhaps because Salman Khan has to shoot two films this year. Kick and Sooraj Bharjatya’s next. However, Deepak Dhar, CEO Endemol, denied that Bigg Boss was moving to another channel.

Life OK will also be airing Salman’s show based on social causes by the end of this year, inform sources. Salman already has a `500-crore deal with the Star Network for his films and moving to one of their channels seems only logical. Ajit Thakur, general manager, Life Ok remained unavailable for comment.