It was the year 1980. Yakub Sayed, then assistant director at Mumbai Doordarshan, now called DD Sahyadri, received a phone call. It was to inform him that actress Nargis Dutt, who was in New York for medical treatment after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, had passed away. He informed his director, and a call was made to the I&B Ministry, which then connected with the Prime Minister’s office.

“We were informed that PM Indira Gandhi is on her way to Bombay and somebody should go to the airport to let her know the news. I was given this task. I went along with my cameraman. Just as she [PM Gandhi] began descending the airstair, I asked the cameraman to start shooting. When I informed Mrs Gandhi, she said that she was deeply saddened at the news. But it was a small reaction. To get more, I decided to pay a visit to Dev Anand’s office, which was in the vicinity. After I had broken the news to him, he offered us a long byte. To make it a whole package, I decided to pay a visit to Sunil Dutt’s home, hoping to get a reaction from the househelps and drivers. But once I reached there, I saw Sanjay Dutt having tea with his friends, laughing. I asked the cameraman to stay put and decided to ask him about his mother and he said, she is doing better,” Sayed tells mid-day between laughs. 

By the time he had reached DD’s Worli office, everyone had heard what had happened. “I behaved like I didn’t know. They told me I must pay Mrs Gandhi a visit and confess the blunder because she had already offered her condolences at a meeting that day. I refused, saying, I would rather resign than tell her that… she was known to have a temper. Someone else was given the task and I am sure a few people lost their jobs that day.”

A year later, when a call came saying Nargis Dutt had passed away, Sayed took a taxi and went to Breach Candy Hospital where she was admitted. It was only after he saw a crowd of mourners that he was convinced that the news was in fact, true. “But, it was a Sunday. So, everyone was on chhutti. I went to her brother Anwar Hussain asking if he had the reel of her last film, Raat Aur Din. He had the negatives. I got them developed, and that’s what we aired that evening,” recalls Sayed, now 88. “The viewers, I heard, loved that telecast.”

Mumbai Doordarshan completed 50 years last Sunday. Sayed, who was present at the ceremony held at its Worli studio, served the public service broadcaster from 1972 to his retirement in 1992, when he left as director of Doordarshan Kolkata, or DD Bangla.

We met him on a weekday afternoon in Bhiwandi where he put up for the day in an ancestral home that belongs to his daughter and son-in-law. “I moved here from Kurla because my daughter thinks I am too old to live by myself,” he says.

Over the next hour, Sayed takes us on a journey through the initial years of Mumbai Doordarshan, sharing anecdotes that shaped his life. This, however, wasn’t his first job. After a Master’s in Arts degree from Pune University, Sayed bagged a job at All India Radio. “It was after working there for a decade that I was told I have been selected for television and would have to undergo a six-month training at FTII [Film and Television Institute of India],” he says, of the broadcaster when it had just about 100 employees.  

“Since Bombay was catering to the Marathi-speaking population, about 80 per cent of our content was in Marathi. The most popular among this were the Marathi plays. On Saturday, we would show a 2.5 hour-long play which enjoyed better viewership than films; Maharashtrians love their theatre.”

Sayed directed and produced 180 plays himself, including the popular Dinucha Sasubai and Radhabai, Shyamchi Aai, Sharda, Naukri and Piano. “In fact, during the broadcast of Piano—a love story where a female piano player plans to elope with her lover after a performance but cannot—I got a call from Raj Kapoor asking about the actress. He asked me to send her to his office and she was offered the role of heroine in his film; she however, refused saying she was to get married. The film was Prem Rog; the role eventually went to Padmini Kolhapure.”

Another play that Sayed worked on, Beimaan, the story of two friends, was also turned into a film. “Hrishikesh Mukherjee made it into Namak Haraam in 1973 starring Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan.”

Besides theatre, Sayed says shows that enjoyed large audience include a children’s shows called Khilbil; a light entertainment programme Garba that focussed on small skits; Aamchi Maati Aamchi Manasa which tackled challenges faced by farmers; a show revolving around home called Sundar Maze Ghar; a comedy called Has Parihas and a chat show featuring the legendary Tabassum, Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan.

“Tabassum’s Phool Khile Gulshan Gulshan [which aired until 1993] was then what Koffee With Karan is today. She interviewed top actors and musicians show from Prem Nath to Amitabh Bachchan, RD Burman, Shatrughan Sinha and Ashok Kumar, some even multiple times… only Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar refused saying they aren’t comfortable being interviewed by someone who was younger to them,” Sayed recalls.

For one of the shows, he turned actor, bringing him public fame. “In one of the meetings, we discussed the need for a comedy programme. The arrow pointed at me. I thought everybody who picks up newspapers does read a joke, why not enact them on television? The show was called Has Parihas. It began in 1973 and became very famous… Mahmood, Jeetendra, Daboo [Randhir Kapoor], everybody came on the show. Lata [Mangeshkar] would also request for jokes… It gave me a lot of fame,” he says, adding, “You know who was my biggest fan? Morarji Desai. He once asked me to meet him, saying he always calls for my tapes and watches them. He even asked why the show was shut down.” After airing for three years, the show stopped after his co-actor on the show Baban Prabhu passed away.

Interestingly, television was still in a nascent stage and those who had TV set at home struggled with its operation. “Once I got a call from a minister, asking me to come over to his residence. Because he was an important man, I dropped everything and went across. He told me his TV was not working. I was no engineer. I asked his staffer to go to the roof and continue to gently move the antenna till I asked him to stop. When it was adjusted enough to sit parallel to the TV, the set came on.” In return as a goodwill gesture, the politico agreed to come on Kilbil as guest.  

But Sayed’s favourite story is from the inaugural day of Mumbai Doordarshan—October 2, 1972. “At around 6 pm, we realised that the hustle-bustle that should have marked the arrival of the chief minister was missing. On calling his secretary, we were told that his diary had a wrong date entry. The event that should have started at 6.30 pm was delayed; this irked Bismillah Khan [shehnai maestro], who had to miss his evening namaz. Then a cup broke in the green room and hurt Asha Parekh’s foot and she started to bleed. I went downstairs to find a doctor. To top it all, we ran the programme live but forgot to record it. DD Mumbai does not have a recording of its debut broadcast.”

Yakub Sayed with actress and television host Tabassum whose chat show Phool Khile Gulshan Gulshan was very popular and saw the presence of every prominent actor and musician

Yakub Sayed with popular Marathi actress Neena Kulkarni, who began her career in the 1970s with theatre

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Yakub Sayed and his co-actor on the show Has Parihas, Baban Prabhu with Amjad Khan

OTT PLATFORMS, TELEVISION WITNESS A SPIKE IN VIEWERSHIP

Film is a powerful medium and is widely consumed by people across the country. A major chunk of this population regularly watches movies in cinemas. Sadly, theatres have been shut since more than a month due to lockdown and amid rising Coronavirus cases. Most of the people are locked up in their homes and to tide over their boredom, they have started watching more of television and OTT. As a result, their ratings have increased substantially.

Talking of television, the shoots have come to a halt because of obvious reasons. The channels have therefore started to air old episodes of popular daily soaps. Yet, they are getting good viewership. Meanwhile, a masterstroke was pulled off with the decision to have the re-run of successful mythological shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat. These were aired on Doordarshan, just the way it was done in the late 80s. The response was mind-blowing. Doordarshan emerged as one of the top channels in terms of viewership, which has not happened in a long time. Their other shows like Buniyaad, Shrimaan Shrimati etc too have made a comeback and have been lapped up.

Meanwhile, the movie screenings too have recorded an increase in viewings. Last year’s biggest hit War had its television premiere during lockdown and got a huge 2 crore impressions approx, one of the highest ever. The other films like Housefull 4, Total Dhamaal, Pati Patni Aur Woh etc too are doing very well, more so because of the lockdown.

As for OTT, it too has taken advantage. The subscribers of almost all streaming platforms have increased. Some popular series released new seasons of their shows like Money Heist, Four More Shots Please etc and the response has been very encouraging. Also, viewers have been discovering many more shows and movies which they previously missed because of lack of time. Amusingly, a 2011 film, titled Contagion, became one of the most watched films worldwide. It tells the story of a disease that goes out of control and is eerily similar to the current Coronavirus pandemic.

The lockdown or rather the restrictions are expected to go on till a long time. And if you feel, OTT and TV channels will continue to benefit, then you might be mistaken. There’s a fear that viewers will soon reach a saturation point and might move away from these mediums. At a webinar recently, a speaker remarked that many have consumed the material that they would have otherwise consumed in 3 years in just 3 months! Also, OTT platforms, after a point, won’t have anything new to offer as their productions have halted as well. So a few months down the line, they too will feel the pinch as they’ll struggle to bring out new content. There’s similar fear about re-runs of TV shows as well.

Ultimately, the hope is that the curve gets flattened soon and things get back to normal.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 23, 2020)

With the re-telecast of iconic shows Ramayan and Mahabharat, Rohit Roy, who rose to fame with Doordarshan’s afternoon show, Swabhimaan (aired in 1995), says he would love to see the show back on television.

“The cast has been in touch all these years through a chat group and we keep talking about the show. In fact, a while ago, we had a reunion too. But as for the show airing again, that might not be possible on Doordarshan as the rights of the show are not with the channel but with an OTT platform. I wish it aired on DD again, as the content of the show is still relevant and fresh. Moreover, imagine the recall value as so many talented actors featured on the show,” he says. Manoj Bajpayee and Ashutosh Rana featured in the show in the initial phase of their careers.

Roy shares being in a Coronavirus lockdown is working for him and he is happy being at home. He has finished the script of his directorial. “I am not whining. I think this is the perfect time to recharge. I have had a lot of clarity about my work in the last month, so much so that I finished my script with dialogues for my film. There are no distractions and no clutter in the mind,” he says.

The Sanjivani actor is sticking to a routine of workout, working and chilling at home. He feels this is the time to be creative and productive. “Spending time with family is a must, but taking out some hours in the day to work on yourself or focus on your work is essential too. After the lockdown, it will be a challenging time for everyone,” he adds.

As Doordarshan bags top slot among the most-watched channels, we find out what’s attracting audiences to old, iconic shows
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 13, 2020)

Back in the ’80s and ’90s, Doordarshan’s viewership would regularly go through the roof. And then, private GECs (general entertainment channels) took over. But now, history is repeating itself as DD — as per the data by Broadcast Audience Research Council-Nielsen — has emerged as the most-watched channel across genres, in the week of March 28 to April 3. In the week before that (March 21-27), DD National didn’t even feature in the top 10 most-viewed channels in Hindi GECs category.

During the ongoing national lockdown due to Coronavirus, DD has brought back many of its iconic shows such as Ramayan, Mahabharat and Shaktimaan. And the idea has worked. As per the data, DD National’s viewership went up to 580 million impressions in the 9 am-10.30 am slot [in the week of March 28 to April 3], compared to one million impressions in the previous week. Likewise, in the 9 pm-10.30 pm slot, the corresponding numbers stood at 835 million impressions, which was two million in the previous week.

TV industry insiders and experts feel DD shows “will always have a strong emotional connect and recall value.” “They will always remain classics. Also, these days, when people’s mood is gloomy, these shows bring positivity, and also make for a great family watch. Plus, they also stand out for their innate simplicity,” says TV director-producer Rajan Shahi. For trade analyst Taran Adarsh, it goes on to “prove the power of quality content”. “That’s why even if one may not have heard of the actors who worked in them, the shows still attract people,” he says.

According to TV producer Sumeet Mittal, people will “always have loads of nostalgia attached to DD shows”. “Also, there are no fresh episodes of the new shows. But it’s great that people are reconnecting to the classics,” he says.

Shaktimaan actor-producer, Mukesh Khanna puts things in perspective: “It’s a great move by DD to bring back the iconic shows, which were extremely rich in content and educative, too. Today’s kids need much more ‘maarg darshan’ than the kids of that time,” he says.

With episode banks running dry due to the lockdown, TV channels decide to revive yesteryear hits
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 6, 2020)

On March 27, Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that in light of the 21-day lockdown, enforced to flatten the Coronavirus spread curve, Ramanand Sagar’s magnum opus Ramayan would be brought back on DD National. Soon after, it emerged that the channel would be rereleasing other yesteryear hits from its oeuvre, including Mahabharat, Shrimaan Shrimati, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Chanakya, Circus, Byomkesh Bakshi and Shaktimaan.

On Thursday, Shashi Shekhar, CEO, Prasar Bharati—India’s public service broadcaster which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio—tweeted, “Thrilled to share that the re-telecast of Ramayan on @ddnational has garnered the highest ever rating for a Hindi GEC show since 2015.” Now, Mahabharat is poised to follow suit.

Meanwhile, with the lockdown having considerably depleted their episode banks, private channels, too, are forced to revisit their older shows. Colors has already brought back the recently-concluded season 13 of Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss, along with popular daily soaps like Dil Se Dil Tak and Belan Wali Bahu. Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18, calls the channel’s old titles “seasoned shows”, adding, “We are facing an unprecedented situation. But we want to make sure that we keep providing wholesome entertainment to our audience, even in the time of social distancing.”

Kapil Sharma’s maiden solo stint on TV, Comedy Nights With Kapil, is also poised for a return with weekend special episodes on Colors. Interestingly, competitor Sony will be airing re-runs of the on-going season of The Kapil Sharma Show. CID, India’s longest-running TV show that went off air in October 2018 after 21 years, is back on Sony. Best of Crime Patrol and Superstar Singer are also returning to primetime. Horror fans will be particularly pleased to learn that the channel has reserved its cult show, Aahat, for midnight viewing. Sab TV, on the other-hand has placed its safe bet on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.

Mythology seems to be the flavour of the season. After Doordarshan, Star Plus is sprucing up with three of its own past mythologicals— Mahabharat, Siya Ke Ram and RadhaKrishn. Daily staples from the same channel—Saathiya, Diya Aur Baati Hum and Pratigya—are back as well, and sources confirm, are registering considerably higher ratings than during their original run. Star Bharat has decided to get back the two comic classics, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Instant Khichdi.

Meanwhile, Zee TV has come up with a unique strategy of bringing their web-shows to the small screen, which includes Sakshi Tanwar and Ram Kapoor’s Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, Baarish featuring Sharman Joshi and the Ronit Roy-led Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain to combat vacant slots in the 9 pm-11 pm duration. “The cessation of shoots across daily primetime soaps lead us to evaluate alternatives in the absence of the core staple,” says Aparna Bhosle, Business Head, Zee TV, adding, “Given that we have access to a vast repository of content across multiple platforms, we decided to look within the network to arrive at this decision.” For the afternoon slots, the channel has revived Brahmarakshas, Pavitra Rishta, Choti Bahu, Kasamh Se, Jamai Raja, Jodha Akbar and Zindagi Ki Mehek.

Ayushmann Khurrana is also returning to the telly, through his 2008 show Ek Thi Rajkumari, which will soon start airing on &TV. The National Award-winning actor played the antagonist Prem in this love triangle. Incidentally, the channel is also bringing back the 56-episode, 2012 version of Ramayan, which had Gagan Malik as Ram, Neha Sargam as Sita and Sachin Tyagi as Ravan. “As the entire country fights the (Coronavirus) threat, there’s nothing better to bring families together than this fight between good and evil,” says Vishnu Shankar, Business Head, &TV.

Mukesh Khanna, who played Bhishma Pitamah in Mahabharat and India’s first superhero in Shaktimaan, says, “I’d never imagined that Ramayan and Mahabharat would air on the same day. It’s surreal. Back in the day, the government asked us not to air two epics in one day, as they were considered heavy shows for viewers. So, the premiere of Mahabharat was pushed by a year-and-a-half,” the veteran actor recounts.

He believes that the two mythological shows, along with his superhero outing, have given people a chance to revisit Indian culture. “After I heard about Ramayan and Mahabharat being brought back on TV, I spoke to the CEO of Prasar Bharati to air Shaktimaan, too. All it took was an e-mail,” he informs.

When asked if there are plans to take Shaktimaan’s story forward, the actor reveals that plans are afoot for season 2. “Shaktimaan was India’s first superhero, not RA.One or Krrish. I wanted to bring the character to the 70 MM format but couldn’t due to monetary issues. I have been working on Shaktimaan’s return for three years now, and there’s a concrete plan in place now,” he signs off enigmatically.

Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 6, 2020)

When it comes to giving life advice, very few come close to the intellect that Neena Gupta possesses. The actor, who is currently in Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand), where she reached just two days before the Coronavirus lockdown, is keeping herself busy by making her own Instagram video series titled Sach Kahoon Toh, in which she gives her opinion about various topics. These include — not falling for married men and how to cope with stress during this crisis. “I speak from the heart and like to share whatever I feel I can with women. It’s not necessary that I make these videos every day or give advice all the time. The other day, I just felt like dancing and telling people to stay in their houses. I am planning to make a video about how one can do away with fancy shampoos and soaps during this time. It’s a way of keeping myself and the audience entertained,” she says.

The actor says that it is ideal to avoid discussing negative subjects and instead do things that please us at the moment. “It’s very difficult to stay positive in this time. I keep myself busy so that I don’t have time to think. I am taking online classes for classical singing. Apart from that, I am cooking, too. The other day, I tried my hand at rava dosa and it turned out well,” she says.

Gupta, who has spent four decades in the industry, was part of many television shows including Buniyaad, which the government has decided to re-telecast on Doordarshan. “Everyone doesn’t have a subscription to OTT channels. Many still watch Doodarshan. So, I think it’s a great initiative. Even the younger generation will be exposed to the series which I think is relevant even today and has stood the test of time. While I don’t have a huge role in it, I have fond memories of the serial,” she concludes.

What does it mean to be white and desi? Late actor Tom Alter's YouTuber son, who is also an established sports journalist, breaks it down one video at a time
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; April 5, 2020)

A Hindi-speaking, white man is an anomaly. The last person, we remember, who made it look so easy on stage and screen, was late actor Tom Alter. It was then but natural that when the co-writers of the mini-series Afsos, which released on Amazon Prime in February, were looking at casting a white man for the role of Dr Goldfish, whose grasp over Hindi is a defining twist in the plot, they would be reminded of the veteran. "After searching a lot, when we did not get anything [a person who fit the bill], we thought Tom Alter would have been great for this role," Sourav Ghosh, who has co-written the Gulshan Devaiah-starrer mini-series, had later shared. "We decided to check if Tom Alter has any family." A Google search led them to his son Jamie Alter, who not known to many, had enjoyed a popular stint as funnyman Tinku Jiya, an anchor on a news satire show, Fake It India.

"Namaskar doston, main hoon apne ghar waalo ka lalla aur aapke jigar ka challa, Tinku Jiya," the opening lines, which Jamie rattled effortlessly on his show, won the writers over. "It was extremely overwhelming. Someone had seen me in a role that I had never envisioned myself in. But it had come at a perfect time," says Jamie, 39, over the phone from Noida.

Jamie, unlike most children who grew up in homes where acting was bread and butter, never took a shine to it. His father, lived two lives every day, he says. "It used to be surreal to see him at home, as this man, who drinks tea, eats mangoes and toast, watches cricket and plays games with us. And then, as soon as he was out, he'd put a wig on, wear a white suit, and hold a machine gun."

"I actually had a great time, joining dad on the outdoor shoots, visiting him on set and attending those movie premieres and screenings. But, as I hit my teenage years, I grappled with whether I should be doing what my father was doing, or try something different." Jamie found his passion in sports journalism, and continued at it for nearly 15 years, while his father, followed his success from the side-lines. "Dad, I think, was happier that I got into journalism. It was something he did, too. In fact, he had been associated with mid-day, ever since the newspaper launched, and balanced a lot of sports writing with his acting in the 1980s and early '90s."

Even until the last few months before he passed away in September 2017, Jamie remembers his father taking a keen interest in his writing. "Once, when he was to come to Delhi for work, he called, saying, 'I don't have the time to read online, but will you get me the print-outs of all your articles when we meet.' He was so happy the first time, I interviewed Rahul Dravid."

Jamie's stint as Tinku Jiya—the name has been lifted from a Bollywood music number—came about in 2017, when he was a digital sports editor with a newspaper. "During one of our very dull, daily edit meetings, my colleague Neeraj Badhwar, a humourist, suddenly had a brainwave and asked if I would play a character that he had in mind, for his show. He told me, 'You are the white guy, speaking in Hindi. It's disruptive as an idea. People are going to catch on, and love the show." As Badhwar predicted, Tinku Jiya really took off. Alter, who happened to see just two shows that featured his son, was impressed. "He said this [my character] was real fun, and that I should keep doing it. Dad was always so encouraging and supportive. I still remember the number of actors who'd show up at our house, requesting five minutes of dad's time… he'd give them five hours."

Tinku Jiya took a break, after Jamie switched jobs. But the demand from his followers continued. "I went back to Neeraj, after I started freelancing last year, and we revived the character," he says.

Last year, Jamie started his own YouTube channel, which currently has 85.2K subscribers. Here, he shares videos that include everything from comedy sketches, to cricket discussions, stories of his father, and his white identity. "There are a lot of misconceptions around my identity. I have also been asked if I am an albino. Some think my father was British or that he came here as a hippie. That was not the case at all."

Alter was the son of American missionaries. His grandfather moved to India in the early 1900s. "I attempt to answer those questions through these videos," he says. "I also enjoy humour. I did an episode on what it means to be travelling abroad with an Indian passport, and being white. That got me seven lakh views."

For now, Jamie is enjoying this phase, where he is trying just about everything that's coming his way. But, he says, when it comes to acting, the legacy his father left behind, will be unmatched. Some of his fondest memories are of watching him in the Doordarshan show, Jugalbandi, which also featured Radha Seth and Girish Karnad. He even tweeted to DD National last week, asking if they would consider a re-run of the show, during the national lockdown. "As actor, I don't have the drive that my father did. It is humbling that people have such nice things to say about my work. But, we both did very different things. I make YouTube videos, and dad was a great stage actor. Afsos, which is possibly my only body of acting work, literally fell onto my lap. Nothing came easily for dad. He worked very hard for it."

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 3, 2020)

Shekhar Suman’s social media feed is inundated with posts from his followers about the return of the iconic comedy Dekh Bhai Dekh (DBD) — a comedy show that captures the lives of the three generations of Mumbai-based Dewan family who live together under one roof — on Doordarshan. In a move to keep audiences entertained during the lockdown, the channel has been airing old TV shows which were popular and are still remembered by viewers.

Thrilled that his superhit sitcom DBD is airing again, Suman says, “I am happy that a family entertainer will be watched by youngsters. They will realise the joy of living together in a joint family. We need the spirit of being together with our loved ones in tough times like these.”

He reminisces that the show was a huge hit from day one. “Doing TV wasn’t the plan but DBD resurrected my career. I debuted with Utsav (1984) and had a few hit films but then my career dipped badly. I got B-grade film offers so I didn’t take them on and waited at home for two years. I was at my all-time career low. So, when I was approached for DBD in 1993, I was skeptical,” he shares.

During this lockdown, Suman is catching up with life and “being reintroduced” to himself. He feels in the fast pace of life, one forgets who we are. “It’s ironic that most people dream of owning a big house but how many of us stay at home to enjoy it? Circumstances have now forced us to stay at home. This is the time to catch up with life, learn more about yourself and appreciate what you have. This virus is nature’s way of teaching us a lesson. It has taught us to slow down. The pandemic has ambushed us and we have to fight it out,” he says.

Actor Emraan Hashmi on his journey in Bollywood, and what his son taught him about life
Suman Sharma (TIMES LIFE; March 29, 2020)

Looking back, do you have any regrets?
I’m proud of whatever I have done. I don’t have any regrets. What I’m today is because of certain films. I gained from that kind of cinema. There are many films, which you feel were not made for you or were not made as they should have been made. But that’s a learning process. How will you grow if you do not make mistakes? You have to do justice to whatever comes your way.

Given the competition around, do you feel insecure as an actor?
I don’t feel insecure ever because the industry is a big place. It always welcomes talent. Today, so many new avenues have opened up. All kinds of films are being made. The medium doesn’t matter. What matters is talent. If you have talent, you’ll get opportunities. There’s work for all. In fact, we should learn from the newcomers. They bring in fresh ideas.

What do newcomers have today that you did not possess when you began?
The current generation has got more exposure. What my son, Ayaan, grasps from watching films is much more than what I did as a youngster. He has access to the OTT platforms, YouTube, social media... I was born in the ’80s, when there was only one channel, Doordarshan. We absorbed whatever we could from it. Satellite TV came in later. When youngsters are exposed to so much stimulation, they are bound to create wonders.

Is it frustrating to wait for a good script to come your way?
There’s no frustration as such. You just have to keep on working, putting in efforts to enhance a film. Slowly, you’ll start getting the films to your liking. The more you learn; the more your acting will improve. I never felt frustrated. My films could be hits or flops, the industry always gave me work. I didn’t have to sit at home. Also, I can make the films I want through my production house.

Turning point in your career...
Every film is a turning point. The route is never linear. You can never predict your next Friday. Personally, the birth of my son was a turning point for me.

How have you changed as a person over the years?
As a person, I’m the same as I was 10 years ago. But you develop a world view. You evolve as a human being. My perception has changed towards people, towards films… It’s difficult to put it in words. You change along the course of your profession. You change after marriage, after parenthood. When you experience the death of a close one, you change. Experiences surely change you.

Has the way you look at life also changed after Ayaan’s fight with cancer?
Yes. Earlier, I thought too much about the future. But all that has changed now. Today, I’m satisfied with what I have. I live in today. I experience every moment and try to live it fully. My attitude is to take one day at a time, to behave responsibly and with discipline. Parenthood has taught me responsibility. As teenagers, we lack balance. At 20, I used to run away from responsibility. You turn accountable when you marry, and more so, when you become a parent.

Which of your films does Ayaan enjoy?
He has not seen any of my films. I don’t wish to show them to him. (Laughs) All my films are censored as he’s just 9 years old. Ayaan wants to become an actor. The atmosphere around him is such... but for now, he has to study, enjoy life and experience it. When he turns 20, he will understand things better. Most probably, cinema will be different then. He may even change his mind. But yes, he has to keep a back-up plan ready. Life is unpredictable here. I did not have a back-up plan. That’s a terrifying thought. Thankfully, things turned out good for me.

His debut directorial venture for Doordarshan staying with him for two decades, Kabir Khan on revisiting the subject of WWII in the web show
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; December 19, 2019)

Even as he gears up to bring the story of India's first World Cup victory to life with Ranveer Singh-starrer '83, Kabir Khan is garnering the attention of cinephiles with a project that has stayed with him for several years. It was in 1999 that the filmmaker made his directorial debut with The Forgotten Army — based on Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army — a Doordarshan project that had such an impact on him that he harboured the desire to recreate it on an elaborate scale, ever since.

"This is a story 20 years in the making," Khan tells mid-day of his upcoming web offering, The Forgotten Army — Azaadi Ke Liye. "The story moved me passionately as a filmmaker ever since I made a documentary on the subject. I have always wanted to tell this largely unheard story of our valiant INA soldiers, who were fighting for our country's independence in a land far away from Indian soil."

Revisiting those events that concerned India before and after the second World War, the show, a source says, was filmed in locations that were crucial to the events that transpired then. "We shot in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. [Certain] locations were recreated in Mumbai on a mammoth scale, even if that meant investing heavily for a mere four-day shoot that required the set-up. The team wanted to make the series look as authentic as possible," says the source.