Showing posts with label Gajra Kottary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gajra Kottary. Show all posts
I used to call Surekha Sikri the Goddess of acting-Gajra Kottary
8:22 AM
Writer Gajra Kottary shares her experience of working with Surekha Sikri, who played Dadisa in Balika Vadhu for eight years
Gajra Kottary (MID-DAY; July 17, 2021)
It’s a strange feeling and a terrible loss after the great innings we had with Surekha Sikri ji. I used to call her the Goddess of acting — there was no one who could match [her screen presence]. The last one or two years were rather difficult, especially for an artiste like her who could no longer do her favourite thing — acting because of the physical limitations, owing to her age and health. Despite her health, she was immensely brave about it and wanted to [continue acting]. She was a bit of a recluse and would refrain from sharing her troubles with anyone.
I remember catching up with her at a Balika Vadhu milestone party during the initial phase of the show. I was amused to see her dance happily with her husband [Hemant Rege] who passed away [in 2009], a year after she joined Balika Vadhu. During one such celebration where we all had decided to dress up as characters from Balika Vadhu, I had donned a Rajasthani metal neckpiece that Dadisa’s character always wore. She instantly recognised that I had dressed up as her, even though I had paired it with a salwar suit. While she loved it, she also joked that it was not entirely like Dadisa. Given her serious demeanour, I was surprised to hear her make a joke.
During the eight years of the show, there was a period of four to five months when she was quite ill. We never worried about the absence of any other character. But not being able to showcase Dadisa on screen was a big fear [for the makers]. People often watched the show to see her. She was the secret heroine of the daily soap. We had to work twice as hard [to fill her void]. We would resort to shooting only top portions from her home, her lines were dubbed and at times we even utilised old footage so that the audience didn’t miss her.
She was one of the few characters on screen that had a dramatic arc — from being the most hated character, she became the most progressive one. As an artiste, Surekha ji would ask questions to understand her character better and give her own interpretation to Dadisa. She set a standard [of acting] in Balika Vadhu. During internal meetings, we would discuss how every actor upped their game when sharing screen space with her.
As told to Letty Mariam Abraham
After mythology, is it time for the return of saas-bahu TV shows?
8:22 AM
The sagas that had redefined Indian TV, now hope to win audiences all over again
Sangeeta Yadav (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 14, 2020)
Agreat strategy or crisis management — reruns of phenomenally popular mythological shows Mahabharat and Ramayan or sitcoms Dekh Bhai Dekh and Shrimaan Shrimati during the Coronavirus lockdown are proving to be quite the game-changer on TV. Now, with Balika Vadhu the latest to return, many feel getting back iconic saas bahu sagas such as Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagi Kay and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, among others, will boost TRPs.
Producer Rajan Shahi feels good shows will resonate whenever they air. “If we bring back saas-bahu shows which started a new phase on Indian TV, broadcasters can cash in on the popularity again,” he says.
Avika Gor, aka the young Anandi of Balika Vadhu, is overwhelmed as her show returns. “It was a one-of-its kind show, and each episode had a message that made a difference,” she says.
Actors who became a household name with these shows also feel it’s a great idea to bring them back.
Urvashi Dholakia aka Komolika of Kasautii... feels people will love to go down memory lane. Other than her show, she says, “I’d also like to see Kahaani... because I love Sakshi Tanwar’s acting and the whole cast was perfect. Even Ghar Ek Mandir and Mehndi Tere Naam Ki were very relatable and the characters beautifully etched.” Echoing the sentiment, Hiten Tejwani of Kyunki... says, “All these shows hold a great recall value and will definitely get a good audience. Even the current generation will be able to connect.”
Though the popular sitcoms are doing well on screen, getting daily soaps back “involves calculative risk”, points out scriptwriter Gajra Kottary. “Most of these are long-running shows and once the lockdown is over, the new shows would be back. Balika Vadhu for instance, went on for eight years, so it will club two episodes and air for an hour daily. So, some broadcasters are playing it safe by going for shows with shorter episodes,” Kottary adds.
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