Showing posts with label Sayantani Ghosh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sayantani Ghosh. Show all posts
No fire on the sets of Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, say makers and cast
8:25 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 15, 2023)
Producers Alind Srivastava and Nissar Parvez have quashed reports stating that a fire broke out on the set of their TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul and destroyed it. “It happened on another set,” Parvez tells us.
Srivastava, while denying the reports, shares that the studio they are shooting in has 11 floors and the mishap happened on a deserted floor. “We were shooting outside [when the incident happened], thank God for that!” he adds.
According to reports, a fire broke out at Bhajanlal Studios situated in Kaman (Vasai) on the outskirts of Mumbai, around midnight on Friday. Flames were put out by 4 am on Saturday, a fire brigade official of the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation told PTI. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.
Actor Sayantani Ghosh, who plays a pivotal role in the show, says: “It’s like in Film City. It (Bhajanlal Studios) is a big studio with different floors and sets of different films and shows. I don’t know who is spreading false information. Our set is completely fine.”
The TV show, which stars Abhishek Nigam and Manul Chudasama, will go off air in June. Earlier, the show featured Sheezan Khan and late Tunisha Sharma. The latter died by suicide on set in December last year. A day later, Khan was arrested on charges of abetment. He walked out of jail on March 5.
(Inputs from Rishabh Suri)
Long working hours, last-minute script changes: Is this still the reality of the TV industry?
8:09 AM
After Radhika Madan’s recent statement on the working hours in the television industry, we take a look at how the functioning in telly land has changed over the years
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; February 3, 2023)
Radhika Madan, who made a transition from television to films, recently spoke about the work culture in the TV industry. In an interview, Radhika, who started her career with the TV show Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi, which was on air from 2014-16, said that she did 48 hour-shifts and the scripts, too, were never written in advance. She said that a director had once told her that if she wanted to understand a character well, that can be done in a film, but on TV, owing to telecast issues, one can’t focus on the script.
Radhika was slammed by actress Sayantani Ghosh and producer Ekta Kapoor for not being grateful to the TV industry that gave her a break in showbiz. However, the truth is, the working hours in the TV industry have always been hectic. In fact, 10 years ago, they were far more erratic, but in recent times, the conditions have improved considerably. We take a look at how things have changed in the tellyindustry over the past four decades...
‘WORKING IN THE 80S WAS MORE RELAXED BECAUSE THERE WAS JUST ONE CHANNEL’
In the 80s, there was only Doordarshan and shows aired just once a week. The actors got ample time to prepare for their scenes and so did the technicians. Veteran actress Sushmita Mukherjee, who became popular as Kitty in Karamchand, which aired in 1985, shares her experience of working at that time.
Sushmita says, “In those days, the work environment was far more relaxed and since it was a weekly show, we used to get a lot of time to rehearse. There were no issues with telecast because we had only one channel — Doordarshan. Later, with more channels and daily soaps taking over, the scenario changed.”
‘THINGS CHANGED WITH SATELLITE CHANNELS COMING IN. RATINGS BECAME MORE IMPORTANT’
The early 90s saw the advent of satellite channels, and gradually with more channels coming in, things began to change. Sushmita, who continued to work on TV, recounts, “When satellite channels came in, TV shows became market-driven products. I worked in shows like Kavvyanjali, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Kabhi Saas Kabhi Bahu and Balika Vadhu. We did have long working hours — 12-16 hour shifts — but that was the nature of the beast. I have seen days when we used to sleep on the sets due to long working hours. But it was a question of our bread and butter and we also got to play interesting roles.”
‘SCRIPTS WERE CHANGED LAST MINUTE BECAUSE OF THE TRP PRESSURE’
Television Rating Point (TRP) became the buzzword in the millennium and hence scripts of shows were constantly altered to boost ratings. This happens to date. Nausheen Ali Sardar, who played the title role in Kkusum (2001), says, “I remember in those days, sometimes we used to wait till midnight for final approvals on the script because it was undergoing changes. Script taaza aa rahi hai is a sentence that has been used since those days, it’s not new.”
However, the actress does not blame anyone for this. She says, “I don’t think anyone can be blamed for it because that is the nature of the medium.”
‘IF ACTORS ARE NOT HAPPY, THEY SHOULD CHANGE THEIR PROFESSION’
Echoing the general sentiment of makers, producer Benaifer Kohli says, “We did have long working hours in the past, but no one put a gun on anyone’s head even then. We don’t work beyond 12 hours now. Things are definitely more organized and better today. If one is still not happy with things, then they should change their profession. But after doing TV and climbing the ladder, you can’t say TV had long working hours... there is no need to demean the profession. Everyone knows how TV actors have earned and bought multiple houses, luxurious cars and prospered.”
‘ACTORS SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRAVELLING’
Aasif Sheikh, who has been a part of the telly industry for more than three decades and is currently seen in Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, says, “Long working hours are a part of the business. Sets are situated in Naigaon and far-off areas, as a result, actors spend a lot of time travelling and don’t have much of a social life. Of course, you earn a lot of money, fame and adulation, which you wouldn’t get in any other medium, but a proper system needs to be in place.”
Bengali actress slam 'black magic, gold diggers, manipulative' prejudice post Rhea Chakraborty row
8:28 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 5, 2020)
Practitioners of black magic, gold diggers, manipulative — these are some of the terms being used to generalise women from the Bengali community. All this, after Sushant Singh Rajput’s family lodged an FIR against his girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty. Following this, people on social media began to allege that Rhea practised black magic and pushed him to take his life.“I was very angry at such statements. Because of Rhea, Bengali women are getting trolled. One girl is an alleged gold digger; we don’t even know the case. We don’t even know this girl’s story. How is it fair to blame all of us?” actor Koena Mitra asks.
Slamming the whole “Bengali women witch hunting” talk, actor Tanushree Dutta says, “This has been started by the self proclaimed men’s activist Barkha Trehan. She is an a** licker to morally bankrupt men and now she is maligning Bengali women. We are sexy, smart, classy, massy and awesome.”Responding to how Bengali women “catch a big fish”, actor Swastika Mukherjee recently wrote, “Yes I prefer Rui or Bhetki, then fry it in mustard oil and finish it off with steaming rice with some green/red chillies.”
Actor Sayantani Ghosh feels it’s sad to see people succumb to the idea of such templates. “It shows how shallow, we as a race, have become. The funny part is that it’s the educated lot who believe such things. I did a reality show and an actor, a friend of mine, told me back then that I was performing well because I did black magic. Why is it difficult to accept that a person can be talented as well,” Ghosh says.
Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, author and columnist, blames Bollywood and popular culture for misrepresenting Bengali women. “It is extremely clichéd and linear. Kaala jaadu is prevalent in all parts of India. The shaming of Bengali women is deplorable and how is this helping the (Rajput death) case? Why can’t we let justice take its own course, rather than go into the whataboutery. When you allow sexism and communalism, it is a dangerous cocktail of the worst kind of bigotry” she opines.
Meri kadar badh gayi hai-Gaurav Gera
8:42 AM
Gaurav Gera aka Chutki on the windfall from his internet popularity
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; September 7, 2015)
Gaurav Gera became a household name as Jassi’s best
friend Nandu in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin. That was over a decade ago. And
now, he has again grabbed headlines with his Shopkeeper and Chutki
videos that are a rage online. The 15-second videos have Gaurav playing
several roles. But most popular is the one where Chutki asks the
‘shopkeepaah’ for a product in her inimitable style trying to attract
the bored shopkeeper who drolly replies with a ‘Haanji behenji’. The
duo is always talking at cross purposes, but the one-liners make it
hilarious. Film stars like Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra and
Jacqueline Fernandez have even done their versions of Chutki and
Shopkeeper videos. Not only in India, Gaurav has a following in Pakistan
too. In an exclusive tete-a-tete, Gera tells us how he has found an
outlet for his twisted ideas! When was the first time you made a short video?
Five years ago. The first video I made was of Chutki and her boyfriend Suyash. It was a seven-minute video. I made some 60 videos, but after that I got busy with a musical, Jhumroo, staged at Kingdom Of Dreams in Delhi. For nine months, I had non-stop rehearsals 8.30 am to 8.30 pm daily. My brain didn’t function and I didn’t make a video for three years. Also, later, when the play was staged, I got into a comfort zone. Money kept coming in and I had to only work two days a week, so I never got around to doing the video.
When did you begin again?
After I stopped doing the play I had a lot of time. I didn’t see myself shooting 12 hours a day again. So, soaps were out. I decided to start making videos again, hoping it would work. I started the Shopkeeper video in April and gradually got new characters like his Beta, Wife, Bittu Uncle, Chutku etc. The first time I did those vidoes, they were not that popular. On the internet, you have to be regular and put up stuff non-stop. For three years, I hadn’t put up anything and only those who had seen them earlier, knew about them. This time, instead of the seven-minute videos, I chose to make it in the 15-second format.
Why only 15 seconds?
I don’t have the patience to watch TV shows or films now, unless it’s animation. Even five minutes is long now. Generally also, people’s patience is dying down plus if the video is long the data doesn’t upload on phones. I have kept it short so that it’s like reading a joke on cell phone.
And this time it became popular!
Initially, a lot of people didn’t like Chutki. They rejected her. But since I liked it, I continued. I did one called Lipton di chai. I had heard the joke in childhood, and I liked it. (Chutki asks for chai patti of a particular brand. The shopkeeper keeps refusing and says he has only Lipton di chai. They way he says it with the Punjabi accent, Chutki thinks he is talking about hugging and says she is ready). People found it funny and then it caught on like fire. Chutki and her brother Chutku were also quite popular. I get messages from several siblings saying whenever they have a fight they quarrel like Chutki and Chutku. And while talking to their mom, they say mamma the way Chutki says it! Even a random world like ‘huiii’ has caught people’s fancy. I have done videos on a Chinese opera, a Russian song and a Thai song substituting with Hindi words like Henry Kaiko Bhaga. One friend from Paris called up to say ‘you are the only reason I would love to learn Hindi’. Somebody from Tunisia asked if anybody can translate. They get the gist of the video as the expression is funny. Now, it is catching on in Italy and UK too.
How long do you prepare for the video before shooting it?
I rehearse till I am really happy.
Do people send you ideas now?
Yes, but most of them are bad.
The way Chutki talks, reminds us of Sharmila Tagore...
A lot of people say that, even my mom tells me that. When I heard it again, even I felt that! It has that lehza.
Your earlier videos of Chutki have her big-chested!
(Laughs) Yes, those were made five years ago. That was the way I differentiated between Chutki and Chutku who has a big butt.
Several celebrities have now done the shopkeeper and Chutki videos. Which one did you find the funniest?
I liked Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra’s video. It has its own flavour. I also liked the one Salma Agha has done with her daughter. People of her age don’t want to make a fool of themselves, but she is a cool chick.
Aren’t you doing a Chutki show on TV?
Yes, I have licensed the characters for both TV and radio. I do fresh content for them. I get it written, but they edit and produce it themselves. This is the first time an actor is holding the IP (Intellectual Property). However, it’s through the internet that I see doing a lot of business — merchandise, caller tunes, ring tones etc. There is a lot more freedom on the internet. TV and films have a lot of clichés — a certain way of doing things because so much money is riding on them. They don’t want to take risks.
Do you upload your videos on You Tube first?
I rarely put them on YouTube, as it is like making money via people. It should be free. Also, on YouTube, I upload compilations because if people see one random video of a man dressed like a woman, it may not appeal to them. ‘Kya bakwaas hai humour’ is what they are likely to say. But in a compilation, they will get an idea that actors in speak faster and one video finishes in 15 seconds.
How do you plan to monetise it then?
I should be taken care for brands. They could do subtle or blatant marketing. Brands can put their banner behind (in the frame) or a hashtag below. It will be a way for brands to reach out and communicate. In fact, I did one video that was paid for by Mc Fore. I also see these characters as potential caricatures-cartoons, developing into an animation series. I have the entire khandaan of Chutki and the shopkeeper now. I will also be introducing more characters like Hari from Mars. He was shown in one video long ago, but now I will make him more useful.
Which networking site do you upload your videos first?
Instagram. I will tell you why. The way I see it, people are hardcore addicts. Instagramwale Instagram nahi chhodte, ditto with Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. I have a funda about these sites. On Facebook, you find a lot of housewives and kids. Twitter is for people who have an opinion. I don’t have anything to add to it, but still I don’t waste that platform. Instagram is for girls — they like colourful stuff, cute, bright things, lot of visuals and short videos. Also, the audio-video is better on Instagram, it’s free and it plays on loop, which is perfect for my videos. You can’t understand my videos in one go, you’ll have to watch it two-three times. That’s why I put up my videos on Instagram first.
Are your videos targeted at anybody in particular?
My videos are basically for women. My theory behind this is, India mein ladkiyan kuch teda bol nahi paati. They can say any sh*t with close friends but not in public. That is why the coke-c**k video is so popular —enjoying a word so much that you keep going back to the shopkeeper. Girls have the right to enjoy and be cool about it. We guys talk about anything and that too in public — in fact we boast about it, but women do not do that. This is for them to enjoy as well as participate.
When and where do you shoot the videos?
Since I have learnt everything on my own — editing, chroma, split screen etc and everything can be done on phone — I have one with a frontal camera — I can shoot anywhere. Sometimes, I shoot and edit in the car and when I reach home, I upload it.
How many videos do you shoot in a day?
It depends on my mood. One day, I shot four videos in the vanity van when I was waiting to be called for my shot! I carry my wigs everywhere.
Where do you get the topics for your videos?
Like I said some are from jokes I have heard in childhood. Some I take from current topics. For example, when Jon Snow of Game Of Thrones died, it was trending on Twitter. So, I had Chutki telling the shopkeeper Jon Snow is dead. The shopkeeper says, “Bhagwan acche logon ko jaldi utla lete hai. Gaon mein Tauji par bijli gir gayi aur mar gaye. Bahut acche aadmi the.” Chutki retorts saying, ‘So random’. But isn’t the entire premise random? Why is she talking about Jon Snow to a shopkeeper who doesn’t even know he is and instead is sharing something from his heart.
How has your family reacted?
They are super proud. I am very close to my parents — they stay in Delhi and I talk to them at least three-four times in a day. I have a brother who is working in a software company and he is also proud of me. Meri kadar badh gayi hai. They know where I want to go — I am not aiming for TV or films, but internet is where I want to be. I want to live a free life, be in Dubai for three months, Goa two months, and may be shift back to Gurgaon. I don’t want to be in Mumbai. If I am in Mumbai, I want to stay in a bungalow next to the sea with superb WiFi. A bungalow, because I need space to shoot.
The one-liners you use in your videos, have you heard them somewhere?
No, not really. Since my childhood I have been a very quiet person. I don’t talk too much, but I listen a lot. I think of something and laugh alone. I don’t open my mouth thinking nobody will understand what I am saying. Now, thankfully I know to make videos where I can use my thoughts. At least, say how twisted I am!
How did you conceive Chutki?
Actually, it was my friend Kiku’s (Sharda) idea. I used to make other videos then, but he suggested that if I make a video with me playing a big-chested girl, he will play my uncle — a guy with a big butt. I called the video Bade Acche Lagte Hai. That’s how Chutki was born. Also, as far as Chutki is concerned, I am saying this is a girl and you have to believe it. It’s not a transgender playing a woman, but a man playing a woman and there is no hiding it.
Why don’t you involve other actors in your videos?
I have done that. Kavita Kaushik, Mona Singh, Kunal Kapoor and Sayantani Ghosh have appeared in the videos. What happens is when another person is involved, you have to explain to him/her that you have to speak faster, because it has to finish in 15 seconds. Besides, I shoot the video whenever I feel like it. Once I did it after I returned home from a shoot. It was late in the night, I was hungry, but there was no food. Just before I went for a shower, I got this keeda of doing the video on food and shot one about mushrooms! Also, the output is more when I do it solo and of course, cheaper.
Why does Chutki wear her lipstick badly?
(Smiles) The bad lipstick gets attention on thumbnails. People wonder what’s wrong with the lipstick and click to see more.
Which of your videos are more popular?
The ‘aww plus aww’ one and the ‘Coke Dena’. Even the Malham Hai Suji and Chaddi Chahiye caught on. There have been lots of dubsmashes too. I never thought my videos would be dubsmashed. Somebody had offered saying if I gave my videos they would do it. I was like, why would anyone do that. Everybody does it on films or songs. Even I would do on films. But now, I see so many versions of the shopkeeper videos. There are 14,000 open profiles, there will be so many by private users, I can’t even see.
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