Uday Shankar;
The Star of Star India , The
Star of Indian Television;
Uday is going to
change the entire face of Hindi Cinema;
Yes,You have read this correctly;
Hindi Cinema!!!
Uday is going to
change the entire face of Indian Politics;
Yes,You have read this also correctly;
Indian Politics!!!
Has he ever told us anything like this!!
Never;
Its hypothetical;
Its imaginary;
Nor,We say, that he will do this;
But yes,We say,He can do this;
Anything like this;
Or
Anything else;
Which looks hypothetical today;
Which looks imaginary today;
Any imaginary hypothesis can convert into a real effect!!!
“The Uday Shankar Effect”
When we discuss Uday Shankar;
We should allways be ready with the possibilities of the
impossibilities;
Such is his life,and its role for the surroundings whereever
it works at that moment;
Out of our 20 years in Television, 19 years have been spent on
watching the journey of this effect :The
Uday Shankar Effect!!!
Today;
For the first time;
Its time to analyse it;
Its time to share it;
But its very difficult;
So many of his inspiring and great lines were said in a
personalised space , Is it time to share that!!
So many of his inspiring acts and activities are yet to be
told to the world , Is it time to share that!!
So many inspiring
traits of his professional personality are to be taught, Is it time to
share that!!
It’s a Book;
We leave it for the near future;
Now;
Better that we
share,what he has created through the effect;
No;
We will not write about his TV shows , Sports
Ventures,Business Plans or anything like that;
You read that at so many places;
Let this piece of writing be a personalised mirror of his journey seen
through our eyes;
Yes,We witnessed the journey;
The Journey which must be a source of inspiration for the
young professionals!!!!
The Journey which can
be studied as an effect - his effect;
Lets begin the journey to understand the
Uday Shankar Effect!!
If we have got a nice opening as a Journalist at a big institution like Times of India;
If we are getting a high profile exposure to the biggest
political developments of the nation;
How many of us would
want to do something new at this early stage!!!
Not many of us!!!
Uday Shankar did
that;
Helped to start a
Science and Environment Magazine :Down to Earth
Science and Environment is not , and was not , a favourite
issue for any journalist then!!!
He believed that Its needed for the society!!!
Difference has to be provided and tested!!!
Closing “Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” ,The same man
started :Kiran Bedi’s Aapki Kachehri” on
the same slot on Star Plus!!!!
He is not a different person only today;
He was , even then;
He cultivated his attitude to experiment with the different
, years ago!!!
A lesson for all Young Professionals !!!
EFFECT 2 / ACCEPT THE NEW!!!
Year 1995;
J 27 , South Extention , New Delhi , Zee TV Office;
We met Uday Shankar for the first time at the reception of
this office; (Its converted into a house
now!!!! L )
He had arrived in Television;
A totally new medium for him at that time;
Many people from the Print Background joined Television and
went back;
Uday Shankar stayed on;
Delivered different programming content and then came the News Bulletin on Zee TV;The Zee News @ 10 pm everyday on Zee TV!!!
He was still there;
Having very different ideas about News Programming and News
Bulletins;
Having very different ideas about encouraging the
youngsters;
I remember:
One Morning,In the Newsroom; As I entered
the Newsroom;
Shazi Zaman asked : What could be the biggest News of today
from West Asia?
I replied : Assasination of Yasser Arafat;
Uday jumped into it and said, “ Full Marks”
The Prime Minister of Israel Itsak Rabin was assasinated that
morning and not Yasser Arafat;
He supported the wrong answer,As it was closest to the right
answer,without any clue from anywhere!!
He supported the spirit of the wrong answer;
He was supporting a newcomer;
In the mid of;
Accepting a totally new medium for himself;
Many Newspersons are appointed by him to deliver Fiction
Content at Star India , Many youngsters are encouraged for delivering ideas and
things at Star India;
He is not a different person only today;
He was , even then;
He cultivated his attitude to accept the new mediums and to
encourage new people , years ago!!!
A lesson for all Young Professionals !!!
Early 90s;
Home TV Office,South Delhi;
Uday Shankar was working on a project which was totally new
for Indian viewers!!!
A Sports show in English coming from the US,To be dubbed in
Hindi for the Indian Viewers;
Showing Sports which were not well known to Indian viewers
then;
He called me;
Convert it in such a Hindi narrative that viewers watch it
as their own show,Let them accept a new game!!!
26 Episodes!!!! (Sorry,I have forgotten the name of the
show!!! L )
Star India has launched one of the biggest Television
initiative for encouraging and creating
Sports Activities in the country .Various Sports Channels ,Pro Kabaddi , ISL
and we are sure..Dozens of newer things yet to come!!!!!
He is not a different person only today;
He was , even then;
He cultivated his attitude to explore the unexplored, years
ago!!!
A lesson for all Young Professionals !!!
The launch of Aaj Tak!!!!
SP Singh had created a bulletin on Doordarshan , There was
no channel;
So many people to work on the new channel that was to be
named as “AAJ TAK”;
So many discussions,So many voices,So much of time and
energy wasting into that;
Uday Shankar watched all this!!!
He did something daring but very positive;
Through this daring but very positive something,He raised a totally different and distinct voice!!!
Why!!!
Because he raised his voice !!!!He raised his conviction !!!
And he became the one who launched India’s Number 1 News Channel :The
AAJ TAK
The Red Colour , The Cartoons , The Animations , The Music ,
The Dynamics of the Presentation
It all was new for New Delhi;
Breaking the traditional way of thinking;
He created a non tradsitional way of thinking.
Uday Shankar saw the traditionalism of Fiction Television Content ,
He broke it;
Speaking in a new voice ,
He said - and then said the Star India :Rishta Wahi Soch
Nayi!!!!
He is not a different person only today;
He was , even then;
He cultivated his attitude to raise the voice, years ago!!!
A lesson for all Young Professionals !!!
Aaj Tak Office
New Delhi
Uday Shankar was saying , “ You know,I strongly feel that
the stories of News have got more potential than the stories of fiction,But
here in our newsrooms,People don’t know how to tell those stories to the News
audience!!!”
Star News Office
Mumbai
Sitting in his Mahaluxmi office,Uday Shankar was saying,
“You know,We could not do this in Delhi,Do it now.”
Going one step ahead;
He said, “Can you take up a half an hour News Slot and
produce it!!! I want to see how It will shape up with the approach of
entertainment world!!”
The idea was to import the following things into News:
Relatibility,Connect,Engagement.
He was still following the same thought!!!!
He is in the mid of the science of story telling at Star
India;
He is still following the same thought;
He is not a different person only today;
He was , even then;
He cultivated his attitude of not giving up , years ago!!!
Don’t Give Up!!!!
A lesson for all Young Professionals !!!
Gandhi was jailed in Agha Khan Palace in Pune;
Dr Sushila Nayar used to write his acts,activities and
sayings in the daily diary;
One day she forgot to note it down;
Gandhi promptly said; “Don’t forget to write,These diaries
will get published one day in the future and the whole world will read them.”
He was knowing it;
This KNOWING does not come to everyone;
He had become the head of Star India;
What he said at that moment,I could never forget;
He said, “ Suddenly I have got enormous power in this new
role.I can bring in a great change using this power,But I can damage also if I
go wrong!!!”
WOW!!!!!
He was knowing that!!!
This KNOWING does not come to everyone;
Uday Shankar is surrounded by hundreds of things;
Uday Shankar is being followed by thousands of people;
He still knows;
“It is , What it is!!!!”
He is not a different person only today;
He was , even then;
He cultivated his attitude of realising the truth , years
ago!!!
A lesson for all Young Professionals !!!
Thank you Uday Shankar;
For becoming an inspiration for all young professionals!!!
You have done so much for the Indian Television;
Indian Television is still greedy;
We want more from you;
Please create a “Star Idea Lab”;
For innovating and working on your newer ideas;
An institutionalised form of your search for the new , for
the more;
It will be a gift to the industry;
We are sure;
That the Television Industry will wait for the gift!!!!!
Afterall;
Such is the impact of;
The Uday Shankar Effect!!!!!!!
