THE HINTHI TELEVISION!!!!  (HINdi + maraTHI)

 

We are back with our latest Blog Post after quite sometime;
 

Sorry for this gap;
 

Apologies to all our friends in HINTHI Television Industry!!!
 

HINTHI!!!!
 

Because  we now belong to Hindi and Marathi both,We make shows for both;
 

So :) HINTHI!!!!

 

Yes Friends;We experienced the world of Marathi  Entertainment Television for the last few months
 

Making a daily soap for this space,And expecting to make another one in coming days,gives us a totally different insight into the Marathi Television  Industry;

Is it very different from Hindi industry!!!!

Should we write a Blog just to underline the difference!!!

No!!!

We should write, just to understand what are the possible bridges between the two industries;

How they can compensate each other;How they can grow together;

Because they both operate from the same ground!!!

Ground Mumbai;

Recently we shifted the location of our Marathi serial to SJ Studios in Andheri East,From the far end of Madh Iland in Malad;

Now in the same studio;

On the same floor;

We shoot our Marathi Daily Soap SAKHI for Colors Marathi;

Next to us,The highly popular YE HAI MOHABBATEY of Star Plus is shot;

Now It’s a mixed atmosphere all around;

I sat and thought;

Can there be bridges!!!!

Yes,There can be;

 

Bridges can  easily be made by Explorers;

So why to wait,Lets explore;

Point Number 1

Big ideas in Marathi get shrunk because of the limits of the budget;

If the Hindi players can work out an out of the box finance model that can sustain Marathi shows with Hindi shows – It will bring in new business,It will add value to Marathi Television.

Hindi Producers turning towards Marathi is not only good business,It will add value in both the systems too.

Next;

Marathi talent!!!

Mindblowing;

Specially the actors;

And No,They speak good Hindi,

They do theatre,They do films,They do shows,They are exposed to right kind of asthetics and creativity;

They can bring in freshness in Hindi Television;

What they need…is just an atmosphere of receptivity;

I interacted with a big number of Marathi artists,There is a reluctance,A hesitation;

Of not knowing the Hindi industry well;

Lets start looking in that direction,I can assure all my Hindi TV friends,You all will get great artists from Marathi Television.

Its an unexplored territory;

Exploration of this territory will add a lot to explorers.

 Yes;

There are problems too;

The Directorial Training and Upbringing  Systems have not grown well;

Budgetory Limitations have not allowed the Directors to grow,to deliver great;

Directors who touch Hindi Television and come back,They bring back the Directorial fineness of Hindi Television with them;

But they all have one thing that can become a teaching tool for Hindi industry;

They shoot 25 to 35 Minutes of the footage everyday,And Its not a small target;

Yes,There are limitations;

But whenever I sat and compared why Its so fast here,And Its not so fast in Hindi;

It was not an answer allways that Hindi taking needs time;

Yes It takes time;

But there is another reason too;

In Hindi,We have accepted this way of working,We have believed that we shoot this way only;

We need to learn the art of shot footage from Marathi Directors;

If these Directors can be exposed to Hindi industry,Can be groomed;

Our Economics will get much better!!!

And in Television,Economics matter!!!

 In Hindi industry,There allways remains a discussion about Channel-Production House communication and working relation;

In Marathi,Indeed there is a relationship between the two;

What we realised that there is very good sense of understanding in Marathi channels that their Producers work in tight budgets,So there is no forcefull atmosphere,Things are more on the mutual level and that creates a larger sphere of cordial work atmosphere;

But there are problems too,That should be worked out better;

Communication,Interactions,Feed Backs,Involvements are too informal,

They are informal because work atmosphere is informal;

Its allmost like friends working with friends kind of atmosphere all around;

This is extremly good,But when there is a problem,Its difficult to handle as personally involved people are going wrong professionally..Taking Decisions are difficult!!!

 

Overall;The channels work like a partner,And that’s a good difference there;

 

Now after the arrival of BARC ratings;

Things are expected to change in Marathi Television;

See around!!!

Marathi films have reached to a new level of excellence;

This might happen in Marathi Television too in the coming one year;

All Marathi Channels are analysing the possible future paths of Marathi Television;

Will they follow the Hindi Channels routes!!!

Will they go for a Differentiator Content Route!!!

Will they pump in more money to take it to a newer height!!!

Its unclear so far;

But one thing is clear that they are going to do something;

They are analysing;

Is Maharashtra changing!!!

If changing,Changing in which direction!!!!

Is it still a localised content processing!!!

Or the  national and global content viewing  for the localised viewership!!!

They all are thinking;

We,The people of Hindi Television;We must know;

The people of Marathi Television exist around us only;

Its time to find bridges;

The bridges can make  Content,Execution and Budgets much better for both the industries;

We as Samidha and Khalid are not going to stop only with this one or with our next  Marathi show;

We continue to make Hindi too but;

We shall remain here in Marathi,It’s a nice place to be here;

All our friends in Hindi,Join Marathi too;

All our friends in Marathi,Please come to Hindi,We are there to wellcome you;

This coming together of the two people;

Might create a new breed;

The HINTHI Television!!!

Take HIN from Hindi;Take THI from Marathi;

Lets make;

The HINTHI Television;

I go for it;

Will you!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE UDAY SHANKAR EFFECT !!!

Uday Shankar;

The Star of Star India , The  Star of Indian Television;

 

After 5 Years;

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;

So Dear Young Professionals!!!! 

Lets begin the journey to understand the Uday Shankar Effect!!

 

EFFECT 1 / DARE TO BRING DIFFERENCE !!!



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!!!

 

Years later:

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;

 

Years later:

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 !!!

 

EFFECT 3 / EXPLORE THE UNEXPLORED!!!



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 )

 

Years later :

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 !!!

 

EFFECT 4 / RAISE  VOICE , RAISE YOUR CONVICTION !!!



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!!!

 And when things were not moving,His voice was heard;

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.

 

Years Later:

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 !!!

 

EFFECT 5 / DON’T GIVE UP!!!



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.”

 We created a News Show taking elements from the science of story telling in the fiction world;

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!!!!

 

Months  Later :

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 !!!

 

EFFECT 6 / REALISE THE TRUTH!!!



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;

 

Uday Shankar was sitting in the same Mahaluxmi office,But in a different room,With a different responsibility;

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;

 

 NOWADAYS :

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!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The GEC Formula!!!

(A +B) X C = AC + BC

Put your figures into it and get the desired result.Its a Mathematical formula.

(Relatibility + Strong Characters) X Good Screenplays  + Good Producer  +  (Creative Vision X Casting)

                                       (Research + Promotion) – Distribution

Is equal to what!!!

Noone Knows!!!

Because all these variants reacts differently to different formulae created in different sets of Time and Space!!

What we know for sure is that these variants do exist,Some like mentioned above,Some more like Look & Feel,The Disruptive or Representative Content,The Making,The Direction,The Freshness,The Recall Value and many more.

Everyone in Entertainment Television industry is in continuous search of the formula that works,And Its not that we don’t get formulae,We do get formulae,But the formula succeeds once and fails if attempted again,So no permanent formula has been found and success and failure is everyday struggle for everyone.

After writing on the Incoming Changes in Entertainment industry,The Sports Entertainment,Emerging News and the possibilities for the Professionals,We decided to focus on the elements of this hidden but ever existing (Or Unexisting) formula,The Creative Formula,The GEC formula!!!!

In this search,Lets examine the elements that are allready existing:

 

NUMBER 1

 

Few TV channels do a lot of Research,Gets into the Consumer Insight,Tries to explore what the viewers want from that perticular brand and decide a a larger vision for the channel.

Sometimes,A one Liner of the vision is attempted in creating the shape of the creative product,

On the other hand,We also have channels that go for research but does not follow any specific larger vision.

Does it make any difference!!!

Yes,It does!!!

 

NUMBER 2

 

A very outdated question still exists in our surroundings.

Do the viewers follow a channel? OR They follow the shows?

Just think of the shows and you will find one or two successful shows on every channel.

It speaks for the truth of the fact,that the show is the driver,and not the positioning of the channel.

So,Should we blame the overall positioning of the channel for a show not working?

No,We should not!!

 

NUMBER 3

 

The selection of the Concepts that are to be made;

Yes,It’s a very very important element;

At some places,The selection is based on Consumer Insights and Brand Positioning;

At some places,It still is based on Gut Feel and personalised likings;

Is there a big difference?

Yes,There is!!

 

NUMBER 4

 

The Producer!!The person who is going to deliver the product.

At some places,Specific Producers are invited;

At some places,They are open to everyone;

At other places,They encourage new people to come forward;

Few Organisations decide the content on their own and deligate it to a producer;

All these approaches deliver different results.Is this element important?

Yes,It is!!

 

NUMBER 5

 

The Channel Creative Team + The Creative team of Producer = IMPACT

This impact is different for different shows on different TV channels,

Because;

We are still discussing:

·         Should the channel creative teams work as Creative Partners or Creative Supervisors?

·         Should the Producer be independently responsible for the output of the show?

No One Policy,Teams work differently,Giving different results;

Do we have the need to streamline it?

Yes,There is a need.

This element affects the larger formula that we are searching for.

 

NUMBER 6

 

Freshness !!!

After spending long years in creating,writing,directing and managing;

People loose freshness;

People coming from outside carry this freshness.Are they welcomed!!!

Yes and No,Both!

We can see,We can smell this freshness at some production houses and  TV channels;

At some places,We find the same old smell;

Does this factor matter?

It does matter!!!

 

NUMBER 7

 

The Disconnect!!

Concepts are approved keeping many things in mind but many times,The teams carrying it forward are disconnected with the original thinking of the thinkers;

Does it happen?

Yes,In most of the cases!!!

 

NUMBER 8

 

Do people enjoy making the show!!!

Not everyone !

Running from here to there handling five shows / Arguing with Creative Teams/Being fired by the seniors / Delivering the creativity just to appease others / Working for money only

Can there be a scenerio where people working on shows love and enjoy every moment of it!!

Feelings reflect in Creations.

Should we take it as an element?

Yes,It IS an element!!

 

NUMBER 9

 

The Promos and Hoardings!!

We have seen it happening many times that the selling pitch of the show is derived from the show very differently from the pitch with which it was started and created;

And its promoted that way only;

Later finding it not reflecting it in the show;

Should the Creators of the show be a strong part of this last step exersise contributing with their vision?

Can it bring in some difference?

It can!!

 

NUMBER 10

 

We have reached at Number Ten  but we have not discussed the Following things:

(Story +Screenplay +Dialogues+Direction+Creative Heading+Set+Music ) = CREATIVE

Is Creative  not important!  Is It not the part of the formula!!

It Is;

Very Much;The strongest part of the formula;

We have seen the shows which were not different,But they were made differently;

And they created a difference.

With their Creative;

 

Sot we take them as ONE VARIANT of the formula which can be added to or Multiplied with other nine variants.

 

Now;

 Where is the formula?

VARIANT (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9)X VARIANT 10 = A Good Product

But It also can be VARIANT (1+2+3+4) X VARIANT  5 + VARIANT (6+7+8+9) +VARIANT 10=A Good Product

It can be structured in hundreds of ways!!

 

There can never be a single formula , And we all know it;

We can search for the different Variants that controls the final outcome;

And these Variants too will keep changing;

 

Few Variants are mentioned above from Number 1 to 10  (Without being Judgemental);

We are sure that you too have your own variants taking this number from 10 to 15;

Someone else will come up with new variants taking it to 20 from 15;

This is a journey;

We have no option but to work on these Variants;

The Variants will create a different formula for a different setting;

Sometimes you may sense it,Like Ekta Kapoor does it correctly most of the time;

Sometimes we may not sense it;

These variants will allways surprise us;

These variants will never let us make a Coca Cola formula;

We will allways be;

In search of;

The GEC Formula!!!!!