Think of a Bollywood production house which has connected with the family audience and Rajshri Productions certainly comes to mind. For years, their films have consistently focused on stories that revolve around the family. Their TV shows are no different.
Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya and his son Devaansh are gearing up for their upcoming finite TV serial Dadi Amma.. Dadi Amma Maan Jaao! on Star Plus. They have dedicated the show to Rajkumar Barjatya, the late father of Sooraj. The well-known filmmaker says that his father, for many years, kept saying that they should make a show for those who are 75 and above. “He used to always feel that nothing much is made for the elderly. Television is mostly targeted at the younger lot with marriages, visuals, dance and glamour. We, therefore wanted to make something which will be fun and give hope to the elderly. Also, when their grandchildren watch this show, they will realise that it’s quite easy to build a rapport with their grandparents rather than complain about how they talk or keep repeating the same thing,” says the director. Likewise, the tagline of the TV show is ‘Pichhatar saal ke bachhe’.
Sooraj says that the plot of Dadi Amma... is also about the choices that youngsters have to make today, especially the middle-class. “When I was young I had to stay back at home to look after my grandfather. I had to do it because it was important. Our fast-paced lives today makes it difficult to make a choice between work and responsibility,” says the filmmaker who is known for directing films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hum Saath-Saath Hain and others.
The TV series features Mohan Joshi, Seema Biswas, Sheen Dass and Anagha Bhosale. Sooraj says that getting Seema ji on board was the biggest challenge. It took them five months to convince her.
Grandparents, a crucial part of the family
Sooraj believes that grandparents play an important role in the growing up years of a child. “Parents are so busy that they hardly have time for their children. Also, today’s world is fiercely competitive and children keep feeling that they are not good enough. Who will tell them, ‘They are the best or they are equally good’. Only grandparents (dada, dadi, nana and nani) can. Their presence contributes to the growth of a healthy child,” he says.
Parents have to bridge the gap between grandparents and grandchildren. “It is a must and it will take care of a lot of counselling that we otherwise have to do. Children need people to listen to them and grandparents can do that because there are no better counsellors than them,” says Sooraj, adding, “I know people who have bought expensive apartments next to their parents so that their child gets to interact with the grandparents.”
Inspired by his own family
The filmmaker comes from a very close knit family. He says that every film or show that they have done over the years has been inspired by their own life and family. “In this show too, there are several scenes, which are real life moments between my father and son Devaansh. I have also incorporated a lot of anecdotes from our times spent together and that makes the show so real,” he says.
These moments are from his life but it happens in every household. “Maybe the way people talk or behave is different but the issues are the same,” he says.
The next generation
The next generation of Barjatya family is slowly entering the entertainment industry. While his elder son Devaansh handles the television division, his younger son Avnish is set to enter the film industry. As an experienced filmmaker how does he see the road map changing for his production house? “It gives me immense joy to take the back seat, allowing my sons to lead. I am letting go of the day-to-day work and concentrating on writing and creating, which I enjoy the most. It’s very important for the production house and we are looking forward to it.”
Devaansh is also looking after the OTT platform, which they plan to launch soon. “We are launching Avnish as a big screen writer-director this year,” Sooraj adds.
They are also researching on the kind of content that works for OTT platforms. “We are getting offers to make Rajshri kind of content, shows that have the same values but are entertaining. There is a demand for shows which people can watch with their families; nobody wants to listen to or watch a story alone,” he says.
Creating content is a tricky job
While films are still predictable, creating content for television is a tough job because no one really knows what might or might not work for the audience. Sooraj says that creating content in general has become challenging. “Even in movies, it’s only five to eight per cent of the content that is paying back. Similarly on television, no one can tell what will work. It’s easy to lock yourself in a room and write but how can you force someone’s emotion. You can’t force someone to laugh or cry. Nor can you force anyone to spend their money on you.”
There are so many shows that have been on TV, while some work, others don’t. “The deciding factor is that if we feel excited or enjoy watching something, then the content is good,” says Sooraj adding that making content for TV and films is different. “While creating content for TV, we have to remember that the audience is ‘Bharat’. They are from smaller towns and villages, a lot to do with the elderly and women. Cinema, on the other hand, today is ‘India’. It’s a lot to do with youngsters and middle-aged people, who are much more advanced.”
