Rajan Shahi: I have requested the CM to waive off rent to Film City Studio

Rajan Shahi on the trials of the lockdown and the way forward for TV producers now

The three-month coronavirus induced lockdown has proved fatal for several fiction TV shows, with Nazar and Beyhadh 2 facing the axe. Rajan Shahi’s four shows, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (YRKKH), its spin-off Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke (YRHPK), Anupamaa and Marathi show Aai Kuthe Kay Karte, have survived the test. “Our endeavour is to follow the government’s SOPs and even go beyond, like sanitising the set thrice a day, have a health inspector in attendance, organise individual makeup kits and healthy food arrangements. We also have different immunity tests every week,” he shares.

Ritvik Arora and Shaheer Sheikh in Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke; Avinash Mishra replaces Ritvik in the show

However, he also admits that taking care of the team during the lockdown, when shooting came to a complete halt, has escalated costs and taken a financial toll on producers. “It will take more than a year for us to get back on our feet with such huge standing costs and no income in the last four months. Under IFTPC (Indian Film and TV Producers Council) and Producer’s Guild, we have requested the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) to waive off the rent to Film City studios which houses most of our sets. That will take a huge burden off our shoulders,” says Rajan, adding that they are expecting a positive reply to their request.

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Modifying content according to the situation is currently the big creative challenge. YRKKH showed a corona track which went viral and for Rajan, that’s an accomplishment. “It proves that TV shows have the biggest impact on the audiences,” he points out.

He came into limelight recently after he ousted Ritvik Arora from his popular show, YRHPK, when the actor demanded an increase in his renumeration to return to the set. Rajan insists that they parted on a cordial note and he will always wish him well. “Things didn’t work out for us, on professional and ethical grounds, but Ritvik has a long way to go and I hope this experience is a pointer to him on how to conduct himself professionally,” he avers, admitting that he spent hours speaking with each actor before resuming shoots and there were some reservations, that were dealt with. “I have never objected when any of my actors felt they had outgrown my show. But sometimes, an actor begins to believe that he is the face of a particular TV drama and that realisation goes to their head,” he rues.

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Avinash Mishra has been roped in as Ritvik’s replacement. “The creative team felt Avinash fits their vision of the character. He started shooting from Wednesday,” Rajan informs.

I have never objected when any of my actors felt they had outgrown my show. But sometimes, an actor begins to believe that he is the face of a particular TV drama and that realisation goes to their head

–Rajan Shahi, producer

His latest show, Anupamaa, was supposed to start on March 16, but had to be pushed. The producer admits that it was a task ensuring its survival. “The soap was anyway a risk since it revolved around a middle-aged protagonist. Many were sceptical, but in my 27th year in the industry, I wanted to reinvent myself,” he informs, agreeing that after Sapna Babul Ka…Bidaai, his subsequent tele dramas were beginning to look similar in terms of story and character. “I needed to get back to my roots. Anupamaa is one of my most calculated moves and special because, in a first, I have co-produced it with my mother, Deepa Shahi. Also, I had directed leading lady Rupali Ganguly in my first TV project,” he signs off.

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: Exclusive photos from the first episode post lockdown

All-new episodes of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, one of the most popular sitcoms on Indian television, is all set to air the new episodes of the show post lockdown from Wednesday (July 22) after a hiatus of four months. The cast and crew came together a couple of weeks ago and resumed shooting in the ‘new normal’, ensuring all the safety measures and precautions were put in place. Now, before the fans of the show get to know what is in store for them in the coming days, Mirror has got its hands on some exclusive pictures and stills of the most-loved characters from the first episode of TMKOC post lockdown.

Jethalal is back!

Dilip Joshi, who plays the iconic character of Jethalal Gada on the show was seen in a joyous mood as the show resumed after such a long time. The 52-year-old had earlier told Mirror that even though the COVID-19 scare exists in the minds of the entire unit, it feels good to be back at work. “Asit Bhai ensures that all the SOPs are strictly followed on the set. He has gone out of the way to make shooting safe for us, including a sanitisation tunnel, doctors on set to monitor temperature and oxygen levels, a UV Ray machine to sanitise jewellery and other equipment. We have to learn to live with the fear because the virus won’t disappear in a hurry,” he averred.

Meet the Gada family

In one of the stills, the Gada family, aka Jethalal, his ‘Bapuji’ and his son Tipendra (Tapu) can be seen holding their hands and celebrating their return on the small screen. Joshi had said that the makers have tweaked the script so that only a limited number of actors participate in a particular scene. “We are shooting with a maximum of four actors per episode. We have cut down on the crew too,” he explained, promising that the popular show will have episodes which build on the awareness of precautions that are crucial in these trying times.

Challenges of shooting amid a pandemic

Joshi had also said that while it feels good to be back on the familiar set, it is difficult for the actors to evoke laughs when the situation around is tense due to a pandemic. “It’s tough, but we are trying our best. You have to forget everything in front of the camera and let yourself be transported to a different world. We keep improvising on the set,” he shared. “Actors, in particular, stand the maximum risk of being exposed to the virus while shooting as they can’t wear masks in front of the camera. So, we are exposed to the droplets, but you must have faith in God,” he added.

Mr and Mrs Bhide are back too!

Aatmaram Tukaram Bhide and his wife Madhavi Bhide were also snapped shooting for a particular scene and looked cheerful as ever. Producer Asit Modi had revealed that they had resumed the shoot with Tapu Sena as they wanted to keep the first day a little easy. “We started with the Tapu Sena as we wanted to keep things slow and easy on the first day, given the fear of the virus. We will be shooting almost every day now and the other actors will join in as and when required, once they feel confident enough to get back to the set,” he had said.

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