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Journalism of Courage
As television productions and sets move North,Naigaon is emerging as the next big destination
As you emerge from Balika Vadhus opulent Rajasthani haveli,you see the surroundings morph,rather suddenly,into the hills and green fields depicted in Tere Mere Sapne on Star Plus as that of northern India. Located right behind is a mansion for the same show. Walk a little ahead and the small town and the marketplace that the characters of Imagines Jyoti frequent,materialise. The supposed coal mines of Maan Rahe Tera Pitaahs fictitious town Brahmapur,the rural setup of Imagines Devi and city of Star Plus Behenein are in the vicinity too. The make-believe world of television these days converges in Naigaon East,which is likely to replace Madh Island and Film City as the choice of location to shoot television shows.
Jaydeep Sen,the director of Sonys Maan Rahe,which is located bang on the highway,is glad that the production house chose Naigaon since the peaceful environs work better for shooting in sync sound. The only other option would have been Film City,but that location is over exposed. In comparison,unexplored Naigaon brings freshness and its different terrain offers options for varied backdrops without having to travel much.
However,at the same time,there is distance to consider and also the accessibility. Executive producer Samir Malvade recounts that when they first started shooting for Behenein,arranging for cold drinks,food and other items of daily production in bulk was a challenge since the area is as good as a village. But over the years,the locals have begun to understand our requirements. This has brought them business and prosperity too. Still,Bhairavi Raichura,Anandis mother in Balika Vadhu,rues that she can never hope to get a sandwich or a pizza if she isnt in the mood to get her meals from home.
The public transport system,with the exception of local trains,remains poor in Naigaon. Most part of the crew travels by trains to and from Naigaon station. They are picked up by the production houses bus from there. This suits them fine if the television crew is working a regular 12-hour shift. But on days when they are working late,the crew either stays back on the sets or does a double shift since the train service is not available between midnight and 4 am. The heavy traffic on the highway in the night can be dangerous too. Our director Pradeep Yadav recently met with an accident while driving back on the highway,which has no street lamps, recounts Amar Sharma,who plays Madan on Balika Vadhu,wishing that the set was in Mumbai.
When Archana Taide,who was also on the cast of Swarg being shot at Madh,was offered the lead role in Maan Rahe,she decided to shift base to Mira Road from Sion. And though her colleague Varun Badola,who lives in Chandivili,doesnt mind the distance,he does find the inaccessibility to the citys facilities a tad inconvenient.
But this is precisely what Aziz Khan,the director of Jyoti,considers an advantage. The city allows a chance for the cast to get away from the set for a short break. The productivity here,hence,is much higher. Everyone understands that delaying the production is not an option because a holdup will result in half the crew having to make alternative arrangements for the night.
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