The write way

In fact,the question of what television channels are looking for is largely responsible for the quality of writing prevalent today. Vivek Behl,writer and head of programming at Star TV,who was present at a recent panel discussion held at Landmark,Andheri,about Indian television’s long journey from Tamas to today admits,“However good a concept Tamas is,I wouldn’t commission it today.” There simply isn’t an audience for it,he reasons. “The audience demanding ‘evolved’ content is a minority and catering to them isn’t viable.” He explains that in an increasingly competitive market,channels have to make their decisions based on the whims of the viewers. “They’re switching between channels. Whichever has a more interesting track,they get glued to it. We’re constantly under pressure to retain viewership.”

Unfortunately,this competition does not seem to be encouraging originality of thought. Besides necessitating daily shows instead of weekly shows,which put greater pressure on writers,copycats also tend to abound. “If one show sees success with a concept,then everyone else jumps on to the bandwagon,” complains Rekha Nigam. A scriptwriter and former programming head of Sony Entertainment Television,she says that in the rush to guarantee profits,channels refuse to take any risks. “Why can’t we tap Indian literature for inspiration?” Many acclaimed shows,like Tamas,Malgudi Days and Bharat Ek Khoj are,in fact,based on works of literature.

Perhaps,a large part of the problem lies in the fact that television is habit forming. Unlike cinema content,which people can choose not to watch,television content is hardly left up to the audience. And since the appetite grows by what it feeds on,it’s only natural that all the imitations,good or bad,still have takers,because viewers really have no other option but to get rid of their television sets.

Kamlesh Pandey,scriptwriter and former programming head of Zee TV,also points out that the industry lacks talent. “The medium exploded beyond our expectations,so we simply lacked the infrastructure and talent to sustain quality.”

Filmmaker Govind Nihalani,however,points out that channels need to know that good writing is important to their branding. Citing the example of the channel Colors,he says,“What sets it apart is that its shows appear rooted and hence convincing. They deal with the problems of a particular region,and take on all the physical aspects of that geographical location.” Nihalani,who’d helmed Tamas,agrees that the show probably wouldn’t work today. “Even back then,it got made because there was only one television channel — Doordarshan. For now,what all the channels need to do is ensure that at least their primetime shows are of good quality. As the viewers get used to the new kind of programming,it’ll be easier to encourage innovative writing for television.”

Hopefully then,Coelho’s book will actually serve as an inspiration for would-be television writers,instead of merely showing them what could be.