Ladies at Large

With the origin of satellite television came the dominance of women on television.

With the origin of satellite television came the dominance of women on television. While shows like Tara,Hasratein and Shanti began the trend,it was the initiation of characters like Tulsi,Prerna,Jassi and Parvati that made small screen a home of the women and for the women. Soon the onscreen presence spread behind the scenes as well. Producers like Deeya Singh and Ekta Kapoor made sure that the reign of the women continued off the screen as well.

Channel biggies like Shailja Kejriwal of NDTV Imagine,Ashwini Yardi of Colors and Anupama Mondloi of Star India have made television a womens domain. Women writers,directors and technicians are not lagging far behind. A womans creative sensibilities are in tune with the demands of this entertainment,hence,they fit in perfectly. Whether it is the channels demands or that of the crew members,a woman has it in her to deftly manage the situation and strike the right balance to create a successful product, says Debjani Mitro,supervising producer,fiction,at Real.

Most fiction shows on television are women-centric,with a woman playing the key protagonist and the antagonist. Ergo,it only seems natural for production houses to hire women to run their business. Kapoor and Singh have had their success in the past,and this has only encouraged young girls like Fazila Khan of SOL and Manisha Tripathi of Miditech to hone the responsibility of running production houses. The creative energy,sensitivity and emotional quotient that comes with being a woman helps best when placed in the TV industry. You can channelise it well to produce shows for women, says Tripathi.

The spread of womens dominance has encompassed a wider arena with a plethora of women reaching out to technical fields in television as well. It is the awareness and the changing mindset of the public that is responsible for more women doing television shows, says Kshitija Dhavale,editor of shows like Lo Ho Gayi Pooja Iss Ghar Ki on Sab and Vivaah on Zee TV. While initially,most of her crew had doubts on her ability based on her gender,things seemed to have smoothened out now.

Nupur DSouza,who handles sound as well as the camera for FOX Productions,is pleased with the changing scenario,Some women have an affinity towards machines and I am glad they are realising it, she smiles.

Talking about women writers on television,names like Vinta Nanda and Anjana Sood will be the first to pop up. But this no longer holds true as there are now too many of them. Thats because television is partial to women. It is natural for women to understand the needs of another and successfully provide these through their work, states Mrinal Jha,writer of Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Ki Jo. The job security is more in television,which keeps you employed for a minimum period of six months. And they can take a break when they want to, believes Shrishti Arya,director of shows like Remix and Aathva Vachan.

It is not just fiction,but reality shows too interest women writers. They understand the psyche and thinking of the audience better, feels Ritika Bajaj,associate creative director and creative writer for Red Chillies Entertainment. Bajaj,while scripting Farah Khans talk show,will also be scripting a fiction show for the production house. If you know your job well,you can do it. It doesnt matter what gender you are.

True. In an ideal world.

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