Blurring Boundaries

Foreign imports

Now, the channel is ready to go on air with a four-hour schedule beginning 8 pm. The channel will not only have shows that are already airing or have been aired in the above mentioned countries earlier, ZEEL along with the creative people of these countries are also producing shows with newer concepts that would appeal to the Indian masses. The concept has gained appreciation from rival channels too, who agree with Shailja’s vision and have given a heads up to the new concept.
Vikas Gupta, programming head of MTV India, who is constantly endeavouring to change the content on TV by introducing new concepts (it was his production house that produced the critically acclaimed Gumrah on Channel V), thinks that nothing better can happen at a time when we desperately need a change. “ZEEL is bang-on, on the right track,” he exclaims and adds, “Every once in a while innovation is required. The idea that ZEEL has come up with isn’t just interesting but also very novel.”
Ashish Golwalkar, currently heading the weekend programming on Star Plus and a TV veteran, can’t recall anything similar that could have been done earlier. He agrees with Gupta stating, “A fiction show here, a non-fiction there is what we have seen in the past. We have not seen anything as concrete on the lines of Zindagi.”
Strange as it may sound, it was this thought of bringing in novelty that would surprise everyone that kept Shailja on her toes. “I met all the creative people from the countries we zeroed in on to come up with the best concepts,” she says and remarks that during this journey she discovered quite a few interesting things about how the industry works in those parts.
“The best talents of Pakistan are completely engaged in TV production unlike in India where the bigger stars still shy away from coming on TV,” says Shailja giving the examples of singers like Abida Parveen, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Zafar and Zeb & Haniya who regularly lend their voices to TV productions. “Another interesting aspect is that all these actors are theatre-trained which gives their performances a realistic approach. Plus, the writers for TV are the ones who have already proved their mettle in the publishing world,” she adds.
Golwalkar agrees and says that the creative team is the star of the show in Pakistan. “The actors are important but only after the script and the director. When the emphasis is on the content more than anything else, it changes the entire look and feel of a show,” he says and adds that whatever shows from Pakistan have been aired in India before, have been a hit.

Renaissance in television

Interestingly, Golwalkar thinks that we are in the, “cusp of next Renaissance of Indian television” movement. While, he is averse to the idea of commenting on whether the channel will do well or not, he says that it would be a “refreshing change” from the regular shows that have become a clone of each other.
The recent content on TV has left many with a bad aftertaste. A self-confessed TV buff, actor Renuka Shahne stopped watching the Hindi GECs since the last few years for lack of good content. “All I do is surf through the channels to see if there’s something that would interest me, but I am always disappointed,” she says.
The promos of shows on Zindagi, however, have given her some hope. “They remind me of shows like Dhoop Kinare, Tanhaiyan, Sailaab, Hasratein etc that we had in the 80s and the 90s,” says Renuka, who is waiting for the channel to go on air. “I am tired of the over made-up faces, the never-ending dramas etc. These shows have a realistic look and fresh appeal,” says the actor.
The channel is also bringing back the telefilms format that was very popular in the formative years of Indian television. In fact, these telefilms were responsible for nurturing talents and have made stars out of newcomers like Anurag Kashyap, Imtiaz Ali and Ram Kapoor —all of whom started their careers with telefilms. “The short format is always loved. With the new channel, we are trying to make an attempt to revive that format. We are bringing back stories that would be short, crisp and touch the audience’s heart along with few finite series,” says Shailja.

Disadvantages

The only glitch the industry can think of is the language barrier. “It may be a little difficult for the masses to understand few Urdu words. But till the time the essence of the show is good, it should hardly be an issue,” remarks Golwalkar.
The makers were aware of these shortcomings and to overcome them, an in-depth research and study was conducted to fill in the loopholes. “We went with the concept to 39 small towns from Rajasthan to Bengal. The result was that as the viewer didn’t understand few words of a show set in Rajasthan, similarly he didn’t understand some from the show set in Karachi as well. But the sense and emotions are understood. Plus, it is a fresh change with fresh faces and storylines,” remarks Kejriwal and adds, “It’s looking at the larger geography than at political boundaries.”
Some from the industry consider this a risk but a risk that’s really needed in order to change the face of television. “If you don’t dare, you would never know what lies ahead,” quips Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media. He thinks that if the risk is well-calculated and well-thought, it may just work in your favour.
“The only important thing here is to select the best content keeping the target audience in mind. This is a time of experimentation. It’s a time when audiences are evolving with exposure to content from world over. Young audiences are joining in and thus we need new ideas as not everybody likes the regular shows. This is the best time to introduce a new concept,” he says.
Even media planners seem pretty confident. Karthik Laxminarayan, COO Madison Media Ultra, says that content from across the world is a good idea. “The possibility of the channel not working is slim. Chances are that it will click really well with the viewers as Indian audience are embracing foreign content as is evident from the popularity of many international shows. Plus, if a south-Indian movie dubbed in Hindi can do well, a show from Pakistan can do well too or may be better,” he concludes.

Shows that will air on the channel 

Aunn Zara:

A 2013 Pakistani serial, starring Maya Ali and Osman Khalid Butt, Aunn Zara is the story of a married couple desperate to escape the attention of their families. It is based on Faiza Iftikhar’s novel, Hisaar-e-Mohabbat and is directed by Haissam Hussain.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai:

The show was first aired in 2012-2013. It is a romantic drama series directed by Sultana Siddiqui and produced by Momina Duraid of Moomal Productions. The series is based on a novel by the same name by Umera Ahmad.

Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain:

It is an anthology series of 90 minute telefilms promoted as a “collection of assorted love stories”. It is based on short stories on real life situations. It has been critically acclaimed and has even won the Hum Awards for Best Drama Series in 2013.

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