Small talk, big success

So many years after the idiot box was invented, we haven't been able to figure out what works. What holds the viewer's interest? What has...

So many years after the idiot box was invented, we haven8217;t been able to figure out what works. What holds the viewer8217;s interest? What has TRPs written all over it? If only producers knew. As in the film industry, there is no precise formula to the making a successful serial. Each year the ingredients seem to change. Would an Hum Log be a winner today? Would Tara hit the jackpot? Nobody knows.

In the absence of certainties, we simply assume that an interesting story with a good pace or thrill will work. And if you have the invariable twists and turns which can be least expected or high voltage drama and emotional hysterics, then you feel you have made it. Good acting is just a bonus point.

Take for instance the popularity of programmes such as Buniyaad, Gul Gulshan Gulfaam on Doordarshan or the current craze for Amanat, Ashirwaad Zee, Saaya, Alpviram Sony or Saans on STAR Plus. All these soaps have strong scripts with something exciting happening week after week or at least enough to compel loyal viewers to tune in every day/week.

Then take the case of Choti Si Aasha Sony. It is so different from the average TV serial, you would have thought it would never work. But it did. Part of its success may be attributed to the channel8217;s promotional strategies which were so quaint and innovative, they have aroused a great deal of interest. And admittedly, the story has its share of drama and overblown emotions. But that8217;s not the entire story. Believe it or not, we8217;ve been told of people who can8217;t stop weeping when they watch the chief protagonist, Sharda, suffer trauma after trauma. Seriously.

There8217;s obviously some chemical affinity between a serial and its viewers. Look at the story of Choti Si Asha: basically it is a family drama about the steel will and the unshakeable optimism of Sharda played by the actress Churni who by turns overcomes three major traumatic experiences: the death of her husband, her own ill health and the need to give her children up for adoption.

What keeps this tragic dard bhari kahani going, is Sharda8217;s optimism and undying hope that some day she will be reunited with her children. The soap which is now 25 episodes old, is directed by the well-known director K. Balachander. You may not recall him but he8217;s the man behind films like Ek Duje Ke Liye and Roja. Choti Si Asha is produced by his son Kailasam under their banner Kavithalaya Entertainment Pvt Ltd. It stars Churni, Anoop Soni, Rajendra Gupta, Sandhya Mridul Singh, Harsh Chaya, Asha Sharma among others.

There8217;s something else viewers in the North won8217;t know. Choti Si8230; is a Hindi remake of Balachander8217;s phenomenally successful Tamil drama, Kai Alavu Manasu which had set new standards on Sun TV. For those who haven8217;t been watching it, here8217;s a quick recap: Sharda and her husband Shekhar Virendra Singh live happily with their three children when one day Shekhar dies leaving behind his family. As time goes by, Sharda recovers from the shock of his death and her widowhood, only to discover that she has to undergo an expensive cardiac surgery. She has barely recovered from this physical trauma when it becomes apparent to her that she does not possess the means or the good health to look after her children. So she is compelled to give them up for adoption. Then one day she meets a stranger, Gurugena who helps her. Slowly she begins to take a liking to him8230;

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Unfortunately for Tele Express, the entire shooting for the serial is being done in Chennai. We couldn8217;t talk to the producer or director as they are in Chennai or to Churni who was in Calcutta. So it was left to a few other cast members like Rajendra Gupta who plays Sharda8217;s neighbour, Joshi, to give us a feel of their characters in the serial. Ofcourse, they8217;re all praise for both Balachander and Kailasam. And they stressed the difference in working conditions: they8217;re much better. The approach is very professional. 8220;A 9 am shift actually starts at 9 am,8221; says Gupta.

Sandhya Mridul Singh and Anoop Soni play his son and daughter-in-law in the serial. Anoop plays Shyam, a useless, lazy person who routinely asks his wife for money to buy cigarettes; so much that the kids in the housing society call him Nikamma Uncle8217;. 8220;I8217;ve been a serious actor so I was uncomfortable initially, as this character is quite comic; but it8217;s been a break for me and people have liked my portrayal,8221; says Soni who ironically enough plays exactly the opposite role of a sincere, sensitive guy in Saaya.

Sandhya8217;s Manju lives a hellish life because she is married to a disaster and her father-in-law is a crack pot. She is the bread-earner of the family and Singh was apprehensive to do it but accepted the role as it sounded good. 8220;Honestly, I don8217;t relate to the character, but I8217;m enjoying it as I emulate a section of people I grew up watching. It8217;s that typical bahenji type of role,8221; reveals Sandhya whose inspiration for this role has been her aunt in Delhi. 8220;I8217;m a lower middle class, gossipy but harmless woman in this serial,8221; she adds.

This brings us to the essence of the serial: unlike most work on TV, this is the story of the less than fortunate. There is no opulence, no rich business families, not Mahabharata type rivalries and family disputes. And there is an absence of loudness though there is plenty of emotionalism. To that extent, the serial reflects the lives of many average viewers. Together with Balachander8217;s simple treatment of a tragic story, this could be the secret of its success.