"Viraf, I wanted to tell you not to sleep with your co-star Shilpa Anand while shooting for Teri Meri Love Stories": Richa Yamini

Viraf Phiroz who was the guest editor of Tellychakkar.com interviewed Creative Director Richa Yamini, whom he respectfully addressed her as 'the no nonsense girl'. The interview was more like a friendly conversation though he had started off on a serious note. When asked what Richa would like to see differently in the TV industry, she replied that the whole industry needed a revamp. She explained, "The growth of the industry has not been systematic. Every department needs to be far organized. Instead of the domination of soaps there should be scope for experimentation so that we may reach international TV standards. The Indian TV industry is also quite young when compared to the TV industries in many other parts of the world- which is why we are yet to catch up with global standards." Our guest editor eased the nature of the interview with his second question, "Who are the three actors you are missing on TV and would like to see again?" Richa replied that she would love to see her icons Pankaj Kapoor (as she loved Karamchand), Shah Rukh Khan (as Fauji was among her favourite serials) and you Viraf.” Our guest editor couldn’t help but blush at this point. She added that a film artiste she would like to see on TV was Vidya Balan to which Viraf quipped, "Wow, I must say that you have very expensive tastes!" He then asked, "If you were to take the Queen of American television Oprah Winfrey and put her in one of your shows what would you cast her as?" Richa replied, "I would like to cast her as the bitch...or the conniving saas.” The most interesting part of the interview was when Viraf asked her to candidly tell him what was that one thing she was too inhibited to tell him while making the Teri Meri Love Stories episode, which she could however freely tell him now. He added, "It may be good, bad, ugly, stupid, silly, bizarre..preferably something negative so that it's more spicy." Richa laughed, "Viraf, I wanted to tell you not to sleep with your co-star Shilpa Anand." Recollecting the shoot, he replied with a laugh, "Oh, yes, I remember giving me the gyaan that sleeping with the co-star kills onscreen chemistry." Thereafter the interview took a more serious turn when he asked her, "Which show would you have liked to create?" Richa replied, "Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Season 1. In fact I was asked to do the show but at that time I was too pre-occupied with other work. The other show I would have loved to be a part of is Diya Aur Baati Hum. In fact we had created something very similar." Richa's reply to the shows she was proud of making was, "I am glad that I made Geet, Jasoos Vijay- a DD1 show on HIV/ AIDS which went on to win the Indian television award for the best social awareness show, Miley Jab Hum Tum and Kutumb." She also confessed that one show that she wasn't too proud about making was Bhabhi. Viraf's concluding question was what that one thing that she disliked about TV actors. Richa answered that it upset her when TV actors forgot as to where the success had come from after having attained it. She explained, "however guess it is human nature, so I won't say that this applies just to actors. Also I wish actors paid more attention to their performance instead of the dress they wear." Our guest editor then graciously thanked Richa for a fun and insightful interview thereby concluding the interview with both of them laughing as they hung up.