MUMBAI: Rajan Shahi started his career in 1993 as an assistant director. In 1999, he made his directorial debut with the series Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi. He then went on to direct series like Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Hamare Tumhare, Rishtey, Kareena Kareena, Reth, Mamtaa, Millee, Virasaat and Saathi Re. Thereafter he worked as a series director for Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar, Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiyaan and Maayaka.
Eventually, he became a television producer and started his own production company in 2007. His first series as producer was Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai on Star Plus, followed by Shital Tai, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Chand Chupa Badal Mein and Tere Sheher Mein on Star Plus.
In 2019, they started producing Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke, which is a spin-off of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on the latter show's success. In 2019, the production house entered the Marathi GEC space and produced the Marathi serial Aai Kuthe Kay Karte! for Star Network's Marathi channel Star Pravah. The Serial was later remade in Hindi as Anupamaa on Star Plus which premiered on 13 July 2020.
Tellychakkar recently got in touch with him and got to know some interesting insights.
Talking about Anuapamaa, the show has maintained the top-most position ever since it began. Do you feel a certain sense of pressure? How do you figure to deal with it?
“Yes, I do feel a sense of pressure. With all my learnings as a director, I wanted to use my expertise as a director and in the production creative control, trying to do shows opposite to the trend but would appeal to the people pan-India and which are very family-oriented. With Anupamaa as well, I feel we have set a trend and we have enjoyed making it.”
The plot of Anupamaa keeps intensifying and changing. What can we expect from the show in the future?
“The beauty of the show is that more than plot-driven, it is a character driven show. Every character has a certain story or certain take of their own. This is the new kind of texture which came into television where it is not just about a boy and a girl; it is about a whole family. The issues we have touched are quite realistic and pertaining to 2022. Anupamaa is all about what is happening in 2022 but keeping in mind what happened in the previous year. The setting is socially relevant and that is the main success of the show. It is a journey of a woman and it need not be of a woman who is always right or wrong but a realistic journey of a middle-aged woman. The topics are endless and you just have to be receptive and intelligent enough to pick up the right ones.”
How do you feel about the show now airing 7 days a week?
“It’s a big challenge for the company and myself to produce content 7 days a week. It would be something everyone has to look forward to and it’s a way to make Sunday also resonate. If we go back in history, we did Bidaai for more than a month for an hour. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Bidaai both ran for 3 months at 7 times a week. So we have faced this kind of a challenge before but of course with changing times, we like to provide entertainers 7 times a week and it is going to be extremely exciting.”
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