8 Producers talk about the future of Indian television

Indian television has grown in leaps and bounds in the last decade or so, and there is no denying of the fact. And Tellychakkar.com has always been around capturing and cataloguing the different diverse progressive trends (in varied sectors) which the Indian industry has seen over the years. And as we complete 8 years in business, we salute the glorious past and embrace the glittering and glorious future. Hence we decided to talk to 8 producers from the fraternity and ask them to ponder and discuss on the future of Indian television. Let’s see what they have to say. Read on… Anita Kaul Basu (Big Synergy): I feel television has improved considerably in terms of programming. But, we need to work on the very same statistically driven market. We need to have different system apart from TAM that will help us understand what the viewers want. However, the shift that we see currently is good. There are lot more crime based shows and we too produced Lakhon Mein Ek which was a fiction telefilm series which yet again was different from the regular daily soaps. So, it’s nice to see the broadcasters experimenting but there is still a confined space and I would want more concentrated content getting aggregated. I think it would be great if we could mirror what’s happening in the Hindi film industry where young directors are coming up with new content. They are also making small budget movies with poignant plots. I think there is a lot of excitement coming for TV with digitization. We will see some good content especially the ones that are tailor made for the viewers. Shyamasis Bhattacharya (Shakuntalam Telefilms) TV will get tougher with every passing day for the producers as there is intense competition between the broadcasters. All the GECs are almost at par with each other that is why advertisers have been negotiating in terms of ad sales. This is simply happening because nobody has a premium position. At the end of it all the channels fail to give the producers a good budget. You won’t believe it but the budget of TV has stagnated in the past two years while the production costs have gone higher. Furthermore, if the show does not do well the producer loses on a lot of money. But, if the show works the producer does not even get the 1/10th of the money that the broadcasters make. So, what I can see is if the current scenario continues there will be a lot of uncertainty and risk in the business. Hence, the model has to change; revenue sharing has to be more like films where the producers and distributors earn equally. Asit Modi (Neela Telefilms) The future of TV is very bright according to me with the system getting digitalized. The audience even has access to our shows through Youtube and various websites on internet. Hence, it is growing with every passing day. In the nearer future content will be the king according to me. And creative people will get more opportunities. There will also be lot more competition. JD Majethia (Hats Off Productions): TV is changing in terms of ratings therefore, we will have all sorts of viewers now. Furthermore, people are tired of the repeated formulas so, the makers will have to use the “old wine new bottle” concept wherein they will have to look out for a lot of innovative ideas. The shows will no more be female dominated, males will be targeted to attract male audiences and there will also be more shows for the youth on the GECs. The afternoon band will once again become strong and the weekend will see more variety and even niche shows will get preferences. TV will also become bigger in concept, casting and execution. At the same time one will have to bid for these shows at a lesser price and the competition will be tougher. Sudhir Sharma (Sunshine Productions): I see two major significant changes in TV in the nearer future. Firstly, TV business is getting tougher with every passing day but now the boundaries too will widen. The competition won’t be limited to the GECs as the regional TV too will come into the picture. These regional shows can prove to be a game changer in the coming days. Certainly there will be a different programming amongst the channel more like what Sony and Colors are doing at the moment. Apart from that, there will be a new concept of videos on demand. The producers will make shows on demand and they will be available to people who want to watch it which is more like what happens in the foreign countries. It’s just that you pay an extra 20 or 30 rupees. This concept is still at a very nascent stage but the technology is available and will catch up. Siddharth Malhotra (Cinevistaas): The future of TV to me looks very good and I am just praying that shows like 24 do well on TV as these will open the platform for change in TV. Currently TV is nothing but churning out content similar to that of 70s and 80s cinema. And trust me, when my father and uncle started this company they were more progressive than I am. They had shows with bold scenes on Doordarshan but we can’t make such serials now. Even if you come up with a unique idea after a while you once again get stuck in the same rut. The originality and passion just dies after a while. So, I just hope that we get to see more shows like 24 on TV in the coming two years. Kinnari Mehta (Jay Production) The future of TV is awesome as it will expand immensely. Now that the production of TV shows is being done by TV channels too, this will pose as a great challenge to the producers. The saas bahu trend I feel will stay on in the future. The nature of conflict between the saas and the bahu will change though. We earlier didn’t think of girls becoming astronauts and IAS officers. We will gradually see more educated and working daughter-in-laws. However the joint family structure is here to stay. Mythological shows will be popular in the future. The scale on which they are made will improve. To attract the next generation the graphics will be upgraded. Rajan Shahi (Director’s Kut) I believe that the quality of Indian television is improving with every passing day- let it be the content, technical aspect and the grand scale of production. Nowadays the makers of the show have to be more in tune with the viewers. We need to find out their dreams, aspirations and desires before making a show. Previously we would just go by creative conviction. However, nowadays we actually research into the socio-economic conditions before making a show. Indian serials are very Indian. Indians all over the world can relate to our shows. Nowadays when I travel overseas and introduce myself as the producer of shows like Kuch Toh Log Kahenge (Sony TV) and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Star Plus) there is usually immediate recognition. That wasn’t the case earlier. I have always looked up to saas bahu shows as the content is very close to reality. Isn’t it better that we openly show such conflicts in the living room instead of brushing them under the carpet? However nowadays you also show a mother-in-law with whom a daughter-in-law can be friends with. I do believe that we will be having more male skewed shows in the future. With the success of shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, Parichay and Kuch Toh Log Kahenge; I feel that we will continue to have more shows in which the male protagonist gets etched out in detail. Mythological shows are here to stay. As India is a religiously inclined country, the demand for these shows will never cease.