Prime time Diwali

Watch out for some festive fireworks on the small screen.

doweshowbellyad=0;

A still from Amber DharaIt’s Diwali — time to enjoy all the vibrant colours of life. Even the television industry seems to have been gripped by festive fervour.
Prime time TV shows have shot entire episodes on Diwali to grab eyeballs. “Watching television is a routine for Indian viewers. That’s why episodes telecast on festivals need to be topical.Special episodes enable viewers to connect better with our shows,” says producer-actor Jamnadas Majethia.
The concept of having special festive episodes is not entirely new, but soapmakers shoot these sequences to woo viewers and give them a feel of the festival.
“These sequences reflect a feeling of togetherness. Viewers like to see television actors celebrating festivals, just the way they’d do. Such episodes are introduced in the storyline to promote our rich culture and tradition,” says Vijay Pande, director of Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar.

Agrees Siddharth Kumar Tewary, creative director and producer of Amber Dhara. “Television dailies are part of viewer’s life, for whom festivals are very important. Viewers associate with various festivals. When some special festive episode is introduced, the identification automatically increases.”
But do television stars agree with the creative directors, when it comes to shooting these episodes? “As an actor, I feel happy being part of special festive episodes,” says Prachi Desai, a television actress.

She adds, “In the entertainment industry, it is important to cater something new and different at regular time intervals. Special festive episodes are planned to build a lively atmosphere.”
Agrees Chaitanya Choudhry, another television actor, “for actors doing daily soaps, doing such episodes means an opportunity to do something different. It breaks the monotony of the work. Moreover, while practising for such episodes and programmes, we get to spend a lot of time with our colleagues. And to top it all, audience also enjoy watching their favourite stars doing different stuff.”
Do these festive episodes affect the storyline of the daily? “We never deviate from the story line,” says Pande.
Majethia points out, “Every episode is well linked with the storyline, including these festive episodes. If a death plot is going on, the celebrations will be shown in a flash-back. The bottomline is, script is important.” Concurs Prachi, “The episode is conceptualised well in advance and so it merges beautifully with the story.”
So, while the small screen superstars gather in your boudoir tonight to share in your fun and festivities, be sure, to get your daily dose of thrills and spills as well.

End of Article