TV show gets out of the studio

Kannada serials are slowly upping the ante when it comes to production values. Daily soaps are now moving beyond shooting within the four walls of a house or studio and are heading outdoors to shoot pertinent scenes.The latest to step out of the set format and put up cameras outdoors is the team of Sarpa Sambandha. The team recently shot for a special wedding sequence in the hill station of Kalasa.
Ashu Bedra, the producer of the show, shares that wedding scenes are an important and much-watched aspect of daily soaps, but audiences are bored watching such scenes being set in mega wedding halls. “Which is why we decided to base our shoot outside and chose Kalasa as our location as it is an unexplored territory on the small screen. Moreover, ‘Sarpa’ in our title means snake. Kalasa has a rich and ancient culture and has a deep-rooted history when it comes to snake worship. The route is dotted with tiny temples dedicated to the snake god,” he explains.
The group shot in the scenic town and the wedding scene was shot at an actual temple. “Of course, we could have shot it in Bengaluru, but even the temples here have become a bit too commercial. When we are filming such a subtle scene, I wanted it to evoke a feeling of love and convey a spiritual feel. The temple in Kalasa was untouched and it lent itself beautifully to the wedding sequence,” says Ashu.
They then moved to a near-by waterfall that is popular on the tourist trail, too. “The mountains, valleys, nature and birds have all added such a natural flavour to the scenes. I’m sure the audience will enjoy watching this episode. When you go out of your way and make this extra effort for viewers, they notice it. Because, that’s what serials are all about — the feel good factor,” he sums up.
FACT FILE
Radha Kalyana was the first serial to be shot abroad on Kannada television — it was based in Dubai.