Very few writers begin their foray into TV writing with a soap as popular as Kkusum. Bharavi Shah, who does the screenplay of Sony's flagship soap happens to be among those lucky few. She is also the creative head of Kahi To Milenge, a new Balaji daily that has recently premiered on Sahara TV. For someone who never consciously planned to be a writer, Bharavi's achievements in a span of less than two years are quite a handful.
Excerpts of a tete-a-tete she had with indiantelevision.com -
When and how did you get bitten by the writing bug?
Well, I was always interested in the medium. I have written plays in Mithibhai college and was involved in directing them too. From there, I went on become an associate director in some Gujarati serials. Later, Rajesh Joshi who was writing serials for Balaji introduced me to Ekta Kapoor. Ekta showed immense faith in me and that was how I started writing for Balaji. Kkusum was my first break as a screenplay writer. I have also written several episodes of Kohi Apna Sa.
How did you learn the nuances of TV writing?
Well, all my training has been hands on. One has to have a natural aptitude for writing which I guess I had. Besides, Ekta was very supportive and trusted my abilities even when I was a raw newcomer. I have learnt things by the trial and error method.
What are the qualities required of an effective writer?
One should have a good command over the language. Even though I write only the screenplay of Kkusum, my screenplay is full of suggested dialogues in Hindi. Besides, one should be a good observer and have a good sense of drama.
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Which subjects appeal to you as a writer? Is writing a daily tough? How many dailies do you feel you can manage simultaneously, without in any way compromising on the quality? Are you bound by some contract with Balaji not to work for outside producers? Does TV writing pay well? Do you find channel EPs interfering a lot nowadays? What is your writing schedule like? |
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Why has Kkusum lost its sheen? What is the cause of its depleting TRPs? 'Kkusum' is close to completing two years. Have you ever run out of ideas creating newer plots and sub-plots? Where do you draw your inspiration from - books, movies, real life experiences? What does the future hold for you? Have you given up plans of direction altogether? |