Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is entering the television industry with his show Saraswatichandra.
Quick Take
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Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is entering the cluttered TV medium with Saraswatichandra, a show replete with "never-seen-before grandeur", says he feels intimidated with the competition on small screen. Nevertheless, he admits he is now keen to expand his presence on the medium.
"To begin with, I didn't understand the medium. The whole thing about TRPs (television rating points) ruling the content was a little troubling. And the competition on the medium is just so intimidating," said the 49-year-old.
The show, starring Gautam Rode and Jennifer Winget, goes on air on Star Plus starting on February 25.
Excerpts from the interview:
Question: What made you go into television production with Saraswatichandra?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Look at the reach of the medium! Today soaps and serials go into every home. In terms of numbers, TV has a far bigger reach than cinema. The demograph of the home-viewing audience fascinated me. Every home doesn't have audiences going to the cinema. But every home has a TV. I wanted to explore the medium, but not with the usual kind of soaps.
Question: But for you, who thinks larger-than-life epic cinema, this step into the living room would appear to cramp your style?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: It wasn't easy, I can tell you that. To begin with, I didn't understand the medium. The whole thing about TRPs (television rating points) ruling the content was a little troubling. And the competition on the medium is just so intimidating. One has to sustain the viewers' interests over a long period of time.
Question: Any regrets about taking the plunge?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Are you joking? Of course not! I've learnt so much from the experience. Now we're looking forward to seeing the serial on air. I hope it gets the kind of attention and love that we've given it. When I decided to do a serial based on Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi's Gujarati novel Saraswatichandra, I knew exactly what I was getting into. The book is a massive achievement running into several volumes.
Question: You are no stranger to literature, are you?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Devdas, of course was based on Saratchandra Chattopadhyay's novel. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was also adapted from a Bengali literary work, and of course Saawariya, which I am the proudest of, is adapted from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's short story. I love putting literature to film. Saraswatichandra is considered the mother of all Gujarati fiction. I wanted to make a film out of it.
Question: Then what happened?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: The film didn't work out. The novel running into several volumes, was too voluminous. Somehow it rendered itself far better to a TV adaptation. It has all the ingredients - the drama, twists and turns to hold audiences' attention for a period of time. While I could telescope the nuances of Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam into one feature film, condensing the sprawling epic narration of Saraswatichandra into that format was impossible.
Question: Which would you say your serial Saraswatichandra is closer to Devdas or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in terms of look and flavour?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I'd say both. If I may say so, the kind of grandeur in Saraswatichandra has never been seen on Indian television before. But more than that, I think it is the idealism and progressive ideas of the protagonist that I wanted to bring to the home medium. The novel was written 1887. But the ideas are relevant today.
Question: There was a highly-acclaimed 1968 film based on the same novel.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I am big fan of Govind Saraiya's film. His interpretation of the novel was masterly. If we could capture even an iota of the film's drama and emotions, I think we've done our job. However, let me add that our serial is very different from the film. Our serial is far more contemporary. We've relocated it in a urban setting. And the ideas have been somewhat contemporised. But the basic values of the novel have been retained.
Question: What are these values?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: It shows us a reformist hero who puts social progress above self. I think we need more such heroes. It is also a great love story. Most importantly, it tells the youth they need to give back to society some of what they get.
Question: How deep would your involvement on television be?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: As deep as it can get. I've been very fortunate with this project. Star Plus has been extremely co-operative. There has been no interference from them, and yet they are there on the project hands-on. In spite of television being a new medium for me, it has been a deeply enriching experience for me. I hope to do more on television that hasn't been done before.
"To begin with, I didn't understand the medium. The whole thing about TRPs (television rating points) ruling the content was a little troubling. And the competition on the medium is just so intimidating," said the 49-year-old.
The show, starring Gautam Rode and Jennifer Winget, goes on air on Star Plus starting on February 25.
Excerpts from the interview:
Question: What made you go into television production with Saraswatichandra?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Look at the reach of the medium! Today soaps and serials go into every home. In terms of numbers, TV has a far bigger reach than cinema. The demograph of the home-viewing audience fascinated me. Every home doesn't have audiences going to the cinema. But every home has a TV. I wanted to explore the medium, but not with the usual kind of soaps.
Question: But for you, who thinks larger-than-life epic cinema, this step into the living room would appear to cramp your style?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: It wasn't easy, I can tell you that. To begin with, I didn't understand the medium. The whole thing about TRPs (television rating points) ruling the content was a little troubling. And the competition on the medium is just so intimidating. One has to sustain the viewers' interests over a long period of time.
Question: Any regrets about taking the plunge?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Are you joking? Of course not! I've learnt so much from the experience. Now we're looking forward to seeing the serial on air. I hope it gets the kind of attention and love that we've given it. When I decided to do a serial based on Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi's Gujarati novel Saraswatichandra, I knew exactly what I was getting into. The book is a massive achievement running into several volumes.
Question: You are no stranger to literature, are you?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Devdas, of course was based on Saratchandra Chattopadhyay's novel. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was also adapted from a Bengali literary work, and of course Saawariya, which I am the proudest of, is adapted from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's short story. I love putting literature to film. Saraswatichandra is considered the mother of all Gujarati fiction. I wanted to make a film out of it.
Question: Then what happened?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: The film didn't work out. The novel running into several volumes, was too voluminous. Somehow it rendered itself far better to a TV adaptation. It has all the ingredients - the drama, twists and turns to hold audiences' attention for a period of time. While I could telescope the nuances of Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam into one feature film, condensing the sprawling epic narration of Saraswatichandra into that format was impossible.
Question: Which would you say your serial Saraswatichandra is closer to Devdas or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in terms of look and flavour?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I'd say both. If I may say so, the kind of grandeur in Saraswatichandra has never been seen on Indian television before. But more than that, I think it is the idealism and progressive ideas of the protagonist that I wanted to bring to the home medium. The novel was written 1887. But the ideas are relevant today.
Question: There was a highly-acclaimed 1968 film based on the same novel.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I am big fan of Govind Saraiya's film. His interpretation of the novel was masterly. If we could capture even an iota of the film's drama and emotions, I think we've done our job. However, let me add that our serial is very different from the film. Our serial is far more contemporary. We've relocated it in a urban setting. And the ideas have been somewhat contemporised. But the basic values of the novel have been retained.
Question: What are these values?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: It shows us a reformist hero who puts social progress above self. I think we need more such heroes. It is also a great love story. Most importantly, it tells the youth they need to give back to society some of what they get.
Question: How deep would your involvement on television be?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali: As deep as it can get. I've been very fortunate with this project. Star Plus has been extremely co-operative. There has been no interference from them, and yet they are there on the project hands-on. In spite of television being a new medium for me, it has been a deeply enriching experience for me. I hope to do more on television that hasn't been done before.
