An avid sports buff who watches just about any sporting event on television, Rajesh Pavithran is not your quintessential media man. In his pinstripes, he looks more a marketing professional, ready to launch into a spiel on market domination. Which isn't particularly hard for him, considering the company he represents, Balaji Telefilms, dominates the market for television software. A management graduate who has spent most of his career in media, working for companies such as Nimbus Communications and Indian Express, 30-year old Pavithran has helped Balaji emerge as the top name in the business. In this interview to Prajjal Saha of agencyfaqs!, the company's chief operating officer talks about the success behind Balaji's programming, dwells on the saas-bahu epics, and explains why Balaji is at the top of the TV software heap...

Q. Balaji Telefilms is known for soaps that have made a virtue (and a lot of money) of kitchen politics. What is your success rate in other genres?

A. Well, people do say that Balaji specializes in this particular genre, but if one talks about 'kitchen politics' or the saas-bahu theme, there are only two programmes produced by us that are based on the theme - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki. Our programmes such as Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Kahin To Hoga and Kaahin Kissii Roz are based on different concepts, although all have family dramas with emotional relationship in the storyline. Kahin To Hoga is a youth-based programme that revolves around a love triangle, and it has an impressive response in the 11.30-pm slot. Our programme Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat, which belongs to a different genre, has helped the weekend slot move up, and now other channels and other programmes are also trying to explore the weekend slot.

Q. Is Balaji insecure about leaving the saas-bahu space?

A. We are not at all insecure about leaving the space. However, I must add that we don't feel the need to leave this space, especially when it has been working so well for us for the last four years. We started off with a comedy programme, Hum Paanch, which was quite popular during that time. We tried Kitne Kool Hain Hum on ZEE in the past, which, unfortunately, could not pick up on the charts. But that hasn't stopped us from trying out other options. We are now venturing into other genres… for instance, we are producing a programme for MTV, and obviously that would have nothing to do with 'kitchen politics' or even family drama. We are moving ahead with STAR TV on a Superman-based show. Apart from these, we are also producing three non-fiction programmes for the Times' television channel (which is to be launched in couple of months).

Q. Why do most Balaji serials look so unrealistic, with your women, in particular, always decked up, and living in mini palaces?

A. Television provides 25 minutes of escape from realism for viewers, and also has an aspirational value attached to it. We need to include these aspirational values somewhere in those 25 minutes, and the only way we could do this is through production, without playing with our storyline or the concept. This is the reason why our sets look so opulent, and our characters are dressed up so well. One might generally see our characters going to sleep dressed in a decked saree. The reason behind it is that we have our production restraints - we cannot lose four hours of shoot for one actor changing into a nightdress with lighter make-up just for a five-minute scene.

Q. So there is a compromise on the quality of the final output, right?

A. One cannot call it a compromise on quality as we just meet our production demand - without affecting our storyline or the content - so that the programme goes on air every day. Had we been compromising with the content, we wouldn't have re-shot certain episodes or scenes even though it costs us a lot of money. In fact, we are the only production house in the country which does that, and we have done it for almost 15 to 20 episodes.

Q. Coming back to the saas-bahus, don't you think it's only a matter of time before viewer fatigue kicks in?

A. Viewer fatigue can happen to any genre of programming, and it's no different with the saas-bahu genre. Going back in time, there was a time when Hum Log and Buniyaad were very popular. Then, the comedy genre - Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi or Nukkad - became equally popular. But today, when some of these are re-telecast, they don't get the same kind of response.

Genre is something that only we industry people are bothered about and not the viewers, who watch anything that interests them. At the end of the day, whatever be the genre, one needs to ensure that one has strong content and a strong storyline. There are other programmes running on other channels that started with a different concept, but after a few episodes, got back to the same family drama. This means that viewers are still taking it, and as long as viewers are satisfied, we do not have a problem. The day we feel that viewers want something else, we will certainly go for it.

Q. Can you elaborate on the process through which you select a theme for a serial? To what extent is your selection based on what viewers want? Do you have a system in place to gauge viewers' preferences?

A. We do not have any scientific method or research study to gauge viewers' demands. The only scientific method is the TRPs, which give you an indication of the popularity of programmes. We also rely upon the viewers' responses that the television channels or we receive. Smartness lies in identifying the threat or the irritant factor in the story that the viewers are referring to. As soon as we identify the irritant factor, we try to address it in the best possible manner. If one fails to identify that irritant factor, the programme moves towards death.

Q. What about the 'time transition' that happens in many of Balaji's serials, where the story moves an entire generation ahead overnight?

A. In a brand manager's words, time transition is just a brand extension. Whether to continue with an existing brand or extend it, has always has been a tough decision for a brand manager. But we have done it successfully, and many of our programmes, which had started doing badly, picked up on the charts after the 'time transition' happened. Kkusum is great example of this. Today, it gives tough competition to Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. Apart from brand extensions, time transition gives us the opportunity to bring freshness into the programme by inducing a sense of virginity and interest.

Q. Most television software producers seem to be treading the safe route of family dramas. How does this reflect on the long-term prospects of the industry?

A. Actually, there have always been eras in the entertainment industry, be it in television or in films. For instance, in television, you had the Hum Log and Buniyaad era during the pre-satellite times. And post satellite days, there was the Campus and Tara era. More recently, there was this Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) era, where, after the success of the show, there were a couple of serials doing the same thing. It also happens in films. For instance, after the success of Satya, there were almost twenty films trying to follow the same formula in some way or the other.

But there are people who come up with innovative ideas that set a trend or genre for the next three or four years. For instance, who knew that there was such an opportunity for daily soaps before Shanti happened? It's just that somebody innovated the idea and others are following it now. So, innovations will always be a part of the creative thought process. All the industry needs is one or two creative people who can think beyond what exists today.

Q. You also have a series of language productions. What is your scorecard on that front?

A. We have a couple of programmes running on south Indian channels, which are also on the top of the charts. These programmes are not replications of existing programmes, but are based on the same concept of family melodrama… but with a local touch. One of our programmes, Kkalavaari Kkodalu, which is being telecasted on Gemini TV, tops the chart. The other popular programmes are Kavyanjali on Gemini TV, and Kanyadan and Kumkuma Bhagya on Udaya TV. We are already doing well in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and now we are also coming up with a programme for Kerala audiences. We haven't done it before because the Kerala audiences are slightly different from the other three southern states. We wanted to set our foot first in these three states, and then understand the Kerala market. Also, we have a separate creative and production team in the south that understands the local need.

Q. Balaji had plans to get into international co-productions. Where do you stand now?

A. We are still exploring the markets abroad, and nothing concrete has happened till date. We have sold our software to markets in the US, the UK, South Africa and South East Asia. However, any active co-production venture is yet to happen.

Q. Now that you have ventured into films, which would be your focus area - movies or television?

A. We've already had three movie productions, but all under the banner of Balaji Films, which is basically our promoter driven company. But for the first time, we are launching a movie under the banner of Balaji Telefilms. The film is yet to be titled, although the shoot has already started, and we have signed Aftab Shivdasani for the lead role. We plan to produce two-three films in a year, which would very small and restricted-budget films. But television would always be our core business area, at least in the near future.

Q. Television game shows, as a genre, have enjoyed a fair amount of popularity among Indian audiences. Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, and Khulja Sim Sim are cases in point. To what extent has Balaji been able to tap into this genre of programming?

A. We never tried our hand in these genres, except for a programme Dhoom Dhamaka, which we produced for Doordarshan a long time ago. Actually, KBC has set a benchmark for game shows, and it's not really easy to have a game show that can catch the imagination of the masses. If Balaji does anything on game shows, it will be only when we are sure that we can make a better programme than KBC, and also add value to the interest of the broadcasters.

Q. Tell us something about the programme you are producing for MTV...

A. Well, I can't talk about the genre or the concept of the programme, as it is still in the planning stage. But I can certainly say that the initial episodes will be on talent search, and the winners would be working for us in the programme. In fact, it would be a mega event for both MTV and Balaji.

Q. Although there is no formula to success, what has Balaji done right, vis-à-vis its programming, that has enabled it to get to where it has got? How has your programming/content made a connect with the Indian viewer?

A. If one has a concept that's interesting and is able to tell a story in a commanding and exciting way, one can be successful. The production values that one sees in our programmes are also important, and one can't just avoid it. Today, when programmes like Nukkad and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi are re-telecast, people just don't find a connect as the programming values have undergone a massive change since the time these programmes were produced. I personally have grown up watching Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and have loved it, but today, when I see it, it doesn't evoke the same kind of emotions it used to previously.

If one has a look at the TRP rating, one will certainly come to know why people like our programmes. And this, in turn, means that we connect with people, and have been doing so over the last four years. It's easy to be the number one, but it's difficult to retain the position. It's our own shows that compete with one other nowadays.

Q. We talked about viewer fatigue. Now considering Balaji's stock fare is the Great Indian Family Drama, does the company have a plan of action in place if audience interest in the saas-bahu epics starts flagging?

A. Interest will wane irrespective of the genre or the production house. But, as I said earlier, brand extensions certainly infuse a new interest in the storyline. And when we see that we can't carry on with it anymore, we will shut it and start working on something else. We have done it previously with programmes like Koshish and Ghar Ek Mandir, which were as popular as today's programmes. It's just that one has to find out to what extent one can leverage an existing brand.

The thought process is always on and the idea can come anytime and anywhere. Whenever we find a unique idea, we will certainly try to explore it. But till our existing formula works, we will carry on with it.

Q. A very natural progression for a company such as Balaji is to eventually set up its own general entertainment channel. Is this something that the company is looking at?

A. No, we do not have any such plans in the near future. We might look out for the options of tying up with an existing channel, but an independent channel on our own is not something I foresee in the near future. But who knows what's in store in the future...

March 29, 2004
Mumbai
You can write to Rajesh Pavithran at
rajesh@balajitelefilms.com