If channels slash our prices post July 14, we would be compelled to cut corners

Aruna Irani needs no introduction. Cine-goers in India are all too familiar with the myriad roles she has portrayed in Hindi films, be it the archetypical vamp, the character artist or her more recent avatar, that of producer of Bollywood movies. Along with husband Kuku Kohli who is a director, Irani produced Anari No1 with Govinda and Raveena Tandon, a raging hit four years ago. Then followed Yeh Dil Aashiqana, a moderate success last year.

Having donned a number of hats in front and behind the camera, Irani is on her way to fulfilling her long cherished dream - that of directing a Bollywood movie. To this end, she has adopted a convenient route - television. "I came into television to hone my directorial skills so that I can put it to use when I get down to directing a movie," she says of her new role.

A tough professional, it is no surprise that her serial Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand on STAR Plus is waging a constant battle for eyeballs with the K-serials of Balaji Telefilms. The Hindi film veteran, who prefers to describe herself as a novice in the television business, avoids any comparison to soap queen Ektaa Kapoor with a simple, " I admire her."

In this freewheeling conversation with Viveat Susan Pinto of agencyfaqs!, Aruna Irani spells out her success formulae and how Des Mein hit the bull's eye.

Edited Excerpts

It is a different show and that's why it has worked. In any case, I think you should be posing this question to the viewer because he or she will be in a better position to gauge what is the difference between Des Mein and any other show telecast during primetime. If you ask me what has worked for Des Mein, I will naturally blow my own trumpet.

Des Mein is a romance, it's a passionate love story. That's why it has worked. Of course, the family angle cannot be ignored because almost every viewer watching the show has a family. He could be a rich man or a commoner on the streets. My serial talks about them. My story is directed at them.

It is not the family card. It is emotions. Every person who is my viewer has a daughter or a son, a mother and a father. They have likes and dislikes. One is talking about human beings, not families. It is the relationship that counts, the relationship that works - whether in India or abroad. Take the film Pretty Woman for example. It is a typical Indian emotional film though the context is foreign. Emotions touch you and everyone.

Having said that, let me add that relationships run deep in India whether it's a mother-daughter relationship or a relationship between daughter-father, father-son, husband-wife, anybody. In India, a relationship exists between the servant and owner too, unlike abroad where you may find a relationship only between a mother and a son or between friends. That's it. They don't run deep.

STAR is an established and popular brand. When a channel has a loyal following, your show on that channel could get a boost. STAR Plus has a good channel share and it is an added advantage that my show is on the number one network. I would be totally wrong if I were to expect the same response from an ordinary channel.

Talking about Mehndi Tere Naam Ki, it was the No1 show on ZEE despite the TVR. Don't forget that the channel itself lost out in the ratings race. At one time, it was Mehndi and Koshish ….Ek Asha (from Balaji Telefilms), which were the best soaps on that network.

Every show is given a boost, irrespective of whether it is doing well or not, because it is in the interest of the channel. We live in a world driven by publicity; so, I guess, a channel too works hard to promote its shows.

Definitely. When you accumulate 10 per cent from every corner, it combines to give you 100 per cent. One can't neglect anything - be it sets, performances, location or costumes. You do, however, need a good script to begin with, coupled with good artistes or performers, who can take the show forward. They are most essential. Everything else is a mere addition to embellish the final product.

Why only a serial? Even a film requires both elements of good and bad. If there is only good, you get bored. If there is only bad, you get bored. You need to combine both elements.

Every director goes by his or her judgment. I too go by my judgment on what will work and what won't. I ask myself if I were a viewer watching the show, will it interest me? Will it hold me long enough? That's the logic with which I work.

Yes. Whenever I look at a scene or when I am performing, I try to gauge whether it is working or not. Gut feel plays a significant role here. When I visualise a scene and my eyes are filled with tears, I sense it can work with the audience because it has touched me. I am a stonehearted person. I don't cry easily. Hence, when a scene touches me, I instinctively know that it can work with the audience as well.

What I don't understand about audience psyche is even if you showcase a product, which has a modern look and feel to it, they will condemn it, much the same they would do to a storyline packed with emotions. This behaviour leaves me confounded. Ultimately, one makes what works in the market.

Though relationships are the same, the scenes are different. We present it differently, which brings in the element of experimentation. Let me cite an example from films to emphasise my point. Sunny Deol's Ghayal was a hit, whereas other movies with a similar storyline have flopped. The reason? Ghayal was very well presented. Every scene in the movie was gripping, which is why it clicked.

Let me cite some more examples. Two movies, Daraar by Abbas-Mustan and Agnisakshi starring Manisha Koirala revolved around the same subject. However, the former flopped while the latter was a hit despite the fact that Daraar was a better product than Agnisakshi. Why did this happen? In Agnisakshi, Manisha Koirala knows that her husband is dead. She is a widow. Hence, she has a right to get married and settle down.

In Daraar, the heroine dumps her husband because he harasses her, comes to Mumbai where she finds a new life partner. Now, Indian mentality will question such behaviour. It is natural. In fact, most human beings would question such an attitude - how did the woman just leave her husband high and dry to marry someone else? And that is what worked for Agnisakshi while Daraar failed to ignite the box-office.

In my opinion, emotions handled in the right manner work. The same goes for relationships.

It is very difficult to gauge the pulse of the audience. Big filmmakers too have made flop movies. It is a factor you cannot control. Destiny too plays its part in making the serial successful. In the end, one goes by one's judgment of what will work and what won't.

As far as a feedback mechanism goes, we do not have one right now. But I do ask people around for their feedback on my show. If a storyline is revolving in my mind, I will bounce it off with 10 others to know whether it will work or not, and what it is I can incorporate to better the final product.

The making of a serial today is akin to making a movie. It is almost like a mini-film. Huge sets, rooms, deck-up, finishing. I am involved in filmmaking as well and I wonder if this is the attention to detail in a serial, what will I do in a film!

Comedy is the toughest thing to do. People watch television everyday. How are we to engage their minds with different situations? I can make you cry easily but I cannot make you laugh. It is very difficult.

We basically need good scriptwriters who can produce good comic scripts. This isn't happening, which is why comedy shows seem like buffoonery shows. Charlie Chaplin films are the most obvious source of inspiration, which have been done to death.

I am new to the business (of television software), so I know nothing about the ratings game. The channel tells me that this is the TVR of the show and a number of times they wonder why am I so disinterested in the whole thing.

I do enjoy knowing that my show is performing well on the ratings chart but I have never consciously made an effort to know what is the TVR of my show. The case was similar during the run of Mehndi on ZEE. But for all you know, I may fall into this ditch, pretty soon.

This is something that will be visible only in July-August when conditional access finally sees the light of the day. But I think we will face big-time crises. The reason being nobody is sure what will happen post July 14. If channels slash our prices, we would, in turn, be compelled to cut corners.

As long as I can cook up stories, the show will go on. Once it reaches saturation point, I will wind it up, much like Mehndi Tere Naam Ki on ZEE, which was on for two-and-a-half years.

I am doing an emotional drama Zameen Se Aasman Tak for Sahara TV. The story revolves around a bar dancer, which is an uncommon subject on Indian television. I hope to see it launched somewhere in September-October this year.

Once on air, I intend starting on my film assignment. No doubt, I will take the show (Zameen Se) forward, but I would love to kickstart my directorial venture in film sooner than later.