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The weekly survivor
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Why does Naga continue to make weekly serials? Read on to find out the reasons for his success
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Serial success: Nagarajan, pioneer of the serial boom on Tamil satellite channels
IT IS the age of mega serials on television. The weekly soaps are fading out on all channels, as advertisers and broadcasters feel only mega serials can sustain the attention of viewers today. In Tamil, only Sun TV encourages stand-alone weekly serials while in Hindi, most of the channels have bi-weekly serials. But the man who pioneered the serial boom on Tamil satellite channels is Nagarajan, the Pune Film Institute graduate, popularly known as Naga. He continues to make only weekly serials.
Naga's claim to fame was "Marmadesam" for K. Balachander's Minbimbangal, a super hit serial for Sun TV which ran every Wednesday for nearly three years (157 weeks). Later he did "Rudra Veenai" and even now his "Chidambara Ragasiyam" occupies the 8.30 p.m. slot on Wednesday on Sun TV. This serial has been running for the last 35 weeks and has decent TRP ratings.
Naga who visualises serials excellently is a sort of `guru' to many serial makers in Tamil such as C. J. Baskar, but refuses to do mega serials. He feels today's mega serials are running for 600 to 700 episodes, making them longer than the original "Mahabharatha"! "I think it is silly to allow a story to run for so many episodes," says Naga.
He says a lot of research goes into his weekly serials and the feedback from viewers has been positive.
Supernatural thrillers
Naga specialises in supernatural thrillers that dwell on superstition, black magic, occult, witchcraft and other forms of the unknown. His "Chidambara Ragasiyam" is a story of intrigue and suspense revolving around the most baffling mysteries of `Nadi Jyotsyam', an ancient form of foretelling one's destiny with the help of a fingerprint.
Says Naga: "Supernatural phenomena have always been part of our mythology. I look at myths scientifically and present both sides of a popular belief and leave it to the viewer to arrive at their own conclusions. The response to such serials has been encouraging, especially in rural areas where they enjoy high TRPs."
Naga, who has been directing serials for over a decade, feels the content of daily soaps has to improve.
Says Naga: "I feel most of the serials depict the triumph of traditional values. They have explored various subjects such as the joint family system, the nuclear family system, the generation gap as well as issues pertaining to errant husbands, difficult in-laws, infidelity and the problems of working women. A new storyline has to evolve."
Naga is now all set to do a Hindi weekly serial for a leading channel.
He will also be doing another weekly Tamil serial for Sun TV.
SREEDHAR PILLAI
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