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Winning laurels

Kavita Barjatya ensures Rajshri Productions shines on the tube as well with her soap completing 500 episodes recently

Kavita Barjatya

If soaps find a successful audience in the women there are a few other women at the helm making that happen. Exactly what Kavita Barjatya, who spearheads Rajshri Productions (P) Ltd’s Television Division, does at the other side of the screen. H er soap Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki recently was in news for finishing 500 episodes. “We are going well. We are No.1 on Sahara One,” she explains about the comeback soap from the entertainment house that went on air on May 30, 2005. “Our first projec t for television was in 1984 called Paying Guest for Doordarshan,” says Kavita.

Going places Kavita Barjatya (left) basks in the success of Aamir Ali and Reena Kapoor starring soap ‘Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki’

And the tube is definitely a different ball game compared to the celluloid realm that the banner has made its name for since it churned out blockbusters such as Dosti, Taraana, Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and others. “ ;Delivery is very crucial for television. You can push the film release but you can’t push the telecast. With five episodes a week you are producing a film every week. You need to keep in sync with technology. Soaps are a little louder than films. Also the element of dialogue is essential in a serial unlike a cinema where you can go ahead with minimum dialogue. People tend to watch television while cooking or cutting vegetables,” explains Kavita. That also brings the fact that her soap borrows from reality, “This is the story of Pari the protagonist. In the current episodes she has taken upon herself to win over the joint family. Situations as these do occur in reality and we take our story from there. Identification with characters is essential for any show. And the lead actors Aamir Ali as Saumya and Reena Kapoor as Pari are doing a great job,” she says. Reinforcing the family values the soaps delves upon the teachings of Ramayana and has been elementary in perking TRP of the channel.

As for Kavita, a post graduate in investment and finance, there are further plans for the tube. “It is too early to talk about them but they will be daily soaps.” And on being the woman at the helm, “if you do your work well you deserve it.”

SYEDA FARIDA

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