The entire "pressure cooker" situation in the TV industry is not good : Director Dinesh Mahadev

Director Dinesh Mahadev, who has helmed some well-known shows like Laagi Tujhse Lagan, Na Aana Iss Des Laado, Ruk Jaana Nahi, Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki and many more, has had a very interesting journey in the TV industry. Dinesh, who was pursuing a course in Travel and Tourism after completing H.S.C, became a director not by fate, but hard work. He is currently associated with Shakuntalam Telefilms and working on their pilot projects. Tellychakkar.com got into a conversation with this very man for our ‘Behind the Lens’ segment. Excerpts: How did your journey in the television industry begin? Well, well, I joined the industry in 1996 as a camera attendant to Prakash Mehra with the help of Basheer Ali Pathan (cinematographer of Refugee) who is like my elder brother. After this, I worked as assistant to JP Dutta. Later, I moved over to TV with the help of Pawan Kaul (Ssshhhh... Koi Hai). I can clearly confess that my teachers in the TV industry were Rahil Siddiqui and director Anshuman Kishore Singh with whose support and help I got into the direction. Currently, I am with Shakuntalam Telefilms and I am very happy with them. Did you face any difficulties during your initial days in the industry? Yes, I have learnt a lot in my journey so far. In fact, I have been backstabbed several times because I had this habit of trusting people easily. But, on the other hand, I also met a lot of right souls who helped me reach so far. How many years have you been in the industry for? I’ve been a part of the industry for 16 years now of which, I spent six years in films. There was a time when I used to sit idle for days as actors would not give their dates in films. Things were not working well, that’s when I decided to switch over to TV. What’s your educational qualification? After completing my H.S.C from NM College (Mumbai), I took up a course in Travel and Tourism. In fact, since I was very good at it, my college wanted to send me for further studies. But the financial position back home was not that encouraging. After my father passed away, when I was just nine, my mother looked after four of us which included my elder brother, my sisters and me. My sisters were married by the time I reached college and my elder brother had taken up a small time job. My mother did not have enough money to send me for further studies. Naturally, I couldn’t pursue higher education. It is then that I joined the industry. How different is a TV director’s life from that of a film director? A TV director always faces pressure of giving the footage. He can never work as he wants as the channel is the real producer. In a film, a director can expand his vision but in TV it is not possible. What are the issues that a television director faces? I think the pressure of delivering certain number of scenes is an issue but that’s how TV works. And I am trying my best to get used to this pattern. Apart from this, a few actors start feeling that they are stars and from here it starts affecting a director’s work as these actors stop giving their best in front of the camera. Is shooting with new actors too an issue? It’s not like that. It’s just that some actors are wonderful like Aruna Irani ji. You do not have to make an effort to get the right scenes from her as she knows her job well. When we have such actors, things get sorted. But then there are others who spend two hours in the make-up room which makes things difficult for a director. In television, you are termed as a good director depending on the number of scenes you shoot in a day. Do you agree with this notion? I was working on Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki where, my producers Shashi- Sumeet Mittal wanted me to deliver 18 minutes of footage every day. But, I could deliver footage of just 15 to 16 minutes. So, after a while, I quit the show as I could not handle the pressure. I think the entire pressure cooker scenario in the industry is not good. What are the changes that you’d like to see on TV? I would like to see some creative people like Neelima Bajpai and Anshuman Kishore Singh heading the creative aspects of channels as only creative people will understand what the technicians and workers on the sets go through. Are you happy with your journey so far? I am very happy and so is my family (wife, kids and mother). What are your future plans? I want to get into film direction and production. I also want to produce TV shows but that will happen with time. I am not in a hurry.