Acclaimed director Shashank Bali has always managed to spread smiles by making viewers laugh with some rib-tickling comedy shows.
After directing the serial FIR, Shashank has created history by being known as the man who presented the one-of-its kind show on &TV, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai (Edit II) in the best way possible. As the Director of the acclaimed laugh riot, he has taken entertainment to another level.
In an exclusive conversation with Tellychakkar.com, Shashank talks about how different comedy is in today’s time…
Thank you for speaking to Tellychakkar.com. Could you please give us a brief on the overall quality of direction in the TV industry today?
I think quality is not satisfactory. Leaving aside the comedy genre, things do not look good for the aspiring directors, as there is too much of pressure. There are a lot of people who are involved at the same time in one project; hence sometimes different points of view can destroy the original thought behind a project. I feel in comedy genre, the director’s role is still very important.
What are the basic norms you keep in mind while making or directing serials?
I am here to make people laugh and that is my motto. I also believe in characterization as I think it is the character that works and not the actor.
What do you see in a script before taking up a project?
The most important thing is freshness. The concept can be old but the approach should be new. The fresh approach should appeal to all the sections of the society. I love Hindustan hence I like desipan in my shows.
Talking about challenges, have we evolved in the space or are we still in a cocoon?
I feel we can still evolve and there is a lot of scope. The makers are not experimenting as they are scared about the numbers, and hence audience is not getting better content to watch. Bhabhiji was also an experiment and it became an instant hit amongst audience.
How much of a freedom do you enjoy when governed by pressures of numbers from the producer and the channel?
In my case, I am very fortunate. &TV is a liberal channel. My producer (Edit II) is also fantastic. They have given me all the freedom and independence.
What are the difficulties you have faced while handling an actor?
I just want my actor to handover himself to me and I will do full justice to his role. I want the actor to portray one character at a time. For example, if you are Angoori then only be that and not Shubhangi Atre. At the end of the day, I make audience laugh through my characters and not the actors.
Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai’s catchphrase Sahi Pakde Hai became immensely popular, so who suggested it?
After the first day shoot, my writer cum friend Manoj Santoshi called me and told me that we can give Angoori a catchphrase ‘Sahi Pakde Hai’. So wherever her English will go the wrong way, she can use it. The way Manoj said ‘Sahi Pakde Hai’ impressed me a lot. Next day, we asked Shilpa Shinde (who earlier played the role of Angoori) to get acquainted with the line, and she did it fantastically. This is how we got the catchphrase ‘Sahi Pakde Hai’.
Post the replacement of Angoori Bhabhi, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai has seen dip in numbers. So what are your plans as the director to be on top of the game?
&TV was a new channel and even then, Bhabhiji became a hit nationally and internationally. Viewers were so involved with the original cast. When Shilpa got replaced, the connection broke with the viewers; hence we dropped in numbers. Now we have again recovered the original rating.
Do you think the replacement affected the ratings of the show?
Yes, initially it did, but now we stand normal.
Who are your favourite actors on television?
Be it TV or Bollywood, my favourite actor is Amitabh Bachchan. He was commendable in Yudh.
Advice that you would like to give to aspiring directors...
I would suggest that only if you ready for the grind, then venture into TV. Directing TV shows is a high pressure job and above all, to make people laugh daily is very difficult.
Any plans to direct different genres?
I am working on few scripts, so let’s hope for the best.
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