Kavita Barjatya: A success story

They are the backbone of any television production. They not only conceive award winning shows but also have the foresight to gauge their potential.They also provide the moolah that keeps these shows alive and kicking for years. In this column, we speak to some of the most vibrant producers who have made shows that have set trends in the television industry and try to find out what makes them tick! If there is anything like an archetypal producer she for sure doesn't fit the bill. She is soft-spoken, polite, doesn't use cuss words and is very young. But don't get taken in with her image. The lady is all-steel. And yes knows her business well. But that is no surprise for a person who belongs to the old and respected Rajshri family of movie makers. The business of entertainment runs through their veins. Interestingly, in 1985 Rajshri had been one of the earliest television serial producers with the telecast of its first tele-serial Paying Guest, a weekly on Doordarshan, in a finite format of 26 episodes. Almost two decades later they are doing the same and as successfully. Kavita Barjatya, the daughter of Kamal Kumar Barjatya is a second generation Barjatya who handles the television arm of Rajshri Productions. Kavita looks into the serials' creative aspects and controls its daily operations. Right from her first programme Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki to her current show Main Teri Parchhain Hoon on NDTV Imagine, Kavita has left her footprint. In an exclusive to tellychakkar Kavita talks about her new serial, her family and her dreams. On her shift to TV: I assisted Suraj bhaiya in Main Prem ki Deewani. So when he suggested I look at TV I decided to take it up. Though it was a mindset change (from films to TV) looking at the returns it feels great. Films come once a year but TV shows are an on-going process. Another good thing about television is that we have the option of replacement with us as against in films where this can never happen. Earlier TV was a difficult medium to deal with and movies were more in demand. But now in the growing media, 26 per cent is films and a major chunk of 55 per cent is television. Today TV is a big medium. It offers livelihood to so many people on a regular basis as against films where the waiting for your next project is very uncertain. The respect a technician gets is bigger than his film counterpart as he gets to work on multiple shows. He is valued more and is rarely out of work. On her role as producer: We are a joint family and I report to my father on finances and to my brother Suraj on the creative aspects. I come from a film mindset and have learned to give respect to time. Though in films this can be managed but where TV is concerned it is my job to ensure that strict time lines are maintained. The work is humungous. I produce 2 ? hours of content every week which is almost as much as a film. I like to get personally involved with everything that is done on the sets. My effort has been to associate good and deserving people with our production house. But what's important is that my creative side always governs my business side. If I have to re-shoot I don't think about the money. On her family: I was very young when my dadaji passed away. But I do recall what he said to me once. He was explaining the reason behind the Rajshri films emblem which is Goddess Saraswati. He said that everything that goes from our production house has the blessings of the Goddess. Even today any content that is generated from Rajshri has to be about culture, family and values. This is my priority as well. My critics are all in my house. My mom and my servant always do a perfect post mortem of the previous day's show. In fact the TRPs rest with them. On her choice of Sahara and NDTV Imagine: A good show will do well on any channel. However, a show like ours which went against the existing conventions is not possible without the support of a channel. Both the channels have been the least interfering channels we've worked with. Initially I was a bit skeptical of the 10.30pm slot for my new show, Main Teri Parchhain Hoon on NDTV Imagine as it meant being pitted against shows like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, etc. But the channel was confident and my show is picking up. I am happy if the channel is happy. All I know is that I must be loyal and do my job well. On her latest show, Main Teri Parchhain Hoon NDTV Imagine publicised my show very aggressively in UP as that is the Rajshri strong hold. We are sure of the story and will end it when we don't have a story. On the biggest challenge she faces: Challenge for me means good quality in a short time (due to time deadlines) and living up to Rajshri standards. On her dreams: I want the banner to be recognized. It's great when I hear actors say that they want to be on our serials for the good work environment we provide.