It is not that we don't have talent in India - Writer Gautam Hegde

On calling his writer friend Gautam Hegde as Tellychakkar.com’s guest editor for a telephonic interview Viraf said, "You are one of the most good looking writers in the TV industry. How do you deal with all the female attention?" A modest Gautam replied, "Kya bakwas hai, mein koi comment nahi karna chahta hoon" and continued his retort with a laugh, "No personal questions will be entertained." Our guest editor cheekily replied, "Oooh.la la la.. The girls in the Tellychakkar office are listening to every word that you are breathing out right now gooey eyed and are fluttering their eye lashes." Gautam humbly answered, "I think that is something that only you are saying." “Ok Gautam coming to the point name two male actors and two female actors who you would like to write for (and aren't on your shows right now)?" From the previous generation Gautam chose Pallavi Joshi and Renuka Shahane and from the current generation he chose Shweta Tiwari and Kritika Kamra. As far as male actors were concerned he said he would like to write for Karan Wahi and Viraf. An amused Viraf quipped, "That is so sweet, I was hoping you would say that. Why do you think I have asked you the question?" Gautam had to ponder for a while when asked which reality show he would never be a part of. Initially he replied that it was Roadies as he couldn't ride a bike. Viraf replied cheerfully, "That is a lame excuse, no you are more intelligent than that." He suggested that maybe Gautam would have refused Master Chef instead as he just can't cook to save his life. Gautam retorted, "Mein waise hi pakata hoon. Ummm …Maybe I won't go to Nach Baliye as I don't have a baliya as yet." Viraf made a comeback with, "Okay, if you had to go to Nach Baliye with a male partner which partner would you choose?" Gautam promptly replied, "Viraf, I'd like you to be my male partner in Nach Baliye. As corny as it sounds, Tellychakkar is going to make this the headline." Gautam added that he was okay with participating in Bigg Boss, however the only impediment was that he just couldn't wake up in the morning. Viraf continued with his tongue-in-cheek mode of interrogation, "Which female actress you would like to go to dinner with having harmless conversation?" Gautam who seems to like kids replied, "Harshita Ojha- the little girl from Veera." Viraf's witty repartee was, "That will make you look like a paedophile!" With some thought Gautam said that in that case he would like to take out Drashti Dhami and Sanaya Irani for dinner. “Ok, Gautam enough of frivolous questions now for some serious ones. Which was the one show that you wished that you had written?” "Balika Vadhu," was his reply. Viraf then probed, "Gautam we need some more masala in this interview so is it true that you are the highest paid writer in the TV industry?" He replied vaguely, "I wouldn't know that. If that is true though then maybe that calls for a celebration." Through the course of the interview we also got to know that ironically Gautam isn't in any hurry for venturing into films however he isn't completely closed to the idea either. He at some point also confessed to the fact that he just couldn't do without social media. When asked, what he would like to transform in the TV industry he replied, "First, I would like to stop the maha episodes. Second, I want shows to have seasons with one hour episodes. Once that happens there will be discipline in writing and adequate time to write a good show. It is not that we don't have the required talent in India. We simply don't have the time to pull out a good episode. Third, we should have an intellectual property right. Every time a show ends creative people should be a party to IP rights. Writers after all have nothing like a pension or provident fund scheme. If a show becomes popular and is aired in some other country, be it China or Malaysia, there is a certain amount which needs to come to the people who have worked on it." Viraf then returned to his wise cracks with the question, "The girls want to know when you are getting married." Gautam replied jovially, "I don't think they want to know when you are getting married. I think you want to know when I am getting married." Our guest editor joked, "Listen, you can't talk to the editor like that. You need to show some respect." Viraf concluded the interview by saying, "Gautam Hegde, I officially declare your interview as being done. You have submitted yourself with flying colours. We are thoroughly impressed. Do we have pictures of yourself in a bikini?" Gautam’s witty repartee was, “Umm let me check … would a sarong do?”