MUMBAI : It is a balmy Tuesday morning in April, and Kinnari Mehtaa is as serene as the sea doing her morning prayers in her swanky office. Spotting my arrival at her office, she warmly smiles, directing me to her plush all-lilac cabin. And over a cup of black coffee., she explains to me what's like being a mother, wife and producer. Kinnari is married to producer Jay Mehtaa, the younger son of veteran producer Late Pranlal Mehtaa. She is currently helming Jay productions and her best half, her husband, Jay Mehtaa. Here is the start of her story. Just after her marriage, Kinnari had a rocky passage, as the company was in substantial financial debt. But she did it all to support the family because she firmly believes you don't marry the man's wealth, but the man you marry is your wealth.
"One thing I realised is problems can make or mar you. First, we had to sell off everything to clear the debts, but that didn't stop us from charting the new journey. After the struggle, Jay production was born, and it is thriving.
Kinnari is a trailblazer. With a zero film background, the need for money made her an accidental yet stellar producer. "We had no money, but my husband knew the craft of producing, and we started producing Gujarati shows and met with reasonable success, and then the company grew, and so did we," she adds.
This boutique-sized production house has undertaken a local and curatorial approach, unlike many top brass producers. "The absolute privilege of working in television is the extraordinary ordinary people, who give you access to their lives and tell you what they've been through." reflects Mehtaa.
The testimony to this is the shows like Gatbandhan, Jiji Maa, Ek Nayi Pehchaan, Indiawali Maa, Rab Se Sona Ishq, Sindoor Tere Naam Ka, to name a few.
Jay Productions' current offerings are the cop-based show Madam Sir and the family drama Subh Labh. Laced with the lessons of life, both the shows have gratifying stories. "My projects are never based on TRPs, but the topics that resonate with my sensibilities, she says. "All my shows have some of me. For instance, Ek Nayi Pehchaan is one show very close to my heart. When the entire television industry showed saas-bahu squabbles, we emerged as a rarity by establishing a healthy relationship between mom-in-law and daughter-in-law. So, of course, the inspiration behind the show is my equation with my mom-in-law." And we can't agree more. Indiawali Maa, one of her other projects, with ambitious limited series, projects her emotional quotient with her son. "No matter how old is your child, for parents, the child will always remain their child," adds Mehtaa. "When my son was small, I used to go on guilt overdrive that I couldn't spend time with him because of work, but then had I not worked, he wouldn't be able to pursue his dreams," she quips.
Speaking of Madam Sir, Kinnari says, "My writer Priya Misra sowed the seed by flashing this line Kuch Baat hai kyuki Jazbaat hain and this phrase stayed with me on days together, and that's how finally Madam Sir was born. The show portrays how cops thrive on emotions too."
The show offers textural, tactile tracks, making it one of the most-watched shows in Sony Sab. Mehtaa says he knows how to tell stories that can tug heartstrings. "My stories have to be humane. The more we see, the better, and wow, it gets. More stories to be told and more are the ways to depict them.
Madam Sir will complete 500 episodes soon. She is looking forward to immersing her audience with inspiring stories that any human identifies with instead of psychologising the issues. It is sheer message-driven humour that drives the show.
Most of her shows are women-centric. However, there will always be something elusive in her narratives; like she is, we see this enigma in her artworks, life lessons, and creativity. Kinnari is a unique soul.
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