We should see more radical content on TV soon - Director Punit Gandhi

Punit Gandhi is a well known director in the Indian TV industry. He completed his education from the J.J School of Arts. He has been in the TV industry for the last 18 years. He entered the industry as an Assistant Director and has been directing for the last ten years. He has worked with the likes of renowned editor Dilip Ahuja, production house Mushir Riaz’s Productions which has made films like Virasat and Shakti and Director Jyotin Goel. He has worked on shows like Kituu Sabb Jaantii Hai on Sahara One, Antariksh - Ek Amar Katha on Star Plus, Guns and Roses on Star One, Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka on Imagine and Vicky Ki Taxi on Real. He is currently directing Life OK’s Savdhan India. Of all the shows that you have done which is the one you are proudest of? The best work that I have done must be for Guns and Roses. We broke all the rules of television in the way we shot it, presented the show and put it to screen. Doing Vicky Ki Taxi was also a lot of fun. We made one film every week. Is there any show that you regret making? Yes, there are a few shows that I regret making but I rather not name them. You have your shares of both good and bad times. Television is this industry which gets into a rut after a point of time. Making Savdhan India is exciting as you are doing something new in every episode. It isn’t a continuous story. Every episode has new actors and challenges. I did the first ever episode of Savdhan India. To the best of my knowledge I have directed the most number of episodes of Savdhan India. Are criminals born or made? There were times on our show when we tried to get into the mind of the criminal who was committing the crime. I don’t know if people are born criminals but there may be an inherent criminal streak in them which you may consider hereditary. It comes down from your lineage. I feel that most criminals are made at times. You must have that bent of mind to become a criminal. I think criminals are both born and made. We realise that the criminals on your show have committed gruesome crimes. Nevertheless, have you at times felt sorry for them as a ruthless society may have groomed them to be criminals? There must have been cases in which society was responsible for making a person a criminal. In Savdhan India, we always try to make sure though that we don’t glorify the crime. We show that the person has to pay for the crime he has committed. What kind of feedback have you got for Savdhan India? The show has doubled in its ratings from the time it started. In fact, the TRP is more than double now. It has been more than a year that Savdhan India has been on air. Do you know of anyone whose life has changed on watching Savdhan India? I keep getting calls from people I know and also from people I meet but don’t know personally. But one thing is for sure that they enjoy watching the show and it is an eye opener for them. It has made people aware of many atrocities which happen in the contemporary times. For instance there are child marriages happening even now. Women are being forced into sati. I believe that Savdhan India is a great platform which is actually depicting these crimes. We have shown murders in some episodes for the seemingly strangest reasons which seem to be absolutely unbelievable. When Savdhan India started it was shown that the person who will be your worst betrayer may be the one you are the closest to. Crime often happens within your close circuit- she may be your best friend, your wife and your child. Often the person who is the closest will stab you in your back first. What do you think about the other crime shows- Gumrah, Crime Patrol, Shaitan- A Criminal Mind etc? Crime Patrol was the pioneer show. The other crime shows came up after it. It is a good show. Nevertheless Savdhan India has eaten into a lot of their TRPs. Crime Patrol is still the leading show today. Why are crime shows on the rise nowadays? People enjoy watching about crimes which have happened to other people which could easily have happened to themselves. The fact that we are showing real cases instead of dramatising real cases or telecasting fictional cases interests them. We pick up real cases from the cops. They hence find crime shows very identifiable. What kind of shows will you never direct? I think those regular family drama soaps are shows which I will never want to do. How has the TV industry changed since you started your career with it? There has been a sea change. There has been great technological advancement. There is still a lot of regression in content though. We are seeing many docudramas now. New channels have come in. Do you prefer seasons or dailies? Obviously, Seasons. How else do you think the TV industry should improve? The budgets will go up for sure. Technology is changing worldwide and will catch up in India too. We should see more radical content on TV soon.