"I am a Sony man now!"

alaji loses its kartha-dharta! Sandiip Sikcand, one of the most sought after names in the television industry has taken the most poignant decision of his career till date. After being associated with Balaji Telefilms since four years as their Creative Head, this brainy man has been tied hands with Sony TV as their Chief Creative Director. Sandiip Sikcand was, till date, tagged as Ekta Kapoor's right hand man and was the brain behind thriving soaps like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, K Street Pali Hill, Kaavyanjali,Hum Paanch and also the recent TRP grosser, Kasamh Se. In an exclusive chat with Riya V Anandwala, Sandiip shares his excitement affiliated with the new offer, about quitting Balaji and his status quo with Ekta Kapoor. Sandiip Sikcand with Kiran Karmarkar on the completion KGGK's 1000 episodes First things first. Congratulations! When did Sony's offer happen? I got this offer sometime around last week. You are now the Chief Creative Director of Sony. That means that you will directly report to the COO. How does it feel? Oh, it's amazing! But more than feel good factor, I feel very responsible. There is a lot of work to do, many new challenges to face. I am very excited! What was the major reason to quit Balaji for Sony? It was the urge to grow! I couldn't resist an offer as tempting as the Chief Creative Director of Sony TV. It was a major boost to my career, how could I ignore it. Your earlier association was with a production house (Balaji), and now with a channel (Sony). How different and difficult do you think it will be? It is bound to be a tough task, but not different as such. Be it a production house or a channel, the creativity flowing in is the same. But yes, the perspective of a channel is totally different. Sony is known for its reality shows, so where do you fit in? It's people who mistake Sony as a reality channel. It certainly showcases a lot of reality shows, and is gearing up for some more. But at the same time, it also renders the sought after family sagas. In the near future, Sony will predominantly be a soap factory! Are you going to handle only fiction or both? I will be handling all shows across Sony, which includes both. Coming to Balaji, was quitting easy? How difficult was it for you to realize that it's time to move on? It was very difficult, as Balaji is family to me. Personally, it was a task, but professionally it was a must. It was indeed time to move on. I may sound like a bahu from Balaji soap, but I do feel like a daughter who is married to another family. What was Ekta's reaction when you first broke your grave decision? She asked me whether I was sure about quitting. So how is your rapport with Ekta today? I am always going to there for Balaji! Nothing as such has changed between Ekta and me. Sandiip with the Kapoor family! (From left: Ekta Kapoor, Sandiip Sikcand, Jitendra and Shobha Kapoor) Now who will take your baton in the Balaji camp? Well, I am currently in their studio, editing a few episodes of Kasamh Se. And I will continue to do the show for a few more days, till Ekta finds another creative head. Do you regret the fact that you left Kasamh Se, when it is at its peak? Well I don't hold any regrets. Each character of Kasamh Se is so close to my heart that it is extremely difficult to cut off from them. But yes, there is hope about what the future awaits for all of us. So no more looking back...? I will be looking into the Balaji shows if they come to Sony. But otherwise, I will eat, sleep, and drink Sony. Henceforth, I am Sony's man! Any parting note on bidding adieu to Balaji? Today when I am leaving Balaji I feel nostalgic. In life, you move on but these things are always there at the back of your mind. I have gained a lot from them, experienced innumerable things.