Anupamaa rules Indian TV in a way that no desi show has done in recent years. The show of Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna can be seen all seven days of the week. BollywoodLife had a chat with Rajan Shahi, the man behind the two groundbreaking shows. He told us, “There’s no formula to make a hit show. If there was one, a lot of my other shows would be hits too. You go by instinct. I believe in honest telling. As a creator, I like to tell stories with whom I feel emotionally connected. Even with Bidaai, we were trendsetters. We brought back the concept of the girl next door.”
He tells us why Anupamaa is extra special, and it has nothing to do with Rupali Ganguly or Gaurav Khanna. He said that Anupamaa is loved not only in India but also abroad. This is his first collaboration with my mother, Deepa Shahi. At the age of 79 she became a debutant producer. Anupamaa is made by their joint production house Shahi Productions. “It’s ek maa ki kahaani however you refer to your mother,” says the producer. He said Anupamaa’s success has led to many shows being made on mothers’ and housewives’ travels. “We had opponents who told us to do a young love story and not a middle-aged woman’s story,” he says.
Now that Anupamaa and YRKHH are out seven days a week, fans must be wondering how busy it is on actors. Rajan Shahi debunks the myth that people struggle more to deliver such an output. He says: “As a creator, I say this very strongly through this platform that constant grueling work hours can be the case with some production houses, but people should ask actors from Director’s Kut Productions about their experience. Shahi Productions as a company is very aware and transparent when it comes to rules and regulations. No actor can say that he has shot 18 hours or more in a row in the last few years. Of course, this requires a lot of planning. You have to be innovative with your content. We went an hour for Bidaai for a month and it was a huge success. In fact, even YRKHH had a seven-day-a-week stint for three months, which was a success. This pressure doesn’t come when there’s discipline and planning.”
Of course, both shows have some flak on social media from time to time. While Anupamaa has been outright slapped by some fans, AbhiRa and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai have become meme material. Rajan Shahi reveals that he is aware of the public. They are the ones the shows are made for. “What they like and don’t like, I consider to be love and concern for the show. These days, the reactions came very quickly given the digital age,” he says. Shahi says he and his team have learned lessons, although they ignore comments that get personal or are downright derogatory. “Fans were angry about AbhiRa’s divorce…dekho unka pyaar aur unki naraazgi donon sar aankhon par. We take the public’s response respectfully and seriously. Our writers and creators have been told to be respectful of what people do.” about a song,” he says. .
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