In a departure from the usual 'Chhoto bou' genre or the 'Saas Bohu' type frequenting the satellite waves for years, a TV soap on the cosmopolitan culture of Kolkata, having title track by Shaan, now comes up in a premier national channel where Bengali and Punjabi folks break into impromptu bhangra to the lyrics of 'Akash Bhars Sujo Tara'.
The upcoming soap 'Mon Niye Kachha Kachhi', inspired from the tracks of a late 70s Bengali song by Asha Bhosle, has the look and feel of the 2014 Kolkata, its young crowd, the cockney changed dialect of the urban populace having lesser number of typical Bengali phrases and showing the lifestyles and habits of different communities in a housing, flowing side by side, and yet merging on days like Durga Puja or Guru Nanak birthday celebrations or New year..
Director Abira, having debuted In this genre of young, romance tale, affirms the soap to be telecast has the look and feel of a Sooraj Barjatiya flick in many parts with real life situations portrayed in exaggerated form.
It is Tollywood's new initiative to try the Hindi blockbuster formula for the largely urban audience who are averse to watching the typical tear-jerkers in local telly shows, the young film maker, having roped in lyricist Srijato and music director Indradeep Dasgupta to infuse the fresh, contemporary element in the soundscape of the episodic play, said.
"To retain the freshness of the theme, departing from the beaten track of many serials, we have roped in a singer like Shaan for the title track which sums up the youthful, cosmopolitan theme of the serial in more than one ways in the serial," she said about the serial to be aired on Star Jalsha.
"It is not at all a mass Bengali serial, stringing together plots. By centering on a Pujnabi family and a Bengali family residing side by side in the same block and floor, their bonding sharing moments of joy and happiness and yet having friendly tiff when the washroom stinks due to leak in pipeline or the smell of cuisine wafts across the walls, we have sought to celebrate the oneness of India, the pluralism for which Kolkata is also proud of. Like the happy frames of a Barjatiya flick, there are situations and scenes when all these families come together on family occasions which Indians celebrate in a big way.
"The serial is based on the generation who are more well-versed in whatsapp than sms. We can see this generation around us, in coffee joints and college campuses and hangout zones. Our serials need to connect with this audience as well though personally I have no qualms with sash bahu types. They have their own takers and what they had been portraying is also a reality, I am also a part of such family dramas as well," small screen star and popular film actor Rimjhim Mitra said.
Rising star Tathagata said, "I am a Punjabi guy, And I feel like portraying what I am as I give shots. We need that extra glint, the glossy but realistic look in our shots which can be ensured by big production houses like SVF having delievered several new age serials in past few years.
