Antenna up, More quality please...

Antenna up, More quality please...
Lata Khubchandani

A large percentage of our television derives from films, but, sadly, the reflection is incidental. Very few actors worth their salt turn to TV, unless their film careers have reached a dead end. Not surprising then that TV seems to have become a survival ground for the out-of-work to heave a few more gasps of breath in the world of glamour. And it is mostly because of such unsuccessful actors with the `I'm-not-worried-if-I-don't-get-films-because-TV's-always-there' attitude that the small screen has been reduced to a place for has-beens.

Of course, there are exceptions like Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah who besides their booming film careers also dabble in television everytime a good offer knocks. But the truth is that no one from films is turning to television out of choice. No wonder, despite TV producers portraying the "quality programming" image, the fact is that tacky production values and absolute green horns as actors are all they offer to viewers. Till he gets value for his money everything else is secondary. But with the medium continuing to break DD boundaries, it's time they change their attitudes.

In the West, TV just becomes better and better, so much so that actors find themselves a place in mainstream cinema -- remember how Friends opened cine doors for so many of its actors? Here, on the other hand, once a Shah Rukh Khan makes a shift from TV to films, returning is almost a comedown. If questioned he replies: "I am television. Switch on any channel and you'll find me there -- on live shows, countdowns, interviews. So how can I say I have grown away from the medium?"

Get the drift? The star contributing to the poorer medium. But Naseeruddin Shah, who has no hang-ups being on the small screen, puts it more lucidly: "I've done work on TV. Mirza Ghalib

with Gulzar was a fabulous opportunity and it was fun. I recently did another serial called Cell 3 which changed its name to Tarkash when it was aired. But despite the fantastic script, it turned out badly. I felt very let down, but then that's nothing new. I don't think I'd turn to TV looking for great roles; the standard of writing on television is appalling and the the work pace even more so. Here they shoot two episodes in something like six days. Why would anyone want to work like that when I can spend my free time with my kids, play tennis, watch movies? Why would I want to shoot for 18 hours a day? I'm open to doing television, but it should be with someone like Gulzarbhai. When we did Ghalib we did 12 episodes in one year. And the memorable result is there for everybody to see. Today,look at how many people between the age of 40 and 50 have died in the recent past -- people like Sanjeev Bhattacharya, Mohan Gokhale, Dilip Dhawan, Jatin Kanakia, Jalal Agha and others. And all of them are very busy television stars -- it can't be just a coincidence that they should suddenly pass away. The pace of work on TV is stressful and not at all attractive."

With the amount of money being pumped into TV today, a large percentage of it from the sponsors, it is time that channels got stricter about the work they acccept. Currently the pattern followed is to keep commissioning a producer who has given one serial that worked. If a survey be conducted, the same producer the second time round gives a complacently poor product believing that his name sells. If this pattern continues, all the sponsors' money will continue to back just film-based programmes and television to that extent will remain a retarded infant.