Omung Kumar B On Designing The Sets Of Shiv Shakti – Tap Tyag Tandav: We Didn't Want To Hurt Religious Feelings

Ever since its telecast, Shiv Shakti – Tap Tyag Tandav has grabbed eyeballs for its set designing as well the mythology depiction relevant to its title. The show, which premiered on June 19 on Colors TV, stars Ram Yashvardhan, Shubha Rajput and Tarun Khanna in pivotal roles. Well known set designer Omung Kumar B has created five stunning sets Kailash, Forest, Indra Lok, Asur Lok and Daksh Darbar for the show. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat. 

Opening up about his work on the show, Omung shares, “It’s all about Shivji whatever we have seen. Now, what new? So, we were thinking if we were doing this in films we would like to bring it on a larger than life scale. How do we bring that on TV? There is always a calendar in our mind.”

He adds, “Shivji kaise kapde pehnte hai? Kailash parbat par baithe hai… And so on… How do we break it keeping the tradition in place? We would not like to hurt the religious feelings of the audiences. So we started designing and at a point when we thought of designing Shivji in a cave… How would the impact be? And in a larger-than-life kind in a huge pattern. So we curved it and also  tried to keep the pillars glowing with different colours like gold, blue, etc.”

Elaborating about bringing an outdoor effect he explains, “To bring the feel of an outdoor while we were carving it in a cave… maine bada sa khadda (hole) peeche kar diya. Now when we make a huge hole then how do we bring the effects of the rays of the lights to give it a better effect? Suddenly we show the sky depicting the clouds and when the rays of the lights fall on Shivji it makes a huge difference. I always like to go into various zones.”

The set designs uplift the story and Omung agrees. “When huge sets are erected, everyone’s thinking gets changed, camera movements get changed, dialogues are done well and the scenes look  better. We give a platter and the story is the same but they bring newness to the story. Shiv and Shakti come together in this show. I have made a jungle which is larger than life and has beautiful leaves. We try to give maximum to the director to be able to give a better outlook and output.”

Being director and designer helps him uplift a show or a film. One wonders how much has his better half Vanita helped him as she is also a designer. "She hasn't helped me in this she said, 'Yeh tera flavour hai yeh tu kar. Bigg Boss karenge. She has an idea about reality shows. Mythological characters are more in me," he shares.

A career in advertising gives creators an edge in creating minimal things. When asked did that help you in his journey, he recalls, "My advertising days helped me a lot. In 30 seconds you have to tell everything. My schooling during the initial days of advertisements days was excellent. But in film it helped me a lot. My journey went simultaneously in front of the camera and behind the camera simultaneously. From doing few seconds commercials, directing and designing sets for award shows etc. it all helped me as new things opened up for me."

When asked if as a director and writer, when both come together does he have any conflict, he explains, "There is no conflict. But yes, I see a picture perfect frame so when I'm writing even then it's normal... Like a girlfriend and a boyfriend meeting scene has to be canned. For me, I can set the scene anywhere it could be in Manali or anywhere else. It all depends on the thought process. Writing is always the same. Showing it which may allure everyone we need to work accordingly. A picture perfect frame always helps me in my writing."

We then requested him to share a message for aspiring newcomers who would like to explore a career pathway similar to his. "Jo karo shiddat se karo and give your best every single time. When for example I errect the sets for six award shows, every set should look different and attractive and I always try every set of mine to be the best. Directing to designing and other facets in film making are different. Every part if film making  has its different sides. I always want to make the best and set a standard higher than the previous one," he states.

On a parting note, he talks about his success mantra. “Before getting into different facets of filmmaking, I get excited and try to enhance my thought process like a child. This child-like excitement brings something fresh and new be it directing, designing or writing. I will never allow this child-like quality to cease in me and try to keep setting milestones one after the other,” he concludes.