The tyrannical rule of the coronavirus has altered the lives of millions of people. The Indians hedged in their homes have only one entertainment: to watch TV.
The government has restarted a few soap operas of yesteryears, like Buniyaad, Ramayan and Mahabharat to keep the citizens indoors.
A few people, however, know a Bhopalite, Jyoti Sarup, directed 16 episodes (27 to 42) of Buniyaad. Jyoti took over the mantle of directing the serial from Ramesh Sippy.
As Buniyaad that created a flutter across the country in 1986 when it was telecast is back in the limelight, Free Press had a tete-a-tete with 66-year-old Jyoti. Excerpts:
The serial is re-telecast. How do you feel?
Elated. After a long time, if such show is re-telecast, it delights. Buniyaad is related to the partition of India. I sometimes watch it.
Did you work with Ramesh Sippy?
No. I replaced him as a director. Sippy & Films was the producer. They appointed me as director.
How did you get the work?
I made a video film, Sandhya Chhaya and sent it to G P Sippy. He called me up for directing the serial. As I was talking to him, he wanted to know whether I could direct Buniyaad. I replied him Ramesh Sippy had directed it. I also said, ‘Agar Ramesh Sippy ise 20 per direct kar rahen hein to mein esko 18 nahin hone dunga.... (I will spare no effort to run the show the way Ramesh Sippy did).” This statement made the difference. It was my first serial on Doordarshan.
It was the turning point in your career.
I became somebody only after that.
How was your the rapport with artistes?
Anita Kanwar was my class fellow and Alok Nath my junior then. Kanwaljit Singh was my friend. Yet, they didn’t know I would direct the serial. Anita was surprised, because she was doing the lead role of Lajoji.
Have you seen the serial before direction?
I used to watch it. When I was not at home, I told somebody to record it. And when I returned I saw it. Ramesh Sippy gave me the script and told me to direct it from episode 27. I did not know the number of episodes I had to direct. Then Doordarshan did not allot more than 13 episodes to a director. Some directors objected to my getting 27 episodes. So, the director of Doordarshan had to talk to Sippy. It was decided that the serial would be directed by R Sippy and Jyoti Sarup.
Any recollection?
Most of the people didn’t know that director of the serial had been changed. Ramesh Sippy invited a few journalists to say that director had been changed. A journalist knew me. He wanted to know whether I was working in the serial. I replied in positive. He thought I was acting in it. Then he went inside the office saying the director of the show had been changed. When I began to direct it all were surprised.
How do you feel about the serial now?
I recently watched an episode. I thought it would have been better had a particular shot been taken in a particular way.
Do you find any change in technology?
Technology has changed. Yet, there has been no change in the way of shooting. The show was shot in low-band technology in Bombay (now Mumbai). We began to shoot in low band. Then high-band technology arrived. We didn’t opt for it. As I was shooting for Sippy& Films there was no shortage of anything.
The new generation will like it?
I am 100% sure that the new generation will like it. Things have not changed much since the days of partition.
Memories are back: Trivedi
Chief assistant director of Buniyaad Harish Trivedi, 68, told Free Press, “Purani yadein taji ho gayee… (Memories are back). I am feeling good; we got a chance to go through the story again; and I am enjoying it.” Trivedi who hails from Bhopal directed the serial 35 years ago.
He has seen two episodes (28 and 29), he said, adding that, he was getting good reviews. He said it was a fine experience, because there was a chance to work with old and new artistes. About the schedule, he said it was hectic, because a shot episode had to be sent seven days before its telecasting.
Trivedi said he had to prepare an episode in three days, and for this, his team would reach the studio at 7.30am. After completing the shooting at 10pm, they had to do the post- production work the same day, he said.
Technology has changed, he said, adding that, “Samay Bachane Ki technology ho gayi hai aajkal (People save time these days).”
The serial talks about post-partition incidents. Indians easily accept people of any religion, he said. “We easily forget bitterness and go ahead. This is what the serial is all about,” Trivedi said.
