''Television is tougher''

IT IS probably got to do with the Chennai atmosphere but Amitabh Bachchan appears relaxed. On his way to Vauhini Studio for S. Ramanathan's ``Zamanat,'' Bachchan is busy on the cellphone, staring out of the car window. We are driving through the bylanes of a crowded street and I cannot help asking him if he ever felt like browsing through the tiny shops. ``All the time,'' he replies without a moment's thought. ``A few days ago, I spotted a banner in a shop that read ``Sarvanash''. It intrigued me why anyone would choose such a name for their shop.'' He is dead serious. Long ago, while on board a flight, I had asked him if he was ever stalked by normal fears like missing a flight. ``All the time,'' he had surprised me again. ``I feel so everytime I am driving to the airport...''

Often while talking to the participant and asking them what they feel, one is left wondering what you are feeling...?

I feel a sense of anxiety for my participant. I think how I can aid him to make money for that is the principle aim of the show. If I can make them express or reflect their thought process on camera it makes for good television viewing. The audience feels involved. Long pauses and silences are considered an anathema on TV, but we have them in ample measure on our show.

It is your first experience as an anchor. How difficult was the decision for you?

There were apprehensions because it was TV. But I talked it out with my well-wishers and friends and after a lot of contemplation I said `Yes'.

And how long did the suffering last?

Suffering is common to all creative decisions, but I go through the torture a little more because of my sun sign, Libra, which is indecisive. So in this case and in every other case, I take extremely long to arrive at decisions. However, I would like to believe that once I make commitments, I stick to them.

From the interviewee you have changed sides to becoming the interviewer. Which is more difficult?

Both. For 99 times out of 100, you are unaware of the answers, for that matter even the questions, until they appear on screen. It is all computerised, fed into the system and there can be no last minute alterations. Even though we see the edited versions, I have to confess that we are recording almost to live timing, which is about 55 minutes per episode. And even those extra minutes are not for the commercial breaks but due to technical problems like lighting or computer. For this, credit ought to be given to Siddarth Basu and his team for their meticulous timing.

So far there has been no emotional drama on the sets. Somebody who lost and couldn't bear it... or somebody who won and couldn't sustain it?

Harshavardhan Nawathe turning a crorepati was an emotional episode. So were the earlier episodes when the contestants came close to the goal and lost, but I agree there hasn't been a spillover. Tears are the best expression of humanity and we have tried never to edit emotions from the show. There are some extremely moving experiences in our forthcoming episodes, which I'd rather you watch than I describe them. They are reflections of simplicity and sincerity. Very, very touching moments.

Does having to be constantly polite and encouraging take its toll? How do you safeguard yourself from the pressures?

Being nice to people is a natural phenomenon. It is when things get ugly and unpleasant that it becomes a pressure. And if you have to make an effort to be nice to people, it is the most pitiable thing to happen to you and something that calls for serious introspection and restructuring of your mind frame.

The Executive VP programming for the show has said in an interview that no matter what the script, Bachchan changes it anyway. Do you?

I don't know in what context he said that. I admit I change the lines but it is to facilitate a better flow for me or to suit my style of speaking, and in no way reflective of the creative team's output.

Television is a demanding medium. What are the adjustments you've had to make in comparison with cinema?

At this point of time, TV is a new medium for me. I am not accustomed to the ad hoc structuring which makes me restless, a little anxious, for I've to still get used to it. In contrast, cinema is script-bound and in that sense pre-determined. There is the liberty and the luxury of retakes. The same facility exists on the small screen too, but there can be no retakes on spontaneity. In cinema there's a greater feeling of space while in television, you have to have your wits about you all the time. It is tougher and therefore as of now, TV is like a nightmare for me!

``Mohabbatein'' marks a definite chapter in your career. Any reflections during the process?

I play a senior character, the principal of a college. I played a senior character in ``Major Saab'', in ``Hindustan Ki Kasam'' and am doing the same in Rakesh Darshan's ``Ek Rishta''.

I am the head of a business family and father of Juhi Chawla and Akshay Kumar and the same in Karan Johar's ``Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum''. Then there is David Dhawan's next production where I play a doctor and Aishwarya's elder brother, and finally Vipul Shah's premier Hindi production.

So as of now you are on a roll.

Well, I would put it this way that as of now my plate is full!

This must be the first instance in showbiz when the entire family is simultaneously active. How different is the experience?

Not very different for me, for years ago when I was shooting double shifts I was in any case away from home. So the distance was always there. Today, with both Jaya and Abhishek shooting, we communicate via the cellphone wherever we are. The physical distance doesn't come in the way of emotional communication. We find space and time to express ourselves.

BHAWANA SOMAAYA

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Entertainment
Previous : Presidential parade on screen
Next     : 'Mohamana' epitomising varnam as an event