Hiten ‘not upset’ with show going off air within 3 months
Television is unpredictable, and Hiten Tejwani recently had this bitter realisation when his TV show, Gupta Brothers, was yanked off air within three months of launch. “In my career of 20 years, I have seen many shows go off air, but they at least got a year to prove themselves, make a connect with the audiences and tell the story. Now, people expect results in one month. I wasn’t upset with the show ending, but taken aback. I wish it was better handled. Not just the actors but people behind the camera, daily workers, they should have been informed, so they could line-up other jobs. Even I refused other projects as I was shooting a daily, as one knows you don’t have time to spare,” he says. Tejwani, 46, rues the fact that contracts are skewed in favour of the employer, and giving notice to cast and crew would have helped. “I don’t know what was the contract between the channel and the producer. When actors want to quit, they have to serve a notice period of three months, so the story can be changed and a replacement can be found. It is fair, but it should be the other way round too. This was too abrupt,” he states.
He further explains how the show was getting good ratings, was in top two on the channel and should have got Actor at least six months of air time. “My reputation won’t be harmed [with the show going off air so early] but had it been a newcomer, it would have affected him hugely. I have been here for 20 years, I have seen it all and can handle it,” says Tejwani, who recently shot for a short film on population control.