TV is all about the whims of channels: Rakesh
Juhi Chakraborty
He was part of what is often referred to as the golden era of television in the country, having featured in acclaimed shows such as Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Shrimaan Shrimati, Zabaan Sambhalke and Yes Boss. And that’s the reason why Rakesh Bedi rues about the quality of Indian television, which he feels has deteriorated over the years.
“I have seen that time when there was no interference from VPs or channels. No one would sit on the head of directors and writers and telling them to do this and do that. That really has put off actors. Aap kitna bhi achcha kaam kar lo, ultimately it all depends on the channel whether the actors will be retained or their characters will be killed unceremoniously. It is all very TRP-oriented,” Bedi says.
The Chashme Buddoor (1981) actor feels that there is no need to have a numbersbased approach if channels put their faith on the writers and directors. “I believe that if you have capable writers, directors and actors, then they should be left to work on their own. Otherwise, the content will get hampered... TV content [nowadays] is all about whims and fancies of VPs and channel heads,” he asserts.
This dip in quality is reason the 64-year-old says he does not enjoy doing TV much these days. Bedi feels that not only the content is regressive, there is an obsession about young actors. “In today’s time, if a heroine is 24, then her mother is 28 . They hardly look like mothers. Just because they want a pretty face, they don’t care whether the actor fits the part or not. They want young mother, young father. Where does that leave us?” he asks, echoing his contemporaries Himani Shivpuri and Neena Gupta.
Bedi adds, “Even the content is so formulaic. TV is meant for family viewing but all that the shows focus on are scheming and plotting against one another. And then they get into naagins and chudails.”
Like many others, the actor is now stepping into web and is a part of a series about fathers. And being quite attuned to the current trend of shows on OTT platforms, he enjoyed the experience. “It happened all of a sudden but I took it up as I felt it was a good opportunity for me,” Bedi shares.
Today [on TV], if a heroine is 24, her mother is 28 . They hardly look like mothers... [The makers] want young mother, young father. Where does that leave us?
RAKESH BEDI ACTOR