Creative personality Mukta Dhond has been an encyclopaedia for ‘romance’, having set up and developed innumerable TV shows based around love and romance.
The wonder-woman who has set up lot many successful shows of Balaji Telefilms in the last many years now turns Creative Producer for Star Plus’ upcoming show, Divya Drishti which is produced by B.P. Singh’s Fireworks Productions.
In a candid chat with IWMBuzz.com, Mukta talks about her journey in the industry, on her driving force to work on love stories and on her new baby, Divya Drishti.
Excerpts:
What was the idea behind doing a show like Divya Drishti?
Basically, I wanted to do another show like the ones I have been doing for the weekenders, which are doing really well. So the idea is that usually we do a show which has villains who empower. And I wanted to do a show revolving around super-heroes. All our super-heroes are actually Gods. So I wanted to do something which will have our own super-heroes. Ours is a country which is kind of obsessed with the future. Most of us get our kundalis done before our naming ceremony happens. So we have a kundali base before we officially have a name. So Divya Drishti is the story about a girl who can see the future. It is also about her twin sister who can change it. This is the story of our two girls Divya and Drishti who have Divya Drishti.
Take us through the casting for this larger-than-life show?
I wanted girls who are not so well-known. I wanted innocent and young girls looking 21 and 22. Sana Sayyed and Nyra Banerjee have done something in the past but they are more or less fresh. With the boy, I wanted to take somebody who has done work before. That’s where Adhvik Mahajan came in. And for the vamp, I wanted her to be really nice, attractive and a great actor which is what Sangita Ghosh is.
Of course, the whole cast of Divya Drishti has fabulous actors who are experienced like Vaishnavi McDonald, Ridheema Tiwari, Parul Chaudhary, Imran. It is going to be one of those things where anything can happen the next minute.
Divya Drishti is not a supernatural. All my ladies are styled in today’s extremely high-fashioned attires.
Tell us about the concept?
It is not a supernatural. There is of course an element of fantasy in it. It is a lot more like what happens in your and my households. Today’s supernatural shows have a lot more to it. This show has the set up of today’s world. It is a lot of fun in an extremely regular Mumbai zone. There is no mahal or raja / rani. Nobody wears the age-old costumes. All my ladies are styled in today’s extremely high-fashioned attires. Shivani Shirali has done a fabulous job with costumes. The rest of it is the regular team I work with – Mrinal Jha has worked with me on the story in many shows. Janaki is working on screenplay, Rekha Modi on the dialogues, they are people I have worked with.
Everything that I am doing is the same. It is just that the responsibility feels a lot bigger as Creative Producer.
Take us through the look and feel of the characters?
All are up-market, dressed up in today’s fashion. Everybody is so stylized in a very natural way.
You have set up so many shows for Ekta Kapoor. Now you are taking up the slot left vacant by Ekta’s Qayamat Ki Raat. How does that feel?
I don’t know. Qayamat Ki Raat was also set up by me. So it feels like one of my shows is over and another rof mine is coming on. Everything that I am doing is the same. There is nothing that I don’t usually do. It is just that the responsibility feels a lot bigger as Creative Producer.
My soul is always romance whether it is the romance of a Naagin, or romance in Qayamat Ki Raat, or whether it is romance in Brahmarakshas or Kundali Bhagya or Madhubala.
You started with love stories and got into the horror zone. How has that been for you?
I still think that the love story is the core, even if I attempt a supernatural or a horror genre show. I seriously don’t understand family politics. I don’t think I can move from doing a love story. My soul is always romance whether it is the romance of a Naagin, or romance in Qayamat Ki Raat, or whether it is romance in Brahmarakshas or Kundali Bhagya or Madhubala. All of them are fundamentally romance based shows. Even this one is fundamentally romance based. The destiny of the girls will drive them to the hero, grandson of a person who was protecting their powers. And one of them will fall in love with him. And when the boy and girl get together, it is then that finally they wil be able to explore the power of seeing the future. So it is still a love story.
All those things that you dream of and that you think should happen, if they get to be written on paper and if they get executed, that is the romance that works.
What is the secret behind Mukta and romance? How did the connection develop?
(laughs) I don’t know. I don’t know to do family drama. Inever got married. So I cannot understand family politics. So it is only romance that I get in mind. It comes up with instinct. All those things that you dream of and that you think should happen, if they get to be written on paper and if they get executed, that is the romance that works.
Donning the Producer’s hat how is it?
I am the Creative Producer on the show. So all the making of it falls into place with Fireworks; Pradeep Sir and B.P. Singh Sir have the infrastructure and I come in and make the demands, and Fireworks puts it in place.
What can viewers expect from Divya Drishti?
Lot of excitement, lot of fun and visuals which you have not seen before. It is non-stop thrill and you never know what’s happening next.