Filmworld
After films, foreign locales lure Hindi TV show makers
New Delhi, April 25
Moving away from the
confines of sets in Mumbai, makers of TV shows are opting to go to
foreign locations like Singapore, Cape Town (South Africa) and Dubai
(UAE). The global trail is a ploy to break the monotony and to present a
visual delight to the audience, say experts.
Dubai's skyline was
used to introduce the show "Saraswatichandra"; "Sasural Simar Ka" went
to Hong Kong; The "Diya Aur Baati Hum" team took off to Singapore; "Yeh
Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" headed to Cape Town and the cast of "Tu Mera
Hero" is likely to go all the way to New Jersey, US.
"Television
serials go for foreign locations to infuse new energy. It is also to
give viewers a new visual delight," Gaurav Seth, senior vice president
and head, Marketing, Sony Entertainment Television, told IANS.
Echoing
the same, Namit Sharma, programming head of Zee TV, said: "The audience
enjoys the change in backdrop as they get a break from the mundane and
boring set."
The foreign location comes into the picture with an
important development in the storyline -- be it a pilot episode, change
in plot or after the TV's favourite formula of the 'leap'.
It's
not only viewers who are presented with a whiff of change; shooting
abroad gives an opportunity to actors also to get acquainted with the
show's success outside India.
"When you spend 12 hours on a set,
you don't realise the impact of your show. But when we go to outdoor
locations, that's when it hits us...with people coming to see shoots and
waiting for hours to get a picture clicked," Deepika Singh, who plays
Sandhya in "Diya Aur Baati Hum", told IANS.
Non-fiction shows are
also jetting off abroad - for instance "MasterChef India 4" went to
Dubai for its culinary flavours, and makers of "Khatron Ke Khiladi"
picked South Africa's Cape Town as its base for all the stunts.
Manisha
Sharma, programming head of Colors channel, notes that picking the
right destination for fiction or reality shows differ on the "basis of
its content and format".
"For example, when 'Comedy Nights With
Kapil' shot for a special weekend bonanza in Dubai, it was owing to the
show's huge fan following in the region.
"However, when a show
like 'Khatron Ke Khiladi: Darr Ka Blockbuster Returns' is filmed in Cape
Town, it is because South Africa presents us with the best of all
worlds including scenic locales, a world-class crew to design and
execute exceptional stunts, and the ability to film seamlessly," she
said.
What is the criteria of choosing a destination?
"The
location depends upon the theme of the show. Nations which have a large
number of Indian population also attract more producers," Seth said.
Manisha
added: "There are multiple factors to be considered before we finalise
the foreign location. One of the primary aspects is that the location
needs to act as not only a backdrop but an essential tool that takes the
content being filmed there to another level."
The budget is also a major consideration.
"The
budget of the show is a critical factor in determining the destination.
Once the destination is finalised, we work closely with the production
team as well as our partners to ensure that the overall budget is
managed effectively," Manisha said.