The renowned director turned producer Arvind Babbal is on a cloud nine these days. The talented man who directed and produced Life OK’s magnum opus Mahakumbh is the first director to get nominated in New York Festivals – International Film & TV awards and Chicago International TV Awards.

Yes, Arvind has been nominated for the category of Best director for Mahakumbh at New York Festivals – International Film & TV awards. He’s also nominated for the Best quality productions category at the Chicago International TV Awards.

Tellychakkar.com interviewed the acclaimed director, who spoke about his achievement, future projects and more.

How does it feel to get nominated for such elite and popular award festivals?

When I had learnt about it I didn’t know how big and popular this festival is. After doing my research I could not believe that my work will be appreciated on such a big platform. It is the first time in history that a TV director has been nominated in New York Festival. 

What do you think is the reason behind the success of Mahakumbh?

Mahakumbh’s storyline and content was very fresh and unique. I made sure that it looked as real as possible. I never compromised with my takes and shooting locations. We did justice to the show and also with the actors. As I was also the producer of the drama, my contribution was more to the project. The most important part was my team’s conviction that we will do our best, and bring out a great show that people will talk over the years.   

Mahakumbh did not manage to garner enough TRPs but it was well appreciated; so do you think numbers don’t really matter?

TRPs are very important for the channel. They also have their own policies which they have to follow. But Star is the best channel to work with. They are always welcome to experiment with new concepts. I understand we didn’t garner much TRPs, but still Star has always supported and contributed equally.

After Saraswatichandra, you chose to again work with Gautam, is he your favourite and what makes him different from other actors?

Gautam is very passionate about his work and that is the quality in him that I like the most. He is very dedicated and does his homework well. He will never compromise with his work.

With the sudden trend on supernatural and naagin based shows, can we see you directing such dramas?

TV is known for saas-bahu sagas. When you try to experiment, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. The supernatural and naagin based shows are working because somewhere people still believe that it exists. These kinds of shows are viewed by both urban and rural crowd. It gives a person different visual feel which they enjoy to watch when compared to the daily soaps.

What do you enjoy the most- direction or production?

I enjoy doing both. Direction is more appealing, as now I don’t have to compromise. I am the ultimate authority to take decisions. People usually ask me this question that sir you don’t get bored doing the same thing every day? Let me tell you, if I don’t get a good shot, I don’t sleep that night. Direction is not a business but a passion for me. Till date I try to bring variations in my scenes to give them a different look. Every day is a challenge and I believe in excelling myself.

Congrats and all the best!!