Nilanjana Purkyasstha has seen it all, braved it all, and emerged as a winner!! After exploring her creativity from within the channel, she moved on to work for production houses, and then decided to spread wings as Producer / Creative Producer.

Here’s the talented lady in an exclusive conversation for Tellychakkar.com’s Behind The Lens segment…

Take us through your successful long career in the industry. How did you begin and how smooth has your journey been?

I began my career in TV when I joined Star TV in 2000. Funny when I look back… but my first assignment was to feed names and numbers of writers and directors in an Excel Sheet. If one considers that, my journey has been superb!                                                      

I had moved to Mumbai from Assam in 1998 … with only one goal… I wanted to be in the media. At that time, television was not on my mind, only films and ads were. I got the opportunity to assist a well-known film director in a film starring Salman Khan… but I ran away after one day, because the typical expletive-ridden atmosphere on the set was so alien and scary to me. I was so naive! Then I got a job with Leo Burnett and Star TV on the same day and I chose to join Star TV purely because it was closer to my house, and neither job gave extra conveyance money. I remember that in my interview I had very honestly told my to-be boss, Shailja Kejriwal, that I was looking at TV as a few months’ stint, because I wanted to make films. Sigh!! It’s been 15 years since then, and I am still here. So, I guess, it was destiny that led me to join the television industry.

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The journey has had its bumps. I have often jumped from the bridge without a parachute when I changed jobs, then gave up working in a channel to join a production and then go solo. There have been lean phases and successful phases too. The only thing that I have learned in these years about myself is that I am an adrenalin-junkie. I get bored without challenges and often go seeking them … this has resulted in some disasters, but more euphoria. There is a price to pay for doing what I do, but I love every minute of it. The journey has not been smooth… especially as a single woman in an industry like ours which definitely has a glass ceiling - but I am a fighter and it is worth it.

What is the most satisfying moment for a creative person like you?

There are two moments that stand out for me now - as a producer - looking at a set going up, because it gives me butterflies coupled with a sense of achievement. And seeing the final cut of an episode - because that is what a dream looks like. 

As a writer, the most satisfying moment is when I finally crack a story or a script - the blank page filled with words that come from God-knows-where.

Have you enjoyed such moments? Take us through your personal highs?

I love every bit of what I do. The pain, the pleasure, the fights, the celebrations - all worth it. I remember an email that was sent by Gulzar Sahab praising Chandragupta Maurya in which he compared his character to that of MS Dhoni and I was dumbstruck because that was how I had pitched the show to the channel. It was a moment which filled me with triumph and humility, at the same time. 

The biggest personal high is when I bond with my closest friends - whom I have met only because of television. Television’s greatest gift to me, personally, are those friends.

You have been with channels, with production houses, been a producer - which phase has been the best?

Being a producer has been the best phase. It has given me the opportunity to take complete onus of my shows and own them - good, bad or ugly! 

How do you usually handle channel interference when it comes to cutting short your creative flow?

I have been one of those channel people accused of “interfering” in shows in the past! I did have quite a scary reputation then, as I discovered later. I also know why I did what I did while I was in the channel. So, I am one of those few producers who have an understanding of what a channel’s interest is and what a producer’s interest is and balance that to do everything in the best interest of the show.  

What according to you is the mantra for prosperity in a demanding ambience like TV industry?

Monetarily - cut your coat according to your cloth. 

Creatively - re-invent!

Personally - know your priorities and don’t try to do it all… no one can.

Spiritually - never forget - karma is a bitch!

You gave us a memorable show in Chandragupta Maurya as Producer. What is next in the kitty? Why a break in coming up with your own concepts?       

While I was doing Chandragupta, I was also producing Aasman Se Aage and running a Bengali GEC out of Kolkata. I burned out. So I took a long break to recharge and re-invent. 

Now I am back and raring to go. Maharakshak Devi is on air right now; I am writing Chakravartin Ashok Samrat and from next month will start shoot of my new show, Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani - whose promos are already on air.

I am a typical Libran - when I work, I work like a mad woman. And when I rest, I hibernate.

You have associated with Sameer Nair for the Epic show. Are you working on new concepts with him?

Sameer is busy with Balaji and I am busy with my own stuff. Time Machine - our Epic show - happened during an in-between phase for both of us. As of now, we don’t have any plans of working together. But who has seen the future? As they say, never say never. 

You are the creative producer for Maharakshak Devi. What are the challenges that you see and solve when you are involved in such a show?   

The challenge is time and money. After Time Machine and Maharakshak Devi I have come to realise that we need much bigger budgets for such shows because our - the channel’s and mine - reference point is always Hollywood. We just do not have the kind of resources to achieve what we imagine. The challenge is to crack a grammar of our own for such shows - and that should be done without a TX deadline.

The solution I see is that channels should treat such shows as event programming and be co-producers of such shows, like they do with non-fiction shows - to give it the money and support such shows need. Else, we will never be able to go to the next level with such shows.

What is your level of involvement in the upcoming show Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani where you are working closely with Sphere Origins?

Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani is my concept and the show was commissioned to me by the channel. I approached Sphere to co-produce with me because I have a long association with Sunjoy Wadhwa, both during my channel days in Hindi and Bengali entertainment. I am handling the entire creative aspect of the show and they are handling the execution. 

There has been a rumour floating of late about Drashti Dhami being taken off from the show. Do you want to comment?

That is just a rumour. A very funny one, actually, and I have no clue where that came from. Am very excited to be working with Drashti, whom I have not worked with before, and with Siddhant - whom I have had the pleasure of working with. Also, I am very excited that Bhushan Patel (of Ragini MMS 2 fame) has come on board as the director - we love working together and I feel my vision is always safe with him.

How has TV as a medium grown over the years? Explain...

The audience base has grown by leaps and bounds. The penetration of cable has increased so much that the sheer number of eyeballs across all channels is mind-boggling. It is also the prime and staple source of entertainment across the country. That is growth in sheer numbers.

With better addressability and, therefore, growing revenue not dependant on advertising alone, there is a propensity of channels to experiment, as well, which is exciting for us. However, collectively, we have not been able to crack a true alternate to what Hindi GEC has been for the last 15 years. But the efforts are on… and I see the true growth of TV in the fact that a few errors have not put an end to the trials.

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Another sign of the growth is that drama is not the only destination for entertainment on TV. Sports has taken off in a major way, especially IPL and it tells us that the audience is happy to get variety. Comedy has become a strong niche and historicals are getting more slots on prime time.

From a broadcasting and creative perspective, channels spend a lot of time and money in thinking about what next - which is a sign of maturity of the industry as a whole.

What are your goals for the future?

At heart, I am a story-teller. My goals are purely driven by the stories I want to tell. The challenge and the goal is to find the audience for my stories, and I want to diversify into other media as well. To find the right medium through which to tell each story so that it reaches the audience the story is meant for. The only concrete goal I have is to live and work from outside Mumbai where the crowds are not maddening. How, when… I have no idea. I only know that I will get there!

Do you think there is a certain formula for success on TV?        

NO. An emphatic no. Else, every show would be a hit. The resonance of the story with the zeitgeist… being right place, right time and the correct synthesis of the people driving the show. Television is alchemy, not chemistry… formulae are for chemistry!