Nitesh Singh, who has directed many of the biggest shows on Indian television, is also an enthusiastic writer. A very calm, friendly and humble person at heart, Nitesh, currently, is directing Haunted Nights on Sahara One. We approached the director for an elongated interview for our ‘Behind the Lens’ section. Excerpts: How did your journey in the entertainment industry begin? Well, born and raised in Varanasi, I finished my graduation from the holy city and later came to Mumbai aspiring to get into entertainment field. I started my career as an associate director (AD) in a few films. Having assisted some of the directors, later I got to know that television was a blooming sector and I started directing for television shows from the year 2007. As it is said that to get into movies in a big way, one needs a Godfather but unfortunately, I didn’t have any. My first television show as a director was Prithviraj Chauhan followed by Dharamveer, Jai Shree Krishna after which I got acquainted with the Balaji camp and did shows like Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil, Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai, Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahani and now Haunted Nights. How has your journey been so far? So far… so good. As I mentioned that one must have a Godfather but I didn’t have anyone. But I am thankful to each and every person in my life for being there for me and making things perfect. Did you face any difficulty in the industry? Never. I have been very lucky and every person with whom I have met and worked has been very kind to me. What about facing tantrums from actors? I have not really faced any. I am a very friendly person and I make the actors understand what their role is all about. They understand and adapt to it quite well. So, no question of any kind of tantrums. Earlier you have directed drama series and now helming Haunted Nights. What’s the difference between the two genres? Well, like my other shows, Haunted Nights is also a daily. Since the current one is from a very difficult genre, I need good actors. I believe unless the actors are scared in a particular scene, their facial expressions cannot make the viewers frightened too. I find in many daily soaps, actors can’t enact a horror scene; they have that usual monotones expression all the time. Horror genre is much more challenging. To get the script right, right kind of actors have to be in place. Do you select the actors? Yes at times. I go for the look test and make sure that the actor would be able to portray the emotion well. Any plans of getting back to drama series? Nothing as of now. I have done mythological genre, worked for family dramas with Balaji and now am doing horror. At the moment, I am very much engrossed with Haunted Nights and the working hours that I put in are tremendous. You have been in this industry for quite some time now. What changes have you seen in this span? I would say not much, but yes, there is a huge competition and the industry has become quite organized in more ways than one. The industry is growing day-by-day and there is scope for every single person. Every channel has its own space. Who is your biggest critic? I would say it would be my eight year-old niece. She watches all my shows and is one big critic of mine. I learn a lot from her, and the best part is she advices me too. What are your future plans? Well, in my zeal to direct movies, I am writing a few scripts for the same. After all, genre is important and I know what are audience’s tastes and preferences.