producer Rahul Kumar Tewary unplugged

Swastik Productions' ​Producer​ Rahul Kumar Tewary talks about his new show Porus, plans for his production house and the kind of content he wants to produce along with his brother Siddharth Kumar Tewary.

Swastik's  last offering Karamphaldata  Shani is a success story. What do you think worked in its favour?

​The common Perception of ​Shani ​is very different to our story. For us, Shani is a very promising​ and positive​ God​​ - It's all about Karma and... its True. What we do is what we get and it all happens in this lifetime - who knows about the next life. We are thankful that it has been accepted by audience and we ensure that​ With the growing up of Shani,

​audience will be hooked on to the show. 

How do you see the trend of web series?  will Swastik produce one in near future? 

​T​he digital platform ​is a very interesting space and ​will be a significant industry in the near future. We already have seen Amazon , Netflix, alt and others and many more will be setting base in India shortly. It provides an opportunity for content makers to create variety of content different from the GEC. 

W​e are in discussion and in process - soon you will find swastik creating premiere web series

​Actors like Shaheer Shaikh, Sourabh Raaj Jain,  Ratan Rajput​, Shikha Singh​ to name few came in limelight for Swastik's show. How do you see their growth in the industry? 

> I think every individual in the 

world ​has to work for their success. It is completely their hard work which has taken them places.​ If​ we have been the one to present them ​ through our content​,  it is their hard work ​ and talent​​ which has got them noticed and made them successful.

So each one of us needs to be appreciated for their own space and work. ​We share a great relationship with our Actors and i thank and wish all the actors who have been part of Swastik family  more success and power !

The Tewary brothers are a powerful name in the TV industry. Every actor wants to work with Swastik Productions. Comment

​I don't believe in such statements - we are in the business of creation and we do that to the best of our capability. A lot of people associate with us like  technicians / actors / creative / production etc and we together make a good product - It's our team which helps us deliver - We are always on the look out for the right people  and that is the main objective for us. 

Of late we have only seen big mythological& historical​ shows coming up from Swastik, why are you not going into the regular daily soap zone?

​​I think we have found a niche in this segment and​ enjoy to narrate such stories which have meaning, relevance and learning for the society. It is challenging to do so and thats what we enjoy about it. The opportunity it gives us to re-create the events, visuals and to transport our viewers to a different world is the best learning curve for us. At the same time we are also producing comedy show and working on few other daily concepts. 

What changes do you find in the TV industry over the years? What are the current trends according to you? 

> Television is the reflection of our own society.​As ​The society​ evolves, the subjects / shows evolve accordingly​ ​and it will always be like that​. Today all broadcasters are trying out different content, catering to different sections of the society. ​ ​​There is always an audience for different subjects - whether it is kitchen politics to aspirational stories to historical or mythological shows - there is a place for all kind of content.​ 

The mythological shows or the content are accepted more by the audience compared to the previous times. 

> I think every broadcaster has realised that there is a major population in India which easily relates to mythological or historical content. After the success of Mahabharata  people have realised that there is a definite​  audience for such subjects. ​Even in the past there has been various Mythological / historical shows which have been very successful.PORUS is one of the most ambitious  projects of Swastik. Comment.

> Yes, especially because this is the first time​ in India​ ​a producer has licensed the content to broadcaster. I think it is the first step towards building a strong relationship between the producers and the broadcasters.  ​A relationship where the risk is shared by the producer. It is a Win / Win situation for both. Similar operational model is prevalent and runs successfully in the western world.

​Every show has its own uniqueness and Porus definitely is a subject we are very proud to tell. The story gives us the opportunity to showcase 2 separate worlds ( India / Macedonia )which are completely different to each other. The major challenge was to justify the tale of both countries while we maintain the importance of our History.  w​e have been shooting for last 6 months across Thailand and India.​ ​Each one of the members of Team Swastik has ​worked tirelessly to ensure ​ t​hat ​we are proud of what we create. Siddharth is very clear in his approach and everyone has rallied behind the vision to create Porus. 

Why do you choose to be low-profile? 

> It is by choice. I don't enjoy too much attention​ ​:)​​ ​I like to be in my own world. That is the kind of person I am.​ ​Each Project parts with a certain learning and it just keeps me going to the next one. I am just

happy​ producing quality ​content of such scale and grandeur.What are your future plans for Swastik?

​Television is and will be the core business for us .... we will be investing into IP's and create content across all platforms.

When you can make such​ huge shows like Porus, why do you not enter the film world?

Porus is the first step for us towards a new operating model in television. We are working on our existing commitments and want to be focussed already committed for further such creations on TV. However, we are working towards Films us a very different business​

These favourite food combinations of stars will surprise you

Winters are around the corner and this is the time when everyone loves to indulge in their favourite meals and drinks. Besides the proper food combinations, there is a certain combination of food and drinks which is specific to everyone's palate. Our telly town stars talk about their favourite fusion food and how they pamper their taste buds. 

Romit Raj: My unusual food combination is Pizza with Undhiyu topping. 

Sheeba: I like peanut butter and banana sandwich. I also enjoy eating cheese with grapes 

Hrishikesh Pandey: Tea and cold milk and toasted bread slice with Nutella work for me every single time. 

Priyamvada Kant: As a kid, my mom used to ask me 'will you have roti or rice' and I use to say roti and when roti was ready I would try to avoid it and then demand rice. So eventually I got into a habit of eating plain roti with plain rice stuffed in it like a roll. It's a weird combination that I’m still fond of. 

Ankit Bathla: I love gulab jamun with ice cream. I also like ice cream with Pepsi usually known as coak float. Another thing I really enjoy is bhindi and rice.

Sneha Wagh: I’m a lover of chai. I love tea. The classic Indian masala chai with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the most delicious combination I love. Hot chai with cold freezing ice cream. Yummy! 

Sourabh Raaj Jain: I have to say that curd allooo bhujiya.....it's yummilicious!!!! 

Gurpreet Singh: I love hot jalebi with rabadi. It's so yummy! 

Arjun Bijlani: I love eating Chicken fried rice with butter chicken. I find the flavours blend very well and it’s a mouth-watering combo. 

Jasmin Bhasin: I eat cheese pizza with butter chicken as chapatis. I know that it is unusual but delicious nonetheless. 

Tinaa Dattaa: I love a chocolate brownie with rabdi and some green chilli thrown in it. It’s a lethal combination. The flavour makes your taste buds sing. 

Rashami Desai: I love eating pani puri with Chinese food. The teekha combination of pani puri complements the Chinese fare. 

Vivian Dsena: I eat rasgulla with shuddh malai milk, which is semi-liquid and poured on it. It’s an amazing combination. 

Rohit Purohit: Have you ever tried eating roti with sauce? I know it is usual but it really gives a kick to my taste buds. 

Rohit Bhardwaj: I love mixing curd with whatever vegetable dish I am having with my meal. It really elevates the taste of the sabzi which I am eating. 

Lakh: I really enjoy having chaat with a hot cup of tea. It makes you feel a lot spicier and sometimes even gives tears. But it is such an amazing feeling! 

Sehban Azim: I love mixing salad with my chappati and vegetables. I mix my salad and roll it like a roll and have it. 

Sshrey Pareek - My unusual food combination is aloo ka parantha with a dip of chai. I like both of them and the combination of also amazing.I don't know how many of you try it but I recommend to do it once.

I have successfully completed my 5 years in Mumbai: Arun Mandola

Actor Arun Mandola, who is known for the role of Lakshman in Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanumaan, talks about what the character meant to him, his experience of being part of Luvkush Ramleela and the challenges he faced in Mumbai.

Your character of Laxman has stayed with the fans. What led to you saying yes to the role? 

> When I got a call for Lakshman from Zanet Casting Hub, I had permanently shifted back to my hometown. It was difficult to come back. But when Contilo Production finalised me for this role, I did not ask them about character brief or budget because I knew that I had to play this epic role. I knew that these character will make me immortal.

You have spoken extensively about the struggle you had to go through before bagging the role.  Has that struggle changed you as a person at all? 

> When I came to Mumbai, I thought I had seen a lot of struggle in my childhood. But Mumbai taught what real struggle meant. With no friends, no family, no support, you are just alone here. I have learnt so much and have grown as person.

What kind of roles are you now looking forward to? 

> I'm looking forward to playing an innocent momma's boy kind of role.

Do you feel that starting a career with the mythological role, which has been praised too much, can typecast you? 

> It depends on person to person and your work strategy.  I know very well how to change my image and how to avoid been typecast.

You are a Delhi boy. How did Mumbai treat you when you went there for the first time to work? 

 > See there are two things, first how Mumbaikars treated me and second, the work I got. Mumbai is an amazing city, there are hardworking people, transportation is good but getting work is tough. There are 500 candidates and one audition. Mumbai city won't accept everyone but by the God's grace, I have successfully completed my 5 years in Mumbai.Are there any special Delhi memories, which you can remember forever? 

> I was born and brought up in Delhi. I often miss those days when I used to go my theatre classes in winters. I also miss the winters there.You were also part of Delhi's Ram Leela. Is it difficult to hold the attention of thousands of people? 

> It was amazing to share the stage with Bollywood celebrities. There are thousands of people watching the worlds’ biggest Luvkush Ramleela, so you cannot let them down. For the first time, I spoke in Avadhi. I was not able to sleep, not because I was so nervous and it was extremely challenging. But after practicing and my determination to succeed, I realised that I have potential to impress a thousand people.

Do you feel that making it big in acting can get difficult for someone who is not from Mumbai? 

> It can get to you. The new atmosphere, new culture, people from other states with a different mentality, competition with those people, who have already made a name for themselves, can get overwhelming. It's a very small part of the struggle.

We have a lot of actors in the showbiz, who have played the same mythological character multiple times in different shows. Do you feel that it is okay to do that? 

> I am keen on taking on different roles. I can’t see the same #ArunMandola every time. Therefore I will always refrain taking on the same role again.

How much of a fitness freak are you? 

> I always wanted to be an actor, so I always knew the importance of being fit. The first priority for a successful actor is fitness, that’s why I make sure to work out everyday.

What kind of diet do you follow? 

> I don’t follow any diet chart but I drink 15 to 20 glasses of water. I don't eat outside food.

Is the television industry a friendly place to work in? 

> If you are working then yes, it’s friendly place to work.

Have you made good, helpful friends in the industry? 

> My father told me, “100 Nalayak Doston se, ek Dost Achha”. So I follow what he said.

I came to Mumbai with Rs.5000 and one bag: Sourabh Raaj Jain

Actor Sourabh Raaj Jain has become quite household name now with his character of Shiv in Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Mahakaali Anth hi Aramabh hai. However, the actor’s journey has not been easy and he has had to struggle quite a bit to reach the position he enjoys today. “When I came to Mumbai, I had Rs.5000 in my wallet and one bag. My parents were not too happy with my decision to act and they thought I would be back in Delhi soon. But that thankfully never happened. I did not struggle getting my first show as I was selected for ‘Remix’ in Delhi itself. But living in Mumbai was not easy. Firstly, I came from a middle class family and during that time, my father had a failing business. Our house was sold in fact, a point came when he did not have money to even pay rent. I came to know all of this soon after I came to Mumbai,” he says. 

The actor adds, “Coming to Mumbai was a complete cultural shock to me in many ways. Many co-actors, who I worked with, came from affluent families, and they had a very different lifestyle. For me, it became very difficult to cope up with them. My studies got affected because of my first show as I could not give all my exams.” 

Money was an issue for the actor at the time.  “After ‘Remix’ got over, I thought of giving myself a break from acting and finish my studies. But considering financial mess that we were in, not earning was not an option. So I joined call centre in Mumbai itself. I can never forget his phase of my life. I would be awake the whole night at the call centre. After getting little sleep, I would study for my exams. And since I had decided to be an actor, I also became part of a group where we used to rehearse for a play. I never took money from home all this while and I am proud of that. Later when I completed my graduation I left call centre and immediately got a role in Balaji's ‘Kasam Sey’, from then on I got one show after another,” he says. 

Sourabh says that he learnt a lot from ‘Remix’. “’Remix’ was a complete learning school for me, Srishti di, with her entire team, put in lot of efforts. After that, when I decided to continue with acting, I started working on myself. I remember reading lots of Hindi books to improve my diction. I would also take guidance from my seniors at work and I still continue to do so,” he says. 

With a height of six feet, three inches, life can be tough in TV, says the actor. “For television, it's another problem since most of the lead girls are not tall and because of that I got rejected several times,” he says. 

While he has done many shows, he is known for his mythological characters. However, the actor has no qualms in people thinking that he has got typecast in the role. “Well, that does affect me. I have worked in various genres, be it as the guy-next-door, Anand, in ‘Parichay’ or a negative guy in ‘Uttaran’, be it being a radio host for 92.7 Big FM or anchoring shows like ‘Savdhaan India’,” he says. 

What about future plans? “I would love to do characters with grey shades. I had lot of fun while playing Yuvraj in ‘Uttaran’. 

Also, I would love to do a character with no brains at all. Having played characters giving philosophies of life, I think that would be a great change,” he says.

I am a very secure actor: Juhi Parmar

When a daily show takes a less, it sometimes questions the importance of certain characters in a story. However, actor Juhi Parmar doesn't feel the heat. “I'm not at all an insecure actor. I trust my ability as an actor,” says Juhi, whose show Shani recently took a less. The actor is very happy with her show. “I have full faith in my creative team and my character and above all Siddharth Kumar Tewary. He has shaped my character so brilliantly that I don't need to worry at all abt anything because of leap or any other factor for that matter,” she says. The talented actor is all in praise of her co -star Rohit Khurana, who recently entered the show as the grown up God Shani. “Rohit is a very good actor and apt to play grown-up, Shani. He has a big responsibility and I think he is doing really well. OursTRPs have gone higher ever since he entered the show..which only shows that he is also loved by the audience,” she says The actor has been part of the showbiz for almost two decades. She is glad to have made some nice bonds in the industry. “I have lots of friends..and I totally love them.To name a few Salil Ria, Pooja Bedi, Aashka Goradia, Siddharth Kumar Tewary, Hussain and the list goes on.These people have stood by me and supported me in Good and bad and I can go to any extent to be there for them,” she says.