Some TV shows will stay with us forever. One such name is Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (KGGK). Recently, when the channel aired the re-run of the show, the TRP rose and the audience once again proved how much they enjoy this Ekta Kapoor production. The show is all set for another re-run that begins on August 2 onwards amid much fanfare. Content Creator and director Mitu, who has been an Executive Producer with Ekta’s Balaji Productions on this show, and also Associate creative head and Creative Producer with the organisation, talks about what makes KGGK so popular and why it still holds a place in the viewers’ hearts.
“It’s a matter of pride and nostalgia to see Kahaani’s re-runs being so successful every time. I am sure this time too it won’t be different. KGGK is really close to my heart and has been the calling card of my career for a long time. Kahaani was my lifeline, my first baby. In its 8 year journey, I was with the show for nearly 6 years,” she gets nostalgic.
Mitu recalls how Ekta trusted her with the show. “I was new in Mumbai and Balaji. I was passionate about the show. So when it became huge, it meant the world to me. Since then people still tell me “Oh you were the Creative of Kahaani”. I had worked hard for many other shows, but Kahaani has a very special place in my heart. Once one came to know of its stature, there was a responsibility that one had towards the show and the audience who loved it,” adds the co-director and producer of the series Nishabd.
Sharing some unforgettable instances from the shoot, Mitu begins by saying that she was always present during the shooting. She shares that the entire team, Sakshi Tanwar, Deepak Qasir, Shweta Kawatra, Sweta Keswani, RituRaj, Kiran Karmarkar, Gautam Chaturvedi, Mansi Varma, Jayati Bhatia, Smita Bansal, Achint Kaur, Chetan Hansraj etc, were as if growing up together while working on the.
“We became one huge gang. Later writers and directors joined the gang. They were my first friends in Mumbai. And even now, we are always there for each other. The memories created have lasted a lifetime. In fact, Sweta Keswani was here a few months back (she now lives in the US) and we all met at Sucheta Trivedi’s house for a get-together. Even now, try and find reasons to work with each other. I made two short films with Sakshi Tanwar, which went on to get international awards. In fact, in the lockdown I made a series for my YouTube channel Positive Thinkerz Official called ‘Seize The Day’ and ‘People Supporting People’ for which many actors gave me content willingly. Like Smita Bansal, Jayati Bhatia, Gautam Chaturvedi, Chetan Hansraj among others. Recently Smita Bansal and I did a collaborative series called SMITASHA with her and her daughters. Also, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kahaani, we at Positive Thinkerz, made a tribute featurette that was anchored by Sakshi and 20 odd actors gave me their bytes for it too. All this was possible because of the bond and relationship we made 22 years ago. I have done many shows, but the vibe and atmosphere at Kahaani was something else, positive and full of energy,” she adds.
Fan reaction around the show was superb too, both then and now. She remembers one such incident that involved Kovid Gupta, who was a boy back then living in the US. “He was brought up on a diet of daily soaps of India. He loved Kahaani. When he met me, in his 20s, in Mumbai, as a writer, he told me his back story. He was so obsessed with the show that he and I have discussed scenes, dialogue by dialogue of Kahaani. In fact, he knew certain tracks of Kahani that I had also forgotten, which goes to show the power of the show. Another instance was meeting this non Indian saleslady at Marks and Spencers, London. She found out I was in charge of Kahaani and she quoted scenes from the show… I asked her how she knew Hindi and she said “I saw the show with subtitles”,” smiles Mitu.
The idea of recreating the show is exciting, according to the director-producer. “New actors taking on the iconic roles would be interesting to watch. Yes, the expectations from them would be huge. Kahaani was a show that was before its time, be it the poverty track or the rape track or the office track. We did a lot of experimental stuff and Ekta was our guiding light to us. In fact, now when I saw the Anupamaa’s office track doing so well, I feel overwhelmed,” she adds.
If ever a new season is made, what do you think the audience’s reaction will be? “Hopefully they will give us the same love, affection, and adulation that they did the first time around,” ends Mitu.
