Producer Rajan Shahi, grandson of actor, P Jairaj has given some of the biggest and most popular shows on television. He is currently the producer of the highest TRP ratings show 'Anupamaa' which stars Rupali Ganguly as the lead.
While talking about 'Anupamaa', Rajan Shahi told Indian Express, “Anupamaa came and became a trendsetter at a time when everyone said TV is over after Covid. Anupamaa has almost completed 4 years. Daily soaps have to run longer because so much is invested in them, but creating a brand out of it gets difficult. People are not connecting to TV shows these days. Anupamaa has become a landmark show, it has international recognition. My shows have always brought a change, Anupamaa deals with issues like child diabetes, panic attacks, etc.”
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He also said that TV actors are bigger than big movie stars, and the viewership they have is incredible. ''Modiji shot a special campaign with Anupamaa for vocal for local. That’s the reach,'' he added.
'Anupamaa' has often been embroiled in controversies. Recently, Shahi landed in a controversy when his statement about actors giving him a tough time went viral. He said, “I have had a lot of controversies with actors, but I feel nobody is above the show, not even the producer. This is a creative field, in the industry everything goes through ups and downs with the best of people. I always appreciate my actors. However, there is a wrong perception that a lot of actors claim they shoot for 18 hours. It does happen sometimes, but not always. Some fans and even actors create a very wrong perception of the producers being bullies. My mentor, Mahesh Bhatt told me, ‘Always fall in love with your actors, only then you will see their hard work’, but I have always been very blunt about it.''
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He also admitted to firing actors and explained the reason behind it. The producer said that fresh actors sometimes come late on set and there is no place for such people in his production. ''I am the one who asks such an actor to very politely leave my set. I have done that with some leads, who were faces of the channel and told the channel after one week. I love my actors, we all work very hard, and they are equally important to me and so is my technical staff. A lot of actors are different in front of the camera and behind it. How they behave and talk with the unit, these things matter to me the most. I have learned from Ektaji (Kapoor) that nobody will hold the show for ransom. A character can be changed in a second, and I have done that.'' he added.
Rajan also said that he appreciates the talent of an actor but if he or she misbehaves or troubles him, he will not take the nonsense.
