The Hindu Business Line : Back on her feet and in action

No crippling disability was enough to keep Sudha Chandran away from the spotlight. Today, between politics and her television star image she's really kept on her toes.

A still from Kaahin Kissii Roz on Star TV.

They love to hate me," says television actress Sudha Chandran on the audience's reaction to her role as Ramola Sikand in the Star Plus serial, Kaahin Kissii Roz.

"I love this role and the public just loves this negative character," she says. For the soap-obsessed audience, not only was the acting of Ramola Sikand fascinating but also her clothes and particularly her bindis, which span across her forehead in the most elaborate and colourful way. They were a hit. As of now, Sudha is well ensconced in her position as a television actress. "I am working on five serials at the moment," she says.

As somebody who has shown such amazing courage in overcoming a disability caused by an accident, it's no surprise that she is unperturbed by the pressures of work and now the added responsibility of campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party. A trained classical dancer, Sudha got back on her feet with the help of the Jaipur foot. Getting back to dancing with the help of this foot opened up a whole new world for her. Soon films came her way. The movie Nache Mayuri was based on her own life. Many other films followed and soon she found her niche on television.

"I was fortunate in getting a good break in television. It helped me to change my image of the weeping, soppy woman that I'd always portrayed in my films," she says. Sudha has close to 28 films in several languages to her credit. She feels television has given her a wider range of roles as compared to films. Saahil was her first break on television. She anchored the show Shriman Shrimati and then went on to do Kabhi Idhar Kabhi Udhar, Chashme Buddoor, Kaise Kahoon, Heena and many others.

"I am considered the lucky mascot for television serials. Television producers feel that if I am a part of a serial, it fares well on the rating charts," says Sudha. She has gone on to win the Star Pariwar Awards for her role as Ramola Sikand in Kaahin Kissii Roz.

She says that the television industry, particularly the field of content production, is economically viable. "Balaji Telefilms has finished the struggle for the industry and now it is going to be easy for new entrants," she says.

Even though the small screen has given her challenge, fame and money, she is itching for more. "I feel sad that I am not doing anything with my Bharatanatyam training. I want to produce a dance-based daily soap and I am sure I will accomplish that soon," she says.

But for the moment she is focusing on her political role and the many goals that she has set for the BJP. "I want to take up the case for 60 million disabled people in this country. I am the messiah for the handicapped," she says.

Go live, make profits

Live event programming is a sure shot formula to bring in advertisers and the moolah for broadcasters. Most general entertainment channels do dedicate slots for live event programming, never mind the fact that the audience has to bear with extremely long commercial breaks. Would not too many advertisements wean away the inveterate channel surfer to shift to another channel is a question probably advertisers are wont to ask sometime or the other.

Notwithstanding, the audience discomfort in sitting through a live event show on television, ETC Channel Punjabi has discovered the Midas Touch in this kind of programming. The channel, which entirely focuses on music — religious and otherwise — has been focusing on live event programming. It has established a prime position in most North Indian States such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi and places with a large Punjabi population, because of its live Gurbani telecast from the Golden Temple, Amritsar.

"We would like to extend the channel's franchise beyond broadcasting. We want to reach out to the community," says Rabindra Narayan, President, ETC Channel Punjabi. Most shows are held in cities of Punjab. But this time around, the channel organised a live show in Mumbai — Baisakhi Blast — bringing together three artistes; one of them from Pakistan, Javed Bashir. For Bashir an opportunity to perform in Mumbai opens up possibilities for him in Bollywood's music industry. "I think there are very good prospects here for artistes from Pakistan," says the man who wants to see improved Indo-Pak ties. "India encourages Pakistani artistes," he said ahead of the ETC Punjabi programme. This live event could augur well for the Pakistani singer.

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