The last four years have been a great learning experience for producers Subrat Sinha and Dr. Bodhisattva (Gaatha Productions) while they worked on their show Vidrohi. The show recently went off air and the producers say that it has left them more evolved and aware than when they began work.
“Firstly, I must thank Star Plus for giving us this wonderful opportunity and believing in us. It was indeed an honour to tell the story of Baxi Jagabandhu - an Unsung Hero of the freedom struggle. Vidrohi was a long-cherished dream. It was a very exciting, a very challenging show. We worked on it for more than four years. When we started in 2017, we thought we knew everything about producing a show. Vidrohi held a mirror to our naivete. There were delays due to many reasons; Covid being a major one. But every delay brought with it a new set of learnings. Bodhi ji and I are both writers. Writing is usually an exercise in isolation. You are staring at the monitor and thinking, typing. But being a producer taught us to work with a large team. It taught us to delegate, to believe in others. We worked and met so many people and every experience was enriching. We are much more evolved from where we started. And I know there is so much more to learn,” says Subrat.
Talking about working with actors such as Sharad Malhotra and Hemal Dev, the producer says, “Sharad and Hemal are extra kind and extra generous to me and Bodhi ji – my co-producer. But I accept their compliments with all humility. My entire cast was a delight to work with. All of them gave their best to their respective characters. I wish to thank them again for their dedication to their art, for the respect and support they gave to our production house and for the grace that they brought to the historical characters they portrayed.”
Subrat adds that Gaatha Productions has a lot more in store. “Gaatha Productions is all set to produce new content for GECs as well as OTT channels. We are developing a few concepts and are in talks with some networks. We aspire to be one of the best content providers in the business of entertainment. And we don’t want to limit ourselves to a particular genre,” he says.
Ask him what kind of content appeals to him as a maker, and Subrat says, “Any content which can inspire me, motivate me to stay invested in it for days, weeks, months, years. I love waking up every morning sleeping every night with the satisfaction of having poured my time, emotions, and energy into something worthwhile. I personally love stories that teach you something about life. Stories of hope. Stories of love. Stories that move something within you. Irrespective of the genre. Could be larger-than-life or steeped in realism. It must leave the viewer feeling unburdened of some weight he or she may be carrying. It should be liberating. This is the kind of content I love to watch and would love to make as well.”
