Choti Sarrdaarni lead Avinesh Rekhi is quite busy in the lockdown, of late. He has to shoot new sequences of the show from home to keep the story moving. Colors have started airing fresh episodes of some of their top rankings show, i.e. Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story, Shubharambh besides Choti Sarrdaarni.
“We need to send two scenes every week. Most reflect telephone conversations, as all actors are shooting separately. Canning eight-minutes of footage (per scene), takes the whole day. For unlike at set, there are no unit hands to handle the camera, lighting, and makeup etc. My wife not only shoots but also gives the cues as well. My kids are also chipping in. The effort here seems to be more then what happens on set. My family gets scared whenever we get a channel call regarding the same,” adds Avinesh whose other well-known shows include Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh, Piyaji Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon and Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap.
“Having said that I am thrilled seeing a very positive response on social media. Many of my international fans who don’t get Colors are also loving it.”says Avinesh.
He further believes, “Fresh content is needed to keep the viewer interest alive. But the best part is that our re-runs are also garnering good numbers. Many who could not see the show before are now jumping on the bandwagon. “Our scenes also spread the positive message of hope and following due diligence (stay at home and wash hands ).”
When asked about the resumption of shoots, Avinesh says, “I have no definite date, Mumbai will continue to be lockdown post the 3rd. It will be a real challenge if immediate future shoots are limited to just principle characters. We already are seen in 15 minutes of content. The remaining five to seven minutes involve supporting cast. I have heard that Aussi show Neighbours is back on the floors albeit remotely, so maybe we can copy a leaf from their book.”
