Whether it is Anupamaa or Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, producer Rajan Shahi has been credited for making the careers of artistes like Rupali Ganguly, Hina Khan, Gaurav Khanna and others. But the producer has a very pragmatic view on what makes a TV actor a star in the industry. "For every underdog, the platform matters. You can be a good creator, technician or actor but the it is the platform that gives us the chance. I have done a number of shows as a director. I always liked to bring in fresh talent whether it was Mona Singh in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Rajshree Thakur in Saat Phere....Saloni Ka Safar or Mona Vasu in Mili," he says. The top producer says he chose fresh faces along with seasoned actors even for his first production Bidaai.
Hina Khan is still recognized by many as Akshara from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. The maker reveals he spotted her during an audition held in Delhi. Rajan Shahi says that she was a total newcomer from Srinagar and had never travelled to Mumbai. "I told my team to bring her down to Mumbai. It took almost two months to convince her father to let Hina Khan do Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. My team and I spent another one and half months grooming her to become an actress. Hina did fabulously well," he says. Rajan Shahi has also launched Dheeraj Dhoopar in the industry.
He says he is very involved in the scripts and nothing is formulaic. Rajan Shahi says his shows resonate as they are in sync with the changing social fabric of the nation. He says that COVID-19 changed perceptions of people all over the globe. "Though society is changing, there are some things that resonate with every one in India. I like being close to the grassroot level. I cannot relate to unrealistic stories that do not stress on human or familial emotions," he says. The producer says he advises his team to be as grounded as possible to know the realities of life around them. "You cannot write stories living in a fancy palace," he states. He credits his mom, Deepa Shahi and daughter Shikha for keeping him abreast with what is happening around in the world.
Rajan Shahi says he has spent 30 years in the industry starting as junior artiste. He says there is a lot of mismanagement, which he has tried to avoid. "We work in an organized systematic manner and add more infrastructure to assist us. If an actor picks up work like other shows or events, the producer or channel cannot be blamed," he says. Rajan Shahi feels that it is pre-planning that makes scripts click with fans. "You see in Anupamaa, every character is resonating with the audience. The inter-personal relationship is very beautiful. You need to be organic," he says.
