She’s not only the only Indian member of the jury at the 14th Shanghai Television Festival (in the TV Film category), she’s also the youngest as well
She’s not only the only Indian member of the jury at the 14th Shanghai Television Festival (in the TV Film category), she’s also the youngest as well — and Sandhya Mridul is understandably thrilled.
“It is an honour to be sitting on a jury panel comprising producers, directors, actors and critics from all over the world. The section I’m judging has international films that have been made specifically for television,” she told After Hrs from Shanghai.
It’s her first visit to Shanghai — even China —and the actor is getting a first hand feel of why chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has been so obsessed about modelling Mumbai on the Chinese capital.
“The good thing is that the language is not as much of a problem as it is made out to be — people are quite comfortable with spoken English,” she says.
But having said that, the actor isn’t missing Mumbai’s monsoons one bit.
“While we were being driven down to the venue, the sight we saw was something straight out of Mumbai. Flooded streets and policemen standing with their pants rolled up. We were told that it only rains occasionally during the month of June, but this year’s heavy rainfall has surprised the locals,” she says.
Well, the upside is that our city clearly doesn’t need that much changing to become Shanghai after all.
But what really sent Sandhya into raptures of delight is the fact that her serial Koshish Ek Asha is being aired in China and has become a big hit. “I was aware that Koshish... was being aired here, but I really didn’t know that it’s the number one international television series in the country,” she says, adding, “I only discovered that on my way to the Zee booth at the Shanghai International Expo where I met the local press and lots of fans. I’d never imagined I had fans in China!”
But what exactly is the popular taste in television fare? Saas-bahu sagas?
“Frankly I haven’t got the chance to actually sit down and watch a Chinese serial. I think basic values in both and Indian and Chinese culture are quite similar, so any TV series that portrays these could do well here. Ekta Kapoor should definitely start thinking!”
s_saumit@dnaindia.net
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