‘S Narayan’s serials inspired me to get on TV’

Earliest memories of TV
I must have been in Class 3 when we got our first TV set. Both my parents were working in a bank and that’s how we could afford to buy a TV back then. It was a Dianora make and came with a huge antennae. The TV was black-and-white and was bought on a Sunday. Obviously, much excitement abounded in the colony and everyone came home to see it. Back then, Doordarshan was the only channel, and it was aired from Delhi.

Favourite TV serials/personality
My favourite was Pankaj Kapur’s Karamchand. He played a detective in it and till today, he remains one of my favourite actors. Then came Fauji; I still remember having discussions in school about a handsome character in this serial who turned out to be Shah Rukh Khan. In

Kannada

serials, my favourite was

Mayamruga

and Dattanna was my favourite character in it. S Narayan’s serials were a rage back then and Parvati was the chart topper. I was majorly influenced by his serials and they inspired me to get into this field, as I realized how powerful it was.

Advice to newbies entering television
They should be open-minded and flexible. Whether you are a director or actor, always remember that we can’t churn out classics here, because that’s not what people want. You need to sell your product and give people what they want to watch. People get bored easily otherwise.