We were forced to make Naamkaran more glamorous & youthful – Sayantani Ghosh

For all liberal protestations, Indian TV is in no hurry to change its “regressive” content .  And honestly we cant blame channels and production houses for this situation alone. Whenever any attempt is made to push the envelope, ratings, which are crucial for any project, do not support the changes.
Here a distinction needs to be made between an attempt to simply lift popular western formats and present them in a desi style e.g  24 and  POW. These shows did not work and one reason could be that they were alien to large sections of Indian population. What is really glaring was the initial  failure of Star Plus show Naamkarann, which though set in the traditional Indian milieu, challenged social orthodoxies. However, it also  did not get good numbers forcing the makers to change the script and go more mainstream. They even employed standard leap protocol. The look and feel of the show was also made more modern.  The result of this change is evident, it is now rating much better than before.
Sayantani Ghosh who plays Avni’s step mother Neela accepts the same saying. “Our initial attempts at showing illegitimacy and communal family equations did not wash down well with the audience. So we were forced to make changes as no one is here to suffer a loss. Having said that I am glad that the makers (Mahesh Bhatt & Guroudev Bhalla) have not deviated from the core DNA of  the concept as well.”
She further added, “The texture of the show post leap is more glamourous and younger. The feedback I have got is that I look younger post leap than before. The rising ratings do suggest that glamour sells. But again that is subjective as ratings are not fool proof.  Many people come up to me and want stuff which is more realistic and closer to everyday life, but  guess they come from more urban sections . And let’s face it, we are in the business of ratings  and the likings of those sections will be rewarded who obviously give more consistent ratings .”