Sooraj Barjatya became a household name with his cult classics like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Hum Saath Saath Hai (1999), and Vivah (2006), to name a few.
What made the audience click with these multi-starrers, and their core storytelling revolving around the love of family? Precisely, the ace filmmaker’s understanding of family-oriented storylines, and what makes the masses relate well with them.
Barjatya is all geared up for the release of yet another heartfelt family drama titled Bada Naam Karenge, as he takes over the reigns as the showrunner. Palash Vaswani of Gullak fame, is the director of the show.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Sooraj Barjatya speaks about what makes him detect the pulse of the audience so perfectly, even in this generation.
He says, “I just see what is actually around me. I see my children’s friends and I realize that what we portray in cinema or in the media, especially what we show is always sensationalized. Always know it is never the ultimate truth. I feel youngsters are yet to be rooted and feel grounded. Also when it comes to the culture we have between parents and their children in India, compared to the West, as we show in our series Bada Naam Karenge, there lies certain complexities. Here in India, they don’t want to upset their parents and they have to do certain things to survive or fit in.”
He added, “Sony LIV wanted a family show which is told from the youngsters’ perspective and something from the Vivah and Hum Saath Saath Hai world. So when it comes to understanding what is it about these family stories that connect with the audience, my observation is helping me, and then it is my conviction.”
Speaking about how the story of Bada Naam Karenge came to the makers, Barjatya reveals that the story has been there with them since 2000. He shares that they were unable to find the beginning, middle, or end of how to pan it out. And then finally in 2020, the story started taking shape.
Bada Naam Karenge is replete with several endearing elements of typical Indian families.
Children staying away from their homes, parents constantly worry, and their need to lie to the elders of the family at times, just to make them worry a little less.
As Sooraj Barjatya mentioned at the beginning of the interview, “It is all my observation of what is happening around me.”
And it is a hard relate, when you sit back and think of it.
He says, “Children will eventually leave their homes, and wanting to tell that part of the story came across organically. So that is how it came to be.”
There have been a lot of love stories lately, especially curated to suit the palate of the modern Gen Z crowd.
Shows like Mismatched and Bandish Bandits have struck a chord with the audience, effortlessly.
Especially, Mismatched Season 2 was a deep plunge into the world of AI and a tech fest where the role of advanced technology plays a major role in propelling the love story of Rishi (Rohit Saraf) and Dimple (Prajakta Koli), with all the competitiveness to prove themselves at an all-time high.
Then what is it, that will make Bada Naam Karenge stand out?
“The innocence,” says Sooraj Barjatya.
He adds, “The best thing that sets this show apart is that it is a pure love story. I wanted to make something that the whole family could sit and watch. Like a grandchild sits with his or her grandparent and watches it. I think that that is how we want this show to become a family-viewing experience. My only pitch to Palash, the director, was that please show, that they (the lead pair) go through good days and bad days and are not just partying.
Like every other film of his, the title of this show too, is unique and instils intrigue amidst the target audience.
Sooraj Barjatya chuckles, and responds, “I never choose a title to sell it. Bada Naam Karenge is very organic to the subject because they could have easily named it Pyar and Pyare, but it’s about two people who really want to make their families proud. So I think it comes just out of subjection. If I wanted to pick a title that can sell well, I would have never named anything Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, would I?”
Bada Naam Karenge promises to be a show that will make you reminisce the warmth of a tight-knit family.
Bada Naam Karenge will be streaming on Sony LIV, from February 7, 2025.
