From me to you...

I am absolutely hooked on a show called Veera on STAR Plus. In a day and age when majority of the shows on television end up on the beaten to death ‘Saas-Bahu’ twist, it is so refreshing to watch a show that completely focuses on these brilliant children!! All the children in the show are nothing less than exceptional. A few weeks back, I was moved to tears by Harshita (Veera) and Bhavesh’s (Ranvijay) performances. How do such young children emote so well, not only through their expressions but also through their dialogues? Ranvijay’s brotherly love is just beautiful, Veera’s antics and questions just make you laugh and a huge round of applause to Baldev for becoming the youngest and most believable villain on Indian television! The ease with which these children act can put a lot of their older counterparts in other shows to shame. One of the reasons I love the show so much is because I see myself in Veera and then I see my elder brother in Ranvijay. The beautiful sibling chemistry between the two transports me back to my childhood. I can just picture all those times when my brother protected me, fought for me and fought with me.

Apart from all that, Team Veera has left me impressed on a completely different level! Let’s face it, we love the shows, we love the actors and we love the makers. Now, I know that there is a fine line between admiration and obsession but we would love it, if all the people above interacted with us just a tiny bit more. We’re all intelligent fans here and we do understand just how busy and hectic life can be for the cast and crew of a show but still, is it really too much to expect a little bit of interaction? Honestly speaking, I don’t think so. A few days back, a Gupshup’ian sent me a request to join a Veera group on facebook. I accepted thinking, it would be a great place to discuss the show and interact with other viewers. Boy was I in for a phenomenon! So, it turns out that the director, producer, writer and some of the actors are members of this group and interact with the viewers on a day-today basis!! The director and producer of the show ask for feedback, the writer provides little snippets on what to expect and the lead actress shares funny anecdotes about all that happens behind the scenes. They chat with the group, appreciate any feedback and comments and actually get worried when the group goes on a bit of a silent mode!

So, why did this surprise me and why do I call this a phenomenon? Well, because it is so rare and trust me it is fantastic! I think as fans or enthusiasts it is empowering and exciting when the creators and actors of a show interact with us. I am always amazed when celebrities act high handed with fans or just make themselves completely unavailable. Believe me, I understand that time constraints do not allow people involved in television to interact with the viewers as much as they would like to and of course some people are just shy but then again, with Iphones and Androids and Blackberrys and apps and facebook and twitter and what not’s, it really is not that difficult to stay in touch once a day? Team Veera takes interaction with viewers to a whole new level and everyone who is a part of the group (including moi), feels closely connected and almost involved with the show...these interactions, fun, jokes, and advice seeking almost make us feel like we are a part of the making of this beautiful show…JUST IMAGINE! Many Gupshup’ians keep asking for that change in Indian television…well believe you me…Team Veera is bringing about a change with something as simple as a facebook group!

Gupshuping'ly your's,

Anjalika Gupta

©Tinsel Gupshup