Shyam Bhatia has designed the sets for some of the leading reality shows
Among these are shows like Big Boss and Indian Idol, Dance India Dance as well as live events like the Femina Miss India pageant. He's also created the sets for the Dil Se Naachein Indiawaale reality show, the brainchild of the Happy New Year team
Hyderbad: All the world’s a stage, or at least such is the case for Shyam Bhatia, among the leading set designers in the television industry today. Shyam, who founded the architecture and art direction practice Leesha Designs five years ago, has a decade’s expertise in the field and over 200 projects in television under his belt. Among these are shows like Big Boss and Indian Idol, Dance India Dance as well as live events like the Femina Miss India pageant. He’s also created the sets for the Dil Se Naachein Indiawaale reality show, the brainchild of the Happy New Year team.
Shyam developed an interest in set design when he was a final year architecture student and later worked as an assistant art director with the well-known production designer Samir Chanda (of Rang De Basanti, Raavan fame). He says he has seen the industry change since the time he entered it. “When I entered the industry, there were fewer people, but now there are a lot more, and they’re working on projects both big and small,” Shyam says.
The industry has also changed in another major way, Shyam says: “Earlier, education didn’t matter. Now that is not the case. If I depict a certain period in history, say the Roman era, then having studied architecture, you understand the scale and the characteristics of the buildings from that time and can recreate it. An incorrect depiction gives viewers the wrong idea. There is now greater awareness, greater emphasis on research in set design.”
While authenticity is paramount in Shyam’s work, he says he doesn’t have any “rules” when it comes to his work at least not for the aesthetic aspect. “But I do consider, how is this space going to be used? For instance, a dance performer will use every area of the stage I create for a show. You can’t predict what the choreography will be like two weeks from now, so the set has to look good from every possible angle. It’s different for a singing show, where you pretty much know how the stage will be used,” Shyam explains.
Then there are other principles that Shyam takes into consideration, such as whether the event is live or televised (as he points out, sets created for a TV show only need to look good on camera, but those for live events are perceived not just by viewers of a televised broadcast, but also attendees at the venue itself) and what demographic trend it is intended for.
“These are inputs that come from the creative head of a show,” he explains. “For instance, do we want the set to have an ethnic look, or a slick, international one? Then most fiction shows are viewed by women who may be anywhere from 25-60 years of age. So you don’t need anything flashy for the sets. But the Miss India pageant has a whole other audience those between the ages of 25 and 35 years, so you need to create a different look for the sets.”
Of course, the greatest consideration of all is probably the deadline which can be incredibly tight in an industry like television. Shyam says the pressure is inevitable, especially because they have to work around the dates an artist allots. There is also the not insignificant matter of sourcing all the material that is required for a particular set, within that time frame. A set that Shyam had been working on for an upcoming film required him to procure 25 chandeliers, 10 pedestal lamps and 500 wine glasses (that his team hand painted) and put it all together in less that 10 days.
“Understanding of materials is crucial, it helps achieve things faster,” Shyam says. “To build wooden chairs for a set would take ages. But you use a plastic mould and you can create those chairs much faster, We know how to use new technology to achieve our results. And as for deadlines, ultimately, it is your experience and passion that see you through. You cannot be away from the floor.”
When faced with a tight deadline, having a team you can trust is an asset, and Shyam says his little band of architects, fine and commercial artists have been an invaluable support. “They all have a passion for set design, even if they didn’t necessarily have the background. They’ve been with me right from the start,” he says.
And if his team inspires him, so does every new project Shyam takes on. “Every new project is a learning opportunity because it throws up new challenges,” he says. “I am also hugely influenced by the works of architects like Charles Correa and Tadao Ando, and among art directors, by Sharmistha Roy. I’ve never worked with her, but when I was in college, I watched her films like Dil Toh Pagal Hai and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. As for set design, there’s so much good work being done in the field. It’s very inspiring.”
( Source : dc )
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