A decade ago, television soaps, especially Kannada tele-serials had a very limited audience. The majority would still head to theatres seeking entertainment in a grand scale, thanks to the lavish making, larger than life experiences and glimpses of favourite destinations across the globe picturised in movies. However, all of this has witnessed a sea-change with television running parallel to the big screen. A larger reach and profitable returns has made TV the hot destination for filmmakers, who are exploring new avenues to attract the TV audience. One such experiment is to take the shows to a new level, by shooting special sequences at international destinations, and also claiming such feats are a first in the industry. Shooting tele ventures abroad has become a common phenomenon these days, and we delve into this trend.
While grandeur on Indian television has always been a continuous exercise, filmmakers are willing to make it a special journey, and some popular folk are giving the audience the best of what they can offer. Taking a cue from the immense success of its counterparts in other languages, Kannada tele ventures have risen to the occasion. Apart from a variety of special programmes to boost popularity, several tele-serials have started flying to beautiful destination abroad for a special visual treat for their respective audiences.
After recent Kannada TV serials such as Radha Ramana, Avalu, Sarayu, the team of Vidya Vinayaka shot some special sequences at exotic locations in Italy and some other parts of Europe. The two lead characters of the tele-serial were flown to Italy for their honeymoon, apparently!
“Indian regional television is always inclined to giving their audience a taste of the world. For the very first time, a Kannada entertainment channel is shooting in the magnificent landscapes of Italy. Vidya Vinayaka has been creating a whole lot of ‘firsts’, by featuring Italy for about two weeks’ worth of episodes, displaying the progress in their (Vidya-Vinayaka, the two characters) relationship as a married couple. Would this trip change their relationship status and would this blossom into a friendship between the two is something that the viewers will have to wait for,” says actor, and producer Dileep Raj.
“With Vidya Vinayaka being a relatively new fiction show, we are thrilled to be taking it overseas! We will always remember this as a turning-point for a lot of us, as the first ones to take Kannada television to Europe, with a promise to Kannada audiences around the world that this is just the beginning,” he adds.
Recently, the team of Radha Ramana had flown to Australia, for some adventure-filled episodes, and even Avalu was shot in London. “There was a situation where the protagonist had to be abroad for a reason. We took this opportunity to shoot in London. It was to impress the audience along with being an added attraction,” says director Nagaraj Upunda.
In Surayoo too, a major portion of the serial was shot in Bangkok. Senior technician Subramany wraps it up saying that tourism hungry countries provide great incentives for serial makers to shoot a few episodes of their shows abroad.
