After three successful seasons, Tara Sharma is back with the fourth edition of The Tara Sharma Show. Following a lukewarm career in Bollywood, the actress ventured into television with her show on parenting that has been very well received. In a candid chat, she talks about the show and how rewarding the entire experience has been for her. Excerpts:
The show germinated from a blog entry six years ago. Could you tell us more about that?
Soon after my elder son was born, I realised that I loved being a hands-on mom. I wanted to be with him but also work because I have a corporate background and have a fair knowledge in economics. Even before I ventured into acting, I was working. But as a mother, there was no way I was going to leave my son at home and go shoot for 30-40 days. And then it struck me — I have seen cooking shows, carpentry shows but have never seen an honest show about parenting which revolves around giving the baby a bath or cleaning his potty. So I just thought it would be nice to do something on those lines. I shared my ideas with my husband Roopak, whose company I co-produce the show with. It was he who told me not to call it a mere television show — that it needed to have a digital element and therefore a multi-platform reach. Thus I started writing a blog and season 1 of the show was basically my diary as a mother.
How was the response like?
It was great. See, the concept was unique. It was a niche show for babies and mothers, it was relatable as I was not preaching, or trying to give tips. In fact, I always say that I am not an expert as I make a lot of mistakes too. Then of course, right from the beginning, we also had a celebrity segment. I am grateful that I have friends from the industry. With season 4, we are broadening the content further. We are also going to discuss topical family issues with a view to help bring about positive change. My purpose is to get people to share their stories and help the audience relate to and deal with the situation.
What goes into making one episode? Tell us about the research and preparations…
It is not just a celebrity chat as there are several segments and a lot of work goes into it — getting sponsors, speaking at events and being a part of so many WhatsApp groups. I feel like everything I do in some way is research. In fact, a lot of my guests are actually people who have reached out to me and shared their stories.
Do you see any show as your competitor?
I think if you have something that’s good and you work towards it persistently and honestly, you will always find your space. I am grateful and touched by the response this time. Every celebrity I have known has tweeted about the show. I think somewhere people have seen that I have been doing this for six years, quietly — I don’t really shout and scream about it. The fact that people like Virat Kohli and so many others are on the show, is a huge blessing. We are going to LA this month and we will be talking to celebrities there too.
Does having a celebrity boost your ratings?
It definitely helps but I don’t just bring in celebrities to talk about their private life. I only call them if they fit the theme. For instance, Farah (Khan) was talking about women and work, that is why she was relevant to this episode. Next week, Soha (Ali Khan) will be talking on transitions in life and how it changes from being single to being married. John Abraham will be talking about health and fitness.
Has anybody ever refrained from sharing something?
I never ask anything uncomfortable. Firstly, I am not a controversial person at all, so I just want people to be happy and content. In fact, people tell me that they had a chilled-out time and that it was like sitting at home and having a cup of coffee.
Do you have any other upcoming projects?
I create, write, co-produce and host the show, so I really don’t have spare time on my hands. There are many offers but once you start making your show, it belongs to you. My dad always says, ‘Don’t wait for the phone to ring for an offer. If you want to do something, create it.’ And I am glad I did that. I would love to act in a film if something really good comes but otherwise I am very content with whatever I am doing.
