Compared to fiction, non-fiction is manageable: Sandip Tripathi, Supervising Producer, Comedy Nights With Kapil

He is the man behind the smooth running of one of the most loved comedy series on Hindi GEC’s, Comedy Nights With Kapil. Sandip Tripathi, the supervising producer of CNWK, has made a niche for himself in the industry after spending a decade over here. Hailing from a small town in Jhansi, this young man has made it big in the industry with his hard work and undying spirit.

 

How did you enter the entertainment industry?

Hailing from Jhansi, I came to Mumbai in 2004. Like all parents, even my parents wanted me to become an engineer and prepare for IAS examination. But I was always aware that I am creatively inclined to involve myself in challenging and thoughtful activities. I always wanted to do something different; something where I can invest my creativity. Hence, I intended to join ad agency. But things did not work out as planned and I shifted to the television industry.

So how was your journey in the industry?

Without any prior experience or godfather in the industry, I thought it will be a really difficult journey for me. But I was lucky enough to soon get a call from Balaji Telefilms after I dropped my resume. And then my journey started in the industry with the iconic show, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, as the scheduler. I have done more than 700 episodes for the daily. Later on, I moved to Indonesia to handle the stakes of Star. After that, I started concentrating more on non-fiction series and did shows like Coffee with Karan, Naach, Swayamvar (1 & 2), Zara Nachke Dikha and few others. Then with SOL production house I started Comedy Nights with Kapil. Apart from the ongoing series on television, I organize many events as well, including Zee Rishtey awards and IIFA.

You are working as a supervising producer of Comedy nights with Kapil, can you shed some light on your job responsibilities?

As a supervising producer, I represent my production house in the show. I have to take care of everything from commercial issues to quality to creative factors. If needed, I have to take notice of casting, artist management and financial matters as well. In short, I have to coordinate between all the departments and be in charge of the crew.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

As the supervising producer, I believe, the biggest challenge is to handle live shows and award functions. At times it indeed becomes difficult to manage a unit consisting of more than 300 people. We have to pay much attention to all the details for such events. And as far as CNWK is concerned, the series by now has set a level of its own, and it is a challenge for me to maintain that standard.

What changes have you witnessed in the industry in all these years?

With so many shows and channels coming up these days, making shows on television has really become risky. The competition is much higher than the time when we started. Even if you look at the TRP ratings, the numbers are lesser than before. On the other hand, contents have also changed. Makers are experimenting more with urban concepts and even the viewers in rural areas also seem to like such trends. This new shift has changed the industry a lot.

Once moved into non-fiction, aren’t you interested to come back into fiction genre?

Well anytime I can move to fiction genre and I really don’t mind doing such shows. The only issue is that fiction needs lots of time and effort. And being a family man now, I try to maintain a balance between my career and family life. When I was a bachelor, it was not difficult for me to continue with 12 hours shift daily, but now, few other things need my attention as well. Compared to fiction, I believe non-fiction is still manageable.

Are you planning to make a show of your own?

Definitely I am keeping an eye on that, but as I have told earlier, making shows are much difficult now. With many channels coming up and with the digital platform being so much active, competition is much higher. Thus, as a producer I believe I have to take very careful decisions and plan a lot on making my own shows.

As a producer which kind of shows would you like to explore?

I think travel shows, shows on current affairs, fashion related series are less explored on Indian television. Thus, I believe there is a scope to work on these areas extensively. And yes, if possible I would love to make some projects on the lines of Satyamev Jayate, which needs lot of research and will help to create social awareness. Such ventures are important for our society I believe.