Wagle Duniya merges television and web format: Showrunner JD Majethia
In an interview, Wagle Ki Duniya – Nayi Duniya Naye Kissey showrunner JD Majethia breaks down the success of the TV show, challenges of making it relatable.
Over 40 writers sitting on the table to crack the every-day storyline, zoom calls every day to break down the narrative, every team member rummaging through their personal life to find anecdotes for the story: That’s how a normal day at Wagle Ki Duniya – Nayi Duniya Naye Kissey looks like. Also read: JD Majethia reveals he had ‘blood loss’ on his trek to Mt Everest, was inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s Uunchai (Exclusive)
For showrunner JD Majethia, the show is a bridge connecting different age groups in a household, bringing them together to share a laugh and make memories.
On the show’s premise
The show, which premiered in 2021 on Sony SAB, is a sequel to Wagle Ki Duniya, which aired on Doordarshan. It is based on characters created by cartoonist R. K. Laxman. It puts the spotlight on everyday issues experienced by the average middle-class Indian man. It stars Sumeet Raghavan, Pariva Pranati, Anjan Srivastav, Bharati Achrekar, Sheehan Kapahi and Chinmayee Salvi.
“The intention behind the show was to tell stories of a common man. These days we see people glued to their smartphones with the content. We wanted to create something which makes families together, where they sit together and have conversations. They learn while getting entertained,” JD tells us.
He adds, “We connect three different generations. The show went on air after Covid-19, and the whole idea was to give hope ke kuch bhi ho jaaye, life is good. If you are healthy, together with your family, there is hope of a better tomorrow and life”.
On the need for such a show
When it comes to the small screen, entertainment is ever evolving, from starting off with infotainment to the saas-bahu era. However, JD feels the television landscape is the best way to educate people with a stir of entertainment.
“Look at TV, there is saas-bahu everywhere. What was missing was content for families. And that is what the show intends to fill. Where the people can go and wach with the whole family,” he shares, stressing the storyline traverses through the life of school, college, office and house, making it relatable for all.
On the process of making it relatable
The showrunner emphasises that making the show relatable is the key to success. They have touched upon several issues from breast cancer awareness, good touch and bad touch, mental health and financial responsibilities.
“Other shows on TV try to fight with cinema through the look and feel. But real life is not that glamorous. We don’t live like that in our homes. That’s why it is important to reflect reality and we get through the feeling as well as the topics that we address. It is relatable, and progressive,” he says.
He adds, “Such type of content has vanished from the small screen. TV was actually created for infotainment. We turned it into entertainment. However, we got a chance to go back to the roots of TV through the show and we grabbed the chance… In fact, that is one of the reasons we are inkling towards making longer episodes.”
On exploring new zones
With the longer episodes, JD reveals they are going with “new grammar of storytelling”.
“There will be new issues, a variety of stories along with fun. There is reinvention of characters, with new dialogue writing,” he shares, adding, “We have over 40 writers, which is not common on TV”.
“We tell our writers to get stories from their lives to add to the show. It is not one dimensional. The show merges TV with web format,” he ends.