Feroz Abbas Khan’s pride and satisfaction is visible when he talks about his directorial venture Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH). The joy is palpable as he champions the cause the serial focuses on. And why not, considering that Doordarshan is airing the second season already.
Seating in a cosy corner at Fresc Co, Connaught Place the interaction begins and ends on a pleasant note. Soft-spoken Feroz is forthright expressing his opinion and beliefs in a forceful albeit gentle manner.
What made him, the busy theatre and film director, decide on doing the second season of the show? “I was delighted by the impact of season one. The first time I went with apprehension, not expecting to it go beyond one season. This time round I was inspired by the effect it has had on the target audience,” he reveals. The statistics reeled out by him (gathered by an independent agency for the first season) are impressive. A conservative estimate of more than 100 million people viewed it while 6,25,000 viewers called up to convey their views. “It influenced both in terms of numbers and awareness and changes it has brought about. That men were watching it, was very heartening,” he comments.
The audience awareness level was pegged at up to 8 per cent and in some cases 12 per cent. “A significant number of women who accepted domestic violence perpetrated by men as a way of life, after watching the episodes changed their stance and opposed it. Besides they started negotiating various contraceptive methods and challenging child marriage. In fact we honoured four women in Bhopal who stopped child marriages, built toilets and took up other initiatives on viewing the show,” says Feroz. The story and the messages spread through word of mouth to non-viewers too. The separate radio programme on the same theme broadcast by All India Radio and its FM stations elicited 80 per cent listenership.
Sipping the watermelon juice, the director takes a bite of the skewered grilled chicken. “The juice is really good. I usually judge an eating outlet by the drinks it provides,” he says. Feroz’s satisfaction from the show is not without reason considering that he believes that TV’s entertainment segment is a powerful tool to ring in significant behavioural changes which can be initiated by making the stories carry the message instead of advertisements which either prescribe or proscribe actions. “It is ridiculous to think that social ideas and entertainment do not go together.”
Continuing in the same tenor Feroz wonders that despite opening satellite channel space to private players why the finest television serials, even five of them, come from Doordarshan and not others. “The opening of doors gave freedom and threw up opportunities. Unfortunately the freedom was actually abused instead of imbibing a sense of responsibility. How is that we have created the woman’s image which is regressive which harms her status in society and perpetrates stereotypes and does basically everything but to empower her,” he questions with dismay.
The table is cleared to bring in the grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes and red wine sauce for our guest with bread on the side. I wonder if chicken is Feroz’s favourite dish? “No, it is fish and that is the reason I like the coastal region cuisine, specially the Goan and Manglorean, which are almost similar.” The Mumbaikar boasts that the city offers some of the finest varieties of fish like Bombay Duck, mackerel, prom fret among others. “Even when I visit a Parsi outlet I order steamed fish. In time to come I will eat fish and vegetarian dishes only.”
Surprisingly for breakfast he likes pongal and filter coffee. “Give this combination and my day is made. When I stayed in Chennai for two months for editing my film ‘Gandhi My Father’ I had it everyday,” he says. Lamenting the unavailability of pongal in Mumbai he makes good with khhoto and recommends Mysore Café patronised by the likes of Mukesh Ambani.
Feroz reveals though his cooking skills are limited to anda and bread he is blessed. “My mother was an extraordinary cook. Till now I have not eaten sheer kurma and khichra which are equivalent to her preparation. The taste till lingers on.” His wife, a Jain, learnt to cook non-vegetarian dishes he loves through recipes, friends and books. Praising her, he says, “She is a star in her right. Whatever she does, she does well. She makes excellent fish curry, steamed fish apart from chicken and mutton curry, urad dal, aloo-gwar and yellow dal. My mother-in-law, nutritionist prepares lip-smacking pickles and oil less recipes which are delicious.”
He avoids eating Indian cuisine abroad trying the local ones to make them a part of his memory. He informs about Carnivore in Nairobi and Johannesburg which serve almost all the legally allowed animal meat of the jungle, including crocodile. “I used to like it at one point of time. My son loved the place.” He reminisces about bani cho , a dish created by Indians in South Africa –– a loaf of bread scooped from inside and filled with mutton curry.
Relaxing after the food, Feroz turns my attention to the focus of current MKBKSH serial. “It is adolescence and male responsibility and involvement. The latter is necessary considering the power structure of the society which is male dominated. Other issues like gender, prevention of early marriages, early and repeated pregnancies, under-nutrition of girls, among others too will be tackled. Notably, this time the protagonist moves from small town to a small village with the objective of reaching out to patients. Through this one gets to see the corollary infrastructure problems which deny access to health facilities, like lack of transport, poor roads, etc. “It depicts not just the bemari but the social reality behind it,” comments Feroz.
The current run has 78 episodes which will be available with English sub-titles. Cashing on its popularity, Doordarshan plans to dub it in 12 Indian languages. Besides Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan too have evinced interest along with some African countries to air the programme. “It proves that the theme is universal,” says Feroz. With so much happening one hopes that he will bring many more seasons of this meaningful show.
