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One would think the heavy make-up laden look has been replaced by more muted looks in the Indian TV industry, but designer Nishi Yasha, who has been behind the costmes for shows like "Shobha Somnath Ki" and "Kuch Toh Log Kahenge", sa

One would think the heavy make-up laden look has been replaced by more muted looks in the Indian TV industry, but designer Nishi Yasha, who has been behind the costmes for shows like "Shobha Somnath Ki" and "Kuch Toh Log Kahenge", says the industry is still far from backing realistic looks.

"We believe in gloss. The approach is very unrealistic here. We always look for beauty and perfect outfits, which is something I don't agree with and wish to change it as well," Yasha, who has also worked on "Anhoniyon Ka Andhera" and "Devon Ke Dev. Mahadev", told IANS.

The designer believes in extensive research for the shows that she takes up. For a mythological show, she says has even gone to to the extent of reading historical texts to get the right look.

"For mythology, you have to stick to the scriptures. There is a lot of temple art there. I have studied the Vedas and Puranas and come up with the look many times. For those shows, there is no other reference and the entire look is only described in text," she said.

Yasha has also worked for movies and designed costumes for films like "Dangerous Ishhq", "1920: The Evil Returns", "Zila Ghaziabad" and "Maximum". She feels films give her more freedom as a designer.

"TV is tougher as you need to align your costumes with the thoughts of the broadcaster. You often cannot be very true to your research in case the broadcaster doesn't agree with you. In films, you get much more freedom. You need to give one look test and you are free to design for the entire span of the movie," she said.

Right now, Yasha is excited that she is designing costumes for three upcoming shows.

"There are three flagship shows in the pipeline as of now. One is for Zee, the second one is for Star Plus and the third one is for Life OK. All three shows are going to be in the fantasy and mythological genre," she said.

She will be designing for some more films too in 2013.

"There are a few films lined up for next year as well, and if all goes well, I might even get to design for an international project," she said.

After working continously for over a decade, popular TV actress Rakshanda Khan is taking it easy now and says the intensity of a character matters to her over the length of the role.

After working continously for over a decade, popular TV actress Rakshandha Khan is taking it easy now and says the intensity of a character matters to her over the length of the role.

"Earlier, I used to finish one show and start working on another. For years, I had been working like this continously. When I moved away and thought about it, I felt it is a high price to pay. Now I am at such a stage of my career that I do work at intervals," Rakshanda told IANS.

"I have never weighed what channel is the show going to be aired on, or how long would my role be. What matters to me most is the intensity and the impact that my role is going to have. Length of the role doesn't really matter to me," she added.

The 37-year-old actress became popular after essaying the role of Mallika Seth in "Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin" and Tanya Virani in "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi". She was last seen in popular mythological TV show "Devon Ke Dev. Mahadev".

She is currently seen in Sahara One's "Jhilmil Sitaron Ka Angan Hoga".

Asked what she finds different and evolved about the Indian TV industry, Rakshanda said: "People are getting a fair deal in the industry now. It has become much more organised now.

"More attention is being put on the look of actors and channels have more say in the scripting, storyline and production of the shows. There was a phase three to four years ago, when a character dictated the show. Today, the show itself has become supreme. Today, the audience decides the trend on TV."

With the rise in competition in the Indian TV industry, a lot of producers decide to pull the plug on their shows within months. But Rakshanda feels a show should be given at least six months for the audience to take a liking.

"Pulling the plug on any TV show is completely the call of channel and show executives. If a show is not working, they can take it off air any day. But I feel a show should be given atleast six months as it takes time for the show to get on to the viewers' minds. If it doesn't work in the speculated period of time, then there is no point to let them run on small screen," she said.

Lord Mahadev and Goddess Parvati are set to commence their journey as parents as they have welcomed their beloved son Lord Ganesha on Life Ok's show 'Devon ke Dev Mahadev'. The countdown to the much-awaited entry of Lord Ganesha started in early December with the birth of Vinayak; a host of marketing initiatives were executed by the channel for the same.

An extensive outdoor campaign was rolled out in Mumbai, Delhi and other key markets of Maharashtra to promote the special episodes. The 15-day campaign was executed by Bates Wallstreet and DDB MudraMax in these markets.

Ajit Thakur, General Manager, Life OK said, "With digitisation hitting Mumbai and Delhi, our best bet was to go out and loud in the outdoor. We are identifying peak points and customising marketing strategies for key shows of which Mahadev is one. Our strong creatives for this campaign created a lot of attention and recall."

As Lord Ganesha is known to be Mumbai city's favourite, the channel displayed colourful holy visuals at strategic locations. A grand procession that included young children dressed as Lord Ganesha, dancing to the tunes of holy chants to welcome the revered God, was also organised in Mumbai.

The outdoor media formats used in the campaign were the larger ones, which include hoardings and gantries. The channel also used extensive branding at local railway stations.