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The initial brief for the Aaj Tak campaign:
We
have been associated with Aaj Tak since its initial launch phase.
The two previous Aaj Tak B&W campaigns were highly appreciated
and once more I was given the task to write a third series. Everyone
had high expectations from me - including my director Pradeepda
(Pradeep Sarkar) and the entire Aaj Tak group. Their expectations
made the task more challenging for me.
The
clients - Aroon Purie and G Krishnan from Aaj Tak - had given clear
instructions that the campaign was not to be a set of data filled
infomercials. The Aaj Tak team gave us an exhaustive brief and total
freedom and liberty to think of the concept. They wanted us to be
contemporary but refrain from being newsy. The themes we developed
were about the issues facing today's society. Although it took a
long time tackling "writers block", I thought I had come
up with a good follow up series but I never anticipated the kind
of response it got in the form of three prestigious Abby's…
Inspiration
for the Aaj Tak campaign:
I would
credit all the appreciation bestowed upon these Aaj Tak scripts
to my theatre days spent with my theatre group ACT ONE in Delhi
and my theatre guru Ranjeet Kapoor. The entire experience of the
Aaj Tak film series was just like the old times and took me back
to my days on stage.
Finding
suitable characters was challenging:
 Finding
suitable actors for the numerous characters in the Aaj Tak films
was a very difficult task albeit fun filled in its own way. The
experience of the last two campaigns had taught me that finding
actors who could do justice to the characters of the B&W genre
by mouthing the dialogues in that same original way of the B&W
age was going to be no easy task.
I took
care of a lot of aspects of characterization alongside the initial
scriptwriting itself, in fact I etched out a few characters of the
films keeping in mind the images of the actors who eventually played
the roles.
For
instance the gold trophy winning Akhil Mishra of the market leader
film was someone who I met on the sets of a Sudhir Mishra film in
Bhopal, I was fascinated by his mannerisms and looking at him Munshiji's
image started appearing in my head instantaneously.
Finding
a "Dusshasan" for the Mahabharata film was another tricky
task as it had to be someone who could portray a slimy dangerous
persona nonetheless maintain a royal touch about him. Then one fine
day close friend and writer-director Anurag Kashyap walked into
our office and I immediately knew that I had found my Dusshasan.
It's another story that it took a great deal of convincing and persuasion
to get him to do the role.
The
triumph on Abby night:
 All
the effort put in the conceptualisation, writing and shooting of
this series of ads paid off at the night of the Abby's. First of
all, when the announcement for the best director's award was made,
instead of going alone, Pradeepda insisted that I go with him on
stage to receive the award. I was deeply touched by this gesture.
Apart from this and the three lovely trophies, I think my biggest
achievement and the high point of the evening for me was when ad
genius Piyush Pandey hugged me saying "Good Work… Keep
it up".
Celebrity
comments on the Aaj Tak campaign:
Bollywood
star Aamir Khan: "Aaj tak ke ads bahut he achche likhe
gaye hain (Aaj Tak ads were very well written), very creative and
very humourous also…. Very nice ads…"
Lagaan
director Ashutosh Gowarikar: "Bahut Kamal ka lagaa
campaign, behtareen campaign hai (amazing and fabulous) campaign
beautifully written, beautifully conceptualized."
Bollywood
actress Preity Zinta: "Bahut hi achhe (very good), bahut
hi funny,bahut hi crisp and really really funny…I'm really
happy that it won…"
Theatre
performer, folk singer and pop artist Ila Arun:
"As a layman mujhe Aaj Tak ke ads bahut achhe lage! (As
a layman, I liked the Aaj Tak ads very much!)".
Gajaraj Rao's previous experience:
Rao
has been involved with theatre, TV, cinema and advertising as scriptwriter
and as an actor since 1988. He is the founder member of ACT ONE
theatre group Delhi.
Apart
from many other serials, he has written and acted in popular serial
Bhanwar (aired on Sony Entertainment) which was based on
real life court cases.
Rao
has acted in films such as Bandit Queen (directed by Shekhar
Kapoor); Dil Se (directed by Mani Ratnam); Dil Pe Mat
Le Yaar (directed by Hansal Mehta); Dil Hai Tumhara
(directed by Kundan Shah) and Hazaron Khwahishe Aisi (directed
by Sudhir Mishra and yet to be released).
Experience
in advertising:
Rao has been working as associate director and script writer with
ad film production house Apocalypso Filmworks since its inception
in 1997. The firm is headed by renowned ad film maker and music
video director Pradeep Sarkar. In this period Apocalypso has produced
more than 350 ad films and more than 12 music videos. The work done
includes Shubha Mudgal's music video Ab Ke Sawaan; Euphoria's
Dhoom, Maaeri and Sultan Khan's Piya Basanti
were highly appreciated by critics and audiences alike. Currently
Rao and his team is working on a feature film script, which will
be on the floor soon.
Apocalypso
Filmworks shifted its base from Delhi To Mumbai for business reasons,
at the beginning of 2002.
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It
was magic when the man who wrote the entire Aaj Tak's B&W (black
and white) ad series,Gajraj Rao, walked up to the stage to recieve
the Abby awards. A theatre personality Rao has also been involved
in several TV shows such as Bhanwar.