After giving hit projects such as Tandoor, Rakthanchal and Bhram producer Chitra Vakil Sharma shares her experience of working on Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. She reveals that the casting process took 3 months and the team had a clear sketch of each character.
“Deepak Joshi did full casting for us and yes, of course, Nivedita has eyes and vision when it comes to casting. Sana, when we approached, was on board immediately. I narrated the story and she said I always wanted to do this,” she says.
Chitra also shares her experience working on the series compared to her previous projects. “This is 100++ series so yes, this was a long format which I was working on for the first time,” she said. “My other projects like Tandoor, Rakthanchal, Bhram all were either 8 or 10 episode series. There is no major difference when doing a ++ long format or series. I enjoyed both and my second 100++ is already on the floor and should be out by the end of the year with a renowned channel,” she says.
When asked about her experience working with the actors in the series, Chitra has nothing but praise for them. “Well, Sana, Sahil, Dolly, Anirudh, Nikhil, Saurabh, in fact, the full cast was such a pleasure to work with,” she says, adding, “Sana is emotional, Dolly is chulbuli, Anirudh is the intelligent guy and Sahil is the naughty charming boy, Nikhil is the handsome dude on our set making podcast videos continuously. Saurabh has a smiling face. I recollect that in June when rain started, there was a ceiling collapse and the shoot halted. My actors all came together, 12 of them, with a direction team and complete crew, and said the show must go on, no break that day. I realised how blessed I am to have such a lovely team. Those 10 days had the wall collapse, heavy rains, power issues, water dripping but the shoot went on and met the schedule.”
Chitra also shares some insights into the storyline and themes explored in Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is a love story ‘Salim’s heart beats for Zara, the kind-hearted maid who has stolen his attention. However, his family’s insistence on marrying Saba, a union that will strengthen their social standing, threatens to tear them apart. As Salim struggles to reconcile his feelings, Tabish, a rival with ulterior motives, seeks to exploit the situation and win Saba’s affections. Caught in a web of love, family obligations, and deceit, Salim must navigate the treacherous path to follow his heart and be with Zara, or risk losing her forever.’ Pal pal dil ke paas…Pyaar ka Ehsaas, a beautiful love story filled with lots of drama,” she says.
Since its release on Atrangii, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas has received a positive response from the audience. “We released our show on 17th June which was Eid day and we have completed 1 successful week already,” Chitra Vakil Sharma said. “The response on the very first day intact within 6 hours of the release is unbelievable. As if it was meant to be a success.”
