EXCLUSIVE: Pehredaar Piya Ki's Writer Reveals The Idea And Intention Behind The Show

If there’s one show that has started endless debate and dialogue on the internet recently, that has to be Sony’s new show Pehredaar Piya Ki. Based on the unique bond between a child and his wife (who is much older to him), the promos and first few episodes triggered massive online discussions where viewers stood divided in opinion.

We’ve read and heard both sides so far, but the person who conceptualized and wrote the show hasn’t been given the chance to put forward his point of view.

Desimartini got in touch with Sumeet Mittal (writer/producer of shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum & Punar Vivaah), the writer of Pehredaar Piya Ki to bring the other side of the story of the show. Here are a few excerpts from the interview.

How did you come up with the idea of Pehredaar Piya Ki?

The idea of the show came in the regular brain storming sessions which we do in our office to create new concepts. Shashi simply narrated this idea to us and we all were very excited and we started developing it.

Did any channel turn down the idea? How many did you approach? How did you convince the channel to go ahead with it?

No, actually we didn’t approach any channel before this. Sony immediately got convinced because the idea is of a girl’s independent decision making actually and how she handles the situation despite being a very delicate and coy girl. The idea was immediately accepted by the channel.

Do you feel that the mass distaste for this serial is unjustified? What’s your take on the backlash? Were you anticipating it?

I don’t think masses do not like the show or there’s distaste. I believe they are just talking about the show, so it’s unfair to say that they do not like it. Now, since five episodes are on air, I’m getting more and more positive reviews. In fact, the people who started backlashing us, are now slowly withdrawing or are just keeping quiet because they have seen the episodes and they know the real story of why this marriage happening.

Yes, we were anticipating the reaction because people judge it very fast without understanding things. You can’t control that after a point and the best way is to tell the story and wait for reactions. Viewers should give this show a chance because it’s a different kind of a story in the same social drama space, characters are unique and their problems are distinctive.

Why should viewers give this show a chance? Tell us what’s the message that’s not going through?

There’s a message which is going through now slowly, which was seeded in the promos that it’s about a girl’s freedom, a girl’s rights! The story is that she stands up against odd situations; she herself doesn’t know that she has got that power. She believes she is a girl next door. She also discovers herself slowly. The show tells that situations, circumstances make you strong rather than breaking you!

What do you want to say to people who’re not giving this show a chance?

I think people who are not giving a chance to the show will gradually start accepting it. Sometimes we have our preconceived strong notions but it breaks after some time. The show is mature and handled very maturely. There’s no romantic situation. It’s a bonding between the boy and the girl. The scenes are innocent scenes. Ratan, the boy always has a dreamy eye for the girl believing she’s a fairy. He’s always in the same mood and thought.  It’s a special kind of a bond, not romance.

She falls and he says aap uthiye aap bhot bhaari hain. Only a 9-year-old boy would say this, not a young 21-year-old boy!

Why was it necessary for Diya to marry Ratan? She could have guarded him anyway.

It was necessary for Diya to marry Ratan because he’s staying in a joint family where there is no access for the outsiders. So after the death of his parents, marriage was the only option to protect him. Diya’s character doesn’t know her strength herself which she is discovering day by day. She never goes back; she just knows I have to move ahead in life. Slowly she will fight; she will obviously not be able to handle the situations well initially because she has not seen a matured life where you have to control people. She was also very lovingly brought up by her parents,  so she will not come out and say that I’m not able to handle the situations. She will think inside and sit in the room and think but outside she’ll come strong.

What is your perspective on a 10-year-old stalking and having the wish to marry and ending up marrying someone so elder to him?

For a ten-year-old boy, I would say is a very common thing we’ve seen in our houses everywhere. In fact, I talk myself with my friends that we as kids at some age were fascinated by someone and looking at a person in awe. We did not have any wrong kind of an intention. You want to follow someone because it’s a dream kind of situation and the marriage aspect has come out very well in the screenplay.

We’ve all grown up on fairy tale stories like Ratan does in the show. How fair is it to feed a child with such stories which might he/she might take literally in life?

Yes, we have all grown up on fairy tale stories like Ratan. Millions of kids are brought up that way but no one takes it literally. Even I’m raising my daughter in the same manner but she’s not going to create some magic or fly like fairies. She knows it. You understand the mindset of a kid and behave accordingly. Diya is doing the same to Ratan. She’s handling the kid in his own space.

The show mentions a couple of times where the child is told that it’s not his age to marry, but he doesn’t understand that. Do you think those incidents in the episodes went unnoticed?

It’s part of a dialogue and creating some awareness.  When Ratan’s parents come to know that he’s keeping sindoor, they don’t take it seriously, they tell him this is not the right thing. They’re schooling him. This incident got unnoticed, I don’t think people understand that, that’s why there’s so much backlash.

People from the TV industry are objecting to the show.

People from the industry rejected it, and it’s very sad because I would say they know at least as the makers or producers of what kind of show they make. It could be much better if they waited. It’s their independent choice to react. I’m not bothered about that.

What should viewers expect from the show in future? What is it that they should look forward to?

You should expect training, drama, relationships and a unique bond. Viewers will see the strength of a girl! Diya has made a choice. She will protect him today, and tomorrow when he grows up she can demand protection from him. This is a unique bond which we’ve never seen before on television. The audience should enjoy how this relationship shapes up.