Vikas Kapoor Exclusive Interview: "Now Television Is Over…"

By Shantiswaroop Tripathi

Writer of over 7,500 hours of television programming — including iconic serials like Om Namah Shivay, Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Geeta Rahasya, Satyanarayan Vrat Katha, and Shobha Somnath Ki — Vikas Kapoor needs no introduction. His legendary show Om Namah Shivay once achieved a TRP rating of 78. Today, most serials struggle to even reach a single point in TRP. The Times of India once honored him with the title “God’s Own Writer.”

Presented below are excerpts from an exclusive conversation with Vikas Kapoor for Mayapuri magazine.

You earned a big name in the TV industry as a writer. Was there a creative atmosphere in your family?

There was no film or TV background in my family, but there was always an environment of devotion and literature. We are originally Punjabi Khatris, but my grandmother was deeply devoted to Hanuman Ji. Over time, she started worshiping Lord Ram and Krishna as well, and eventually, our household became fully Vaishnav.

She had studied during the British era and was very fond of reading. Every month, she would complete Ramcharitmanas in nine days, Valmiki Ramayan in the next nine, and various Puranas or Upanishads in the remaining days.

As children, we used to sit with her and listen to Ramayan. She would narrate the stories and then ask us questions, encouraging us to find the answers by reading the verses ourselves. The reward — two lemon toffees — made it even more exciting. Through this, I developed an interest in research and the deeper meaning of scriptures.
If I am a good writer today, I owe that entirely to my grandmother. My mother was also a poetess, and celebrated poet Gopaldas Neeraj (Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee) was her rakhi brother. Poetry sessions at home were common.
Initially, I had no interest in theatre. But after acting in a play titled Aansu Ban Gaye Phool, I developed a liking for stage. Later, I formed my own theatre group, Kala Vid Natya Sanstha, and wrote my first play Natak Hi Natak, based on politics within another theatre group. The play was a hit and gave me recognition as a playwright.
We staged several successful plays, including Gidh, Chandramukhi, and Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya O Jamya Nai. During a school anniversary play based on Chanakya, I met actor Nitish Bharadwaj, who was already famous as Krishna from Mahabharat. He invited me to Mumbai to write Geeta Rahasya — and that’s how my journey in the television industry began in 1996.

Did ‘Geeta Rahasya’ change your destiny?

Yes, absolutely. The show’s PR manager, Bunny Reuben — who was also Raj Kapoor’s publicist — got articles written about me and turned me into a known name overnight. Soon, producer Chandrakant Gaud approached me to write Bhagwan Satyanarayan, and later I wrote Maa and Satyanarayan Vrat Katha.
Then filmmaker Anil Sharma brought me on board for Shrimad Bhagwat Puran. Gradually, I started writing for Doordarshan and other channels as well.

You also wrote the cult classic ‘Om Namah Shivay’. How did that happen?

While visiting Kanpur to bring my mother to Mumbai, I got a call from Chandrakant Gaud, asking me to write his upcoming show Om Namah Shivay. When I returned, I met Gaud and Dheeraj Kumar. Originally, Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza was writing the show, but due to his ill health, they were looking for a replacement.
I was asked to write one sample episode, which was sent to Dr. Raza at Lilavati Hospital. After reading it, he called Dheeraj Kumar and said, “Let this writer continue Om Namah Shivay.” That’s how I got the show. I later met Rahi Sahab in the hospital, and he blessed me personally.
After Om Namah Shivay, I wrote several more serials for Chandrakant Gaud and Dheeraj Kumar — around 3,000 hours of programming in total.

‘Om Namah Shivay’ focused on devotion, but it also had deep human emotions. How did you blend the two?

Devotion and life go hand in hand — one cannot exist without the other. In Maheshwar Puran, Lord Shiva represents the essence of life. He is the destroyer, yet he drinks poison to save creation — showing that even destruction is an act of compassion.
Through Om Namah Shivay, I wanted to convey that devotion to Shiva leads to a peaceful and meaningful life.

Other mythological shows faced controversies, but ‘Om Namah Shivay’ never did. Why?

Because I was very careful and respectful toward scriptures. Out of my 7,500 hours of work, about 6,500 are mythological — Om Namah Shivay, Jai Shri Ganesh, Jai Santoshi Maa, Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran, and many more.
Not a single line I wrote has ever been controversial. I credit this to two things — my grandmother’s deep-rooted research discipline and the Oriental Research Institute, Baroda, which verified my scripts before telecast.

Even The Times of India titled me God’s Own Writer. I think that’s because I always wrote with reverence and responsibility.

You have also written social stories and even parts of the blockbuster film ‘Gadar 2’. How do you balance mythological and social writing?

Yes, I wrote the opening and climax scenes of Gadar 2, including the famous Gita and Quran dialogue. But people tend to label you — I became known as a mythological writer.
In reality, there’s no major difference between mythological and social stories. Every story has a hero, a villain, and emotional conflict. The only difference is in form — Ravana becomes a vamp or an antagonist in modern storytelling.
Today, many people write using Google or AI, but writing is a sacred responsibility. Without in-depth knowledge or emotional understanding, words remain hollow. True writing comes from experience and inner immersion — only those who dive deep can reach the other shore.

Your ambitious show ‘Shobha Somnath Ki’ had a grand 12-acre set. What went wrong?

Nothing went drastically wrong. Every show has its destiny. Initially, I was co-producing it with Contiloe Films, but due to internal issues between Zee TV and our partner, things changed. Later, the project was handed to another producer who lacked the same experience and resources, which affected production quality.
Still, the show was visually stunning — I had built a 155-foot replica of the Somnath Temple. It was one of the most lavish sets ever created for Indian television.

What do you think of the current state of television?

Television is practically finished. Back in the day, Om Namah Shivay had a TRP of 78 for two and a half months. Today, even touching 1 TRP is rare. The reason? People are afraid to take risks. Nobody wants to try new concepts. For the last 20 years, we’ve been stretching the same stories for 10 years. Creativity has died. Producers and channels want quick results, shows get canceled within weeks, and budgets have become too tight. So they hire cheaper writers and directors, compromising quality. When creativity and sincerity fade, so do the viewers. Today’s generation is sharp and fast-changing — unless we innovate in storytelling and characters, television will continue to decline. We are responsible for this downfall.