MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television India chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand, who quit recently citing “personal reasons,” is slated to join production house Miditech as the head of the fiction department.
Sikcand will be joining the company in mid-August. About his new assignment, he says, “I will develop new shows and work on screenplays, editing, etc. A team of creative heads will work with me on various shows. Currently, they have Parivaar on Zee. I’ll be working on Chhoona Hai Aasman (Star One), the sequel to Saara Aakash, amongst many other new shows.”
Prior to joning Sony, Sikcand’s four-year stint at Balaji Telefilms as creative head involved shows like K Street Pali Hill, Kkusum, Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. At Sony, he was associated with Jeete Hai Jiske Liye, Kaajal Sabki Aankhan Main Bassi, Kulvadhhu, Viruddh, Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa and Bigg Boss.
Controversies seemed to be his middle name- whether it was his relationship with ex-boss Ekta Kapoor or his relationship with content creators at Sony. How did he react to them? “I think the manner I came into Sony was controversial – from being a creative head of a production house to heading creative duties of a channel was a huge leap. That itself became a controversy. But there was a lot of fabrication. I was targeted and 80 per cent of stories were baseless. I’d always ask myself why I was being targeted. I just tried to do my job in the best possible way,” he remarks.
Producers expressed unhappiness working with him. Why? He replies, “I have worked with the best producer – Ekta Kapoor. I have seen her behave in the most humble manner with channels and also seen how she constantly adhered to their feedback. All new producers want to be like her but they should first learn how to behave like her. She is humility personified with the channels. Yes, there were creative differences at times and I couldn’t handle some egos. But I got complete support from Sony in everything I did.”
So Kapoor returning to Sony with Khwaish had nothing to do with his decision to quit? He denies adding, “I wish I could have worked with her. These are just rumours that create bad blood between people. My moving on is a purely a personal decision.”
Sikcand has also been involved in theatre. He manages a theatre company called Masquerades. “I’m working on a play right now and it should be staged by January 2008. But my ultimate dream is to launch films under my own banner. For now, I’m going to be spearheading Miditech’s drama shows,” he concludes.
