Director Zhao Baogang Photo: CFP

By Zhang Fang

Director of several well-known TV series in China, like, Desire, Enjoy Yourself to the Full, Sun Rises in East, Rain Falls in West, Never Close Eyes, Farewell Vancouver, and most recent Youth, Zhao Baogang, is now all set to light up the television screen as an actor. Zhao will be seen as villain “Guan Xiaohe”, in the contemporary remake of the classic TV series, Four Generations Under One Roof, to be directed by Wang Jun.

Based on the noted Chinese writer Lao She’s novel of the same title, the remake version stars a powerful cast of actors Huang Lei and Jiang Qinqin besides Zhao. The original version enjoyed a huge popularity when it first appeared in Chinese television in 1985.

Set against the backdrop of Japanese army’s invasion, the series gives an insight into the life of Peking during the Japanese occupation.

The new series made a beginning yesterday on CCTV primetime, raising hopes of another popular series following the currently hit series Wo De Qing Chun Shui Zuo Zhu (Who To Decide My Youth) or (Youth in short), directed by Zhao himself. Youth is a sequel to Zhao’s previous hit TV drama Struggle, which is again about young people.

Scenes from Youth. Photos: CFP

From romantic TV dramas to youth-centric series, Zhao has traversed an interesting journey in television programming. His versatile direction has won him several awards.

With Youth Zhao has completely immersed himself into exploring the current, live issues the youth in China are facing today.

Although Youth is defined as the sequel of Struggle, which portrayed the stories about a few young people born in 1980s, Youth is actually focusing on three generations of grandmother, mothers and their daughters.

Through Youth, director Zhao has actually attempted to start a dialogue among people about the importance of communication between the elders and the young people.

According to Zhao, most parents like to decide the life their children will lead including interference in career choice and financial management. To this extent, Youth showcases the conflict between the three mothers, who are sisters and their daughters.

The sisters have a daughter each, who is trying to carve out her own independent life as against what the elders have suggested.

So there is Zhao Qingchu (Zhao Ziqi), who decides to work in Beijing after graduation rather than listen to her mother; followed by Qian Xiaoyang (Wang Luodan) who falls in love with a guy who is not accepted by her mother; and lastly, the youngest, Li Pili (Lin Yuan) who just runs away from home when her mother sends her to Cambridge University.

“The conflicts arise not just because the elders want to exercise their control over the daughters but primarily because of the misunderstandings between the generations,” said Zhao.

“I believe both the young generation and their parents can find their own reflections in this story. I will be really happy if they begin to communicate more about their choices and the reasons why they are making them after watching my series,” said Zhao.

While Youth harps on the difficulties and miseries of growing-up process in modern China, its tone and approach is quite positive.

Zhao’s stories on youth-related subjects are more about social messages that he passes on to the people very subtly yet persuasively.

“I am just digging out the problems of modern-day living and I hope people can figure out the solutions,” said Zhao.

Earlier, Zhao made a big name with his romantic television series like Love Affairs (1993) and Love Story in Shanghai (2000). His romantic stories always appealed to the audience but Zhao realized that a film-maker should reflect the change that is taking place in the society.

In 2007, Zhao’s Struggle told a story of young people striving for their dreams and happiness. Though a hit series, Struggle was criticized as being unreal and cliché.

Even Youth, which showed its last episode in CCTV on Tuesday, has been criticized for the plot being lifted from Struggle.

Zhao admits he has borrowed heavily from Struggle but his contention is that since the series is popular, he is making sequels to it. So, Youth is a sequel to Struggle and in fact his next project, called Beijing Youth, a series about fathers and sons is a sequel to Youth.