Uma: How my show comes together

So it’s finally out — the third edition of my dream project, The Uma Show. Born out of a dream to bring to life my own show, The Uma Show carries my beliefs, my philosophy and my insight to life in the Middle East. More than a decade ago, I entered the industry with a television show, in a region where 100 per cent locally produced TV content for the South Asian community didn’t even exist. With years of hard work, grit and fabulous people to support my vision, my show grew and eventually played catalyst to the growth of locally produced TV content for the South Asian diaspora. In a business that thrives on new faces, I have been given the privilege to be on screen for almost 10 years.

We all hear the stereotypes that Dubai is best known for — the glamour and the high life. My company, Queen Bee Production, through all our shows, wanted to show a Dubai that goes beyond that, and there the seeds of my own show were born. While The Uma Show does include its dose of glitzy lifestyle events, it also has soul.

Putting it all together has been an unimaginably rewarding experience. There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes, which the final consumer — in this case the viewer — does not always get to witness. It begins with an idea that leads us to the pre-production stage, and this involves detailed planning of the concept, storyboarding and scripting. This is where our thoughts go wild. The possibilities are endless, but we only have a limited 23-minute slot per episode. After this comes planning the actual shoot and recording it, which is the most exhausting but integral part of the process. The final stage is post-production, which is editing, voice-overs, packaging and everything else that leads our work to transforming into the final master copy, which is sent to the television channel. This is when my team and I can start to breathe again.

And then there’s the business angle, which involves financing, budget forecasting, finding investors and sponsorships. After that, our final product is no longer ours. It belongs to the audience.

My journey and Queen Bee Production’s journey have been through long and winding roads, troughs and ridges, bends and bruises and of course highs that fill our hearts. With so many people to thank — right from my amazing team to business partners, sponsors and of course, the audience — I simply feel blessed to be able to do what I love. And if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

— The Uma Show season three airs on Sunday at 8pm on Colors and Friday 9pm on MTV India. Follow Uma on social media on @umagd