My dear Astha,
First of all, I am very pleased that you have decided to join this discussion.
Second, thank you so much for your concern about my RA and for your thoughtfulness in endorsing Babur's suggestion about the voice typing. It is really very kind of you. The truth is that with RA, for which there is no cure, one has to learn to live with continuous, low level and at times not so low level pain.It is not only when I type, it is with every kind of activity. But I cannot sit around and wail about that,
Why me? , when there are far worse things like the Big C around that I am lucky enough to have escaped as yet.
As for the trouble I have with typing, it
is limiting, for my fingers stiffen and seize up and then I have to stop for the day, but till that happens, I do enjoy myself, for I relish the writing and the discussions.
I am not sure how easy it will be for me, given the way I draft and edit a text, to get accustomed to voice typing, but I shall have to make a start with it sooner rather than later.
Now for the main part of your comments. I have never watched Game of Thrones, which, judging from the write ups, would not suit someone as old-fashioned and almost prudish as I am. But I agree with what you say about the centrality of Ashoka being a limiting factor as far as lot of all round detail is concerned. Still, there could have been a good bit more of explanatory elements, along with maps. Many people know the locations for a tale about Akbar, but far fewer for one about the Mauryan dynasty, and maps and tracking lines for movements would have helped. Plus figures about the military strength of the various parties, and even weaponry and battlefield tactics.
Then, at least such side characters as are there should be credible and meaningful. Now, the Sushim-Ahankara track was an exercise in pure sadism on his side, which would have made all but confirmed wife-beaters cringe, and equally off putting helplessness on hers, when all she needed to do was to tell the truth to Dharma, if not to Bindusara. Then she seems to have vanished without a trace. I never could see the purpose of that track at all. It was not historical, for she is an apocryphal character, nor did she have any sustained role to play. Very likely it was meant to wring sympathy from women viewers.Of course Ahankara looked good in her Amrapali outfits, a not inconsiderable plus!😉
A lot of footage was, and is wasted on such stuff which could have been, and could be - just look at the whole
swayamvadhu farce! - used better elsewhere, then and now, for the kind of parallel tracks you and Babur want. The problem is that I am sure a lot of people liked all this light relief, and the saccharine finale last night as well.
So, I doubt very much if anything like what you, Babur and I want is going to happen. Instead, for the next week or two, we shall have the Mauryan equivalent of two Shaahi Shaadis, with an acid
attack via the
upkant, and a grand embezzlement plot thrown in!
Shyamala B. Cowsik
Originally posted by: astha36
@Shyamalaji
Please allow me to join this conversation. I am not familiar with the show Chanakya but I understand something like Game of Thrones and the world it created is being suggested? If Nicator or Greeks in general were given proper place in the story or politics in Khurasan was a parallel storyline, I suppose it would have had a different title. Since the show is about Ashok, I suppose that's why it's more unidimensional. I do agree though that they can give specifics during a war, make the political conversations more technical, but they don't even give complexity to the characters so that would be expecting too much of the makers.
Regarding how the basic elements were similar to any soap, I believe wouldn't that list apply to almost any such story.. But since the fight here is not over the control of the household but rather the Empire, that's what makes it different. This is what I think and Babur's suggestion should work because people would want to see the three brothers consolidating their own position in separate places and then meeting for a showdown. Just like they wanted to see when ashok finally enters the palace, how will he be accepted? It's not very complex I think. They should atleast try one parallel track, which btw I think they might with Siamak in Taxila.
I will also recommend that you try voice typing. It seems too painful to even read about the trouble you're having. Best wishes.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Jhanak
O Humnava Tum Dena Saath Mera
