NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Most television serials are indifferent to the set locations where they shoot the episodes and invariably the designers repeat a set with a minor tweaking. But then there are exceptions and one been Chandravardan B. More, a veteran in the field whose work was well appreciated in serial Balika Vadhu and Taj Mahal a film woven around Mughal history for which he won the national award.

The designer's forthcoming films are Ranveer - The Marshal and Tere Aane Se and at present he is busy with Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani on Zee TV, a period drama for which he had to do a lot of research going deep in the type of havelis and palaces that were built at that time keeping in mind the minute details like ventilators, balconies, rooms, etc. "I have been in the business for more than fifteen years and have designed different kind of sets. The one in Ek Tha Raja Ek Tha Rani' has been designed keeping in mind that it is set in the 1940s and so I went to see many historical places, went through a lot of photographs and many books." Aided by the research, the theme of the show and inputs from the production house it is then creativity which shapes the sets.

In case of Zee TV show it is located in Ramdev Film City spread on about 25000 sq feet of area of which 18000 is covered area. "It is a big set and took us about four months to complete. In the first two we did the steel structure and then for next two months we did the interiors. We started with nearly 100 to 150 people who later increased to 600 who worked round the clock in shifts. At present a 100 are there to carry out the modifications. It is strong enough to last four to five years," explains Chandravardan.

This weekend the audience get to see the royal wedding sequence involving the lead characters, Gayatri (Drashti Dhami) and Raja Indravardan Singh (Siddhant Karnick) and for this Chandravardan has come up with special colourful set and created a lotus-shaped mandap giving it a stylish and interesting look.