At a time when TV is ruled by reality shows and kitchen-sink dramas, historical serials have been given a wide berth on small screen.
But things are changing and the period genre is making a slow but steady comeback. After the success of Zee TV's'Jhasi Ki Raani', Imagine TV has launched'Chandragupta Maurya', the rags-to-riches story of the first Muaryan king, who came from nowhere and became one of the greatest conquerers.
"Chandragupta is one of the most motivating and popular characters from history. We have read a lot about him in our history course but I don't think children today are not aware of him. The story is almost new for them and that was one of the reasons to bring it on small screen,"Saurabh Tewari, Fiction Head at Imagine TV, told PTI.
Tewari agrees that the content on small screen is not very original but feels that the story of Maurya and his equally famous mentor Chanakya will find an audience.
"A lot of research has gone into the show. We have relied on a number of documents including Chanakya-Neeti. The story is very motivating and despite the over abundance of kitchen dramas and reality shows, a period drama like this can exist in the same space,"he added.
Chanakya, one of the most formidable economist and strategist in ancient India, has already been fictionalise by Chandraprakash Dwivedi in popular Doordarshan serial in 1991.
It was also a time when the country saw some of the best period shows. Well researched and spread on a huge canvas, shows like'Bharat Ek Khoj','Tipu Sultan','The Great Maratha','Ghalib'made for great TV viewing but with the popularity of saas-bahu serials and advent of cable TV, they soon lost their charm.
Tewari, however, feels that the genre is all set to make a comeback. So far he is focusing on the Chandragupta's life from his childhood till Alexander's arrival in India. But he hopes to expand the serial into next generation of Bindoosar and Ashoka the Great.
"The story has a huge canavas but the response will determine whether we go into the next generation or not. We had a research team of about 12 people but we did not have to hunt for high points because it has already happened in 300 BC.
"And that's the best part of Chandragupta's story, it is our own rags-to-riches story in a very uncommon way. A boy comes from no where and forms one of the most successful dynasties, makes up for a great plot,"he added.
Co-produced between Sagar Arts and 72 Degrees Northe,'Chandragupta Maurya'started airing on Imagine from March 11. The young Chandragupta is played by 13-year-old Rushiraj Pawar, Chanakya by Manish Wadhwa and Dhananand by popular TV actor Suraj Thapar.
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