Back to the Roots-DKDM Article

Back to the roots

After a long hiatus, mythology is back with a bang on TV. Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev, the popular TV serial based on the lives of Lord Shiva, Sati and Parvati has beaten even shows like KBC and Dance India Dance Li'L Masters.

In an age where TV channels are filled with reality shows and daily soaps about scheming saas-bahus, Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev, a mythological serial aired on Life OK, comes as a whiff of fresh air. This hugely popular TV serial, which recounts the legend of Lord Shiva, has not only been capturing audiences' attention across all age groups but also finding audiences in newer shores, thanks to the Internet. On September 9, a special episode depicting Lord Shiva's wedding procession got a phenomenal 8.2 TRP, which is the highest for any TV show on a general enterainment channel this year. The episode even beat the likes of Kaun Banega Crorepati and the grand finale of Dance India Dance Li'L Masters.

So what's the reason behind the immense popularity of this TV show? "It's quite different from everything that's on TV these days. I believe it's a positive sign that the younger generation has found interest in a religious TV show like Mahadev," Shobha Singh, a homemaker says. "I like the narration and Sonarika, who plays Parvati in the show, is really good."

For a generation which grew up watching Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan and BR Chopra's Mahabharat back in the late 80s, Mahadev is nothing short of a trip back into the good old days of their childhood. It all changed in the early 2000s with the advent of K serials and then reality shows, dance shows totally changed the demographics of TV viewership. Mahadev, which was initially titled as Sati, had premiered on December 18, 2011 on Star Plus and when Star Network launched Life OK, this TV serial became a flagship program of the channel. Directed by Nikhil Sinha and Manish Singh, the serial's rich visuals and extravagant sets caught the attention of the TV audience immediately and since then the numbers have been increasing.

"The story of Lord Shiva hasn't been narrated as much as other gods on TV. That's one of the reasons why it's so interesting to watch. This is the first time I am watching a mythological TV show of this magnitude since Mahabharat. Besides, I find it quite spiritual and it's a welcome break indeed from all the terrible reality shows and K serials which have been ruling the roost for a while now," Kumari, a homemaker from Hyderabad, says. She's one among the thousands of women in Andhra Pradesh who have been watching the dubbed version of Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev on MAA TV.

Earlier this year, when MAA TV bought the rights to air the show in Telugu, it ended up giving it a dead slot, which signifies that it wasn't going to compete with any other show in primetime. "We began airing the show at 5pm on weekdays and it really is a dead slot because most TV channels air movies during that time. Surprisingly, the show got a great response. It has maintained a healthy TRP rating around 1.5 and for some episodes, it even touched two," the head of fiction programming at MAA TV reveals. As the buzz surrounding the show grew, MAA TV decided to replay the show on Sundays. "Since the show is aired at 5pm on weekdays, the audience comprises mostly women, but we knew that a lot of men were also interested in the show. Recently, we began telecasting all the episodes from the week on Sundays from 9am-12pm The response has been terrific," the head of fiction programming at MAA TV adds.

The success of Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev seems to have revived the interest in exploring more mythological TV shows. Colors TV is telecasting Jai Sri Krishna and Zee TV recently began airing Ramayan. Will the success of Mahadev pave way for more such TV shows? Only time can tell, but there's no denying that we are connecting back to the roots with such shows.

http://postnoon.com/2012/09/27/back-to-the-roots/76108