Class in history

Class in history

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2013 was all about concept-based shows that stole the thunder. While Star Plus, Zee TV and Life OK banked on mythological & historical romances, Sony and Colors swept TRPs on reality-based shows with popular faces. Some concepts worked while others didn't. As a year-ender special series, Deebashree Mohanty with Sangeeta Yadav takes you down the many concepts that ruled this year. In Part 1, they talk about mythology and history-based shows that grabbed eyeballs

Be it Mahabharat, Mahadev and Ramayan or the chronicles of historical series like Jodha Akbar, Lord Buddha, Maharana Pratap, Savitri and Hatim " there has been a wave of mythological and historical shows on small screen which has not only caught viewer imagination but thrown up tough competition among channels. It is not just the story that has the audience enthralled. Lavish sets, designer outfits, jewellery and VFX technology too have ensured that the end product is bold and beautiful. Producers and scriptwriters leave no stone unturned to make the show a hit.

Mahabharat, aired on Star Plus on September 16 this year, has become the channel's top rated show. Since the first Mahabharat produced by BR Chopra was aired on Doordarshan in 1988, the epic tales of Kauravs and Pandavs have been told many times on different channels, but this series is the winner. The overwhelming response to mythological shows on the telly , however, goes to Devon Ke Dev " Mahadev.

When Mahadev took a leap, skipping Ganesha's childhood, the channel launched Katha Mahadev Putra Bal Ganesh Ki to showcase Ganesh's antics in gurukul. Even Sahara One came up with the story of Hanuman, Jai Jai Jai Bajrang Bali. Ramayan-Sabke Jeevan Ka Aadhar which aired simultaneously on Zee TV and Doordarshan faired well to begin with but couldn't sustain.

Such has been the popularity of these shows that a separate channel " Epic TV " will be launched next year. Abhimanyu Singh of Contiloe Productions who is behind Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap on Sony, points out that in the past five years the mythology and historical genre has bloomed.

"The trend picked up with Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan which ran for three years. Then there was Jhaasi Ki Rani which ran for two years and bagged many awards. These shows had a hero and it set an example of fight for justice. With technology, the popularity of this genre has risen so much that a dedicated channel to showcase India's folklore and mythology looks viable. It will offer increased choice and different viewing opportunities," Singh says.

It is not just the mythological shows that are basking in success. Singh says you that India is a land of sagas waiting to be narrated.

"The success of Maharana Pratap lies in the fact that its hero is a common man who people can relate to. In today's political scenario, we need somebody like him who can be aam aadmi's voice. In that sense Maharana Pratap is an ideal politician for viewers. The show transports the audience into the era of rajas and maharajas with lavish sets, costumes, actors, VFX technology and language and educates them about our history and culture. All these aspects add to the success of such a show. The audience is tired of saas-bahu shows. Mythological and historical shows give them relief," Singh says.

Maharana Pratap's popularity can be gauged from the fact that the serial shared six awards at the 13th Indian Television Academy (ITA), with another historical show Jodha Akbar on Zee TV.

The two shows got the award for the Best Historical-Mythological Serial. Though Jodha Akbar has high TVT, it is not without controversies. History is being tweaked to many raised eyebrows. But show's producer Ekta Kapoor says that JA was never supposed to be entirely true to history textbooks. There was always going to be a fictional twist to the historical drama, which, she feels is why the TRPs are coming in. "There can't be drama without exaggeration. We are not here to show documentaries on history and culture. We are here to show drama and drama will be based on imagination. Kudos to my creative team for all the twists they give. It is difficult but we are spot on," Kapoor says on phone from Mumbai.

Ask her whether the time was right for departing from her saas-bahus and Kapoor breaks into a laugh. "My ladies will always be my trump card and experimenting is my second name. With JA, we took a gamble. I was ready for the risks and controversies that came along," Kapoor tells you, adding that there can be no right time to introduce a concept-based show but 2013 did belong to historical romances. "Sweet and innocent love stories will always work on TV," is the gurugyan Kapoor imparts.

What JA did for Ekta Kapoor, Buddha-The King of Kings did for Dr BK Modi on Zee TV. The show created a lot of controversy in Nepal because it showcased Kapilavastu, Buddha's birthplace, as located in India. But 20 episodes down the line, Dr Modi is laughing to the bank " Buddha... has been among the top three serials on prime time and Zee TV has jumped up notches to edge Sony Entertainment Television out of the game.

"Only tough cookies survive the competition in TV today. It has become a norm that if one channel breaks the shackles and attempts something new, others follow. While producers and creative teams have to fight it out in the field, viewers are the biggest gainers. They get to watch variety," Kapoor says, summing up the concept shows on TV.

And now for a sneak peek into the shows you will get to see on Epic TV. There is Kapoor's Dharamshetra which will take the story forward post-war between the Pandavs and the Kauravs, the adaptation of Indu Sundaresan's novel The TwentiethWife based on the journey of young widow Mehrunissa, the 20th wife of emperor Jahangir; Kapil Mattoo's Gariba Diaries will showcase the adventures of the protagonist who, using his sixth sense, solves cases that no man has cracked; and there's Time Machine too in which a team will travel in time and explore India's history.

While 2013 began on a high note with big banners wooing audiences with concept shows, there were some GECs that succumbed to the pressure of competition. Will Sony Entertainment bounce back in 2014 with reality shows and family drama which have always been its forte?

(How big shows and family-based serials took centrestage in the next series, next Sunday.)