Twist in the epic tale

The sage Vyasa may be turning in his grave at present, with the kind of twists and turns the Mahabharata-inspired serial Saarrthi (Star Plus) is taking, but he'll just have to swallow it. The show, which has lifted the format, plot and characters of the epic, according to one of its lead stars is, "just heating up, there's plenty of action." And it isn't the Kurukshetra war she's referring to: it's the complicated triangular love story between Arjun (no points for subtlety), Shefali and Bhumika. Shefali, whom Arjun earlier loved, married into a rival house. And now she is casting her eyes on her former lover. Meanwhile, Arjun and Bhumika, who have always been friends, are coming closer, much to Shefali's annoyance. She has gone so far as to dub the affair as one between millionaire and servant and constantly denigrates a much more submissive Bhumika. The serial, which recently completed 100 episodes, drew good response and impressive TRPs.The lead pair, now thrown into the turns, is thrilled with the directions the serial is taking. "I have always been a big fan of Arjun's character and was told to play him dynamically," says Karan Grover about his role. "I have hardly modified his portraiture; he's still disciplined, strong, lovable, the only other character I would have liked to play is Duryodhan."In a well experienced star cast, Grover's opportunity to hit big time has arrived. "As an actor I am never entirely happy with my performance but my co-stars encourage me," he says.For greenhorn Neha Dev Singh, playing the modern day Subhadra is in contrast to her only other role in a supernatural thriller. "She is an extremely annoying character, but I'm having a great time playing her; she's also growing," she says. With no Draupadi in the serial ("each of the women is one aspect of her") Subhadra bears the onus of being the lead's love interest. "It's a highly Indianised character, I found it very appealing," she says of her instant inclination towards Bhumika. For both Grover and Singh, being a part of a Mahabharata-inspired show wasn't entirely unnatural considering they have grown up on the Ramanand Sagar version. "I can't read the book, I go to sleep," laughs Grover. He is enjoying the way the story is unfolding.

Saarrthi unfolds
* Saarrthi is a Mahabharata-inspired serial about the conflict between two brothers and their families.
* The battle is between Mansen and Dharamdayal, sons of Hemraj Goenka – the country's foremost business tycoon. Mansen considers Dharamdayal and his family illegal descendants of Hemraj and hates them. When Hemraj announces in his will that both families must live together at the Heritage House so that Mansen gets a part of the property, he is forced to invite Dharamdayal and family. The battle continues between their sons, Arjun, the show's hero and Yuvraj, the main antagonist. Bhumika is Arjun's love interest.

Source: Mumbai Mirror