Siya Ke Ram: A New Level Of Opulence On Indian Television

A New Level Of Opulence On Indian Television

Star Plus' new mythological Siya Ke Ram which kitsch'-started on Monday is a game-changer of its genre.So far televised mythological have followed a patented pattern of packaging and presentation: selfconscious actors reciting their florid lines in a Sanskritized Hindi, telling a story about the gods and goddesses without twists and turns, or jerks.

So here is the thing about Siya Ke Ram (SKR) . It is high on content and even higher on production values. The sweeping computer-generated architecture denoting Ayodhya and Mithila in the ancient times employs S S Rajamouli's Baahubali style of opulence. We've never quite seen such scenic splendour on any televised mythological before.

But what really sets SKR apart is the narrative unorthodoxy. This is the Ramayan from a completely different perspective , told with a flair and confidence palatable even to the non-believer like me. Did you, for example, know that King Dashrath had a daughter besides the four sons? Or that one of his wives Kaikeyi(played by Grusha Kapoor , one of the longest-lasting relics of Indian television) who was known to be influenced against her husband King Dashrath and his favourite son Rama, by her woman-friendly Mandodara could actually laugh off the scheming old woman's misgivings.

"Mandodara, you are too much into conspiracy theories," Kaikeyi cracked up. Ditto we. And I thought, now here finally is a mythological that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The emergent characters are impressive well-rounded and persuasive. And the dialogues are thought-provoking.

Why , for instance, did Rama chose to be born in human form? The serial attempts answers to such ambivalent questions.

There was no dearth of gravity in the first episode. The characters are shown to be driven by self-doubt emerging from the socio-political dynamics during those times when patriarchy was not an institution designed to oppress women.It was a given', but not a tool of tyranny.

The genesis of Sita' as the woman who supports her husband through 14 years of exile war and nemesis should be interestingly explored in the coming weeks. Let's hope the presentation would be liberated of all isms' except professionalism.

http://skjbollywoodnews.com/2015/11/siya-ke-ram-televisions-baahubali/4145008.html

Siya Ke Ram' on Star Plus

Star Plus' big-ticket show Siya Ke Ram' has more or less doubled its audience since its launch on Monday but the pick-up remains slow, according to exclusive data obtained by BizAsia.

The show, which airs at 20:00 launched with 38,900 viewers on Monday, increasing to 60,000 viewers on Tuesday and up slightly again last night to 64,000 viewers. It peaked with 90,100 viewers during the course of the show.Yeh Hai Mohabbatein' was back on top in UK ratings with 130,200 viewers, followed by Saathiya' at 19:00 with 120,500 viewers and Suhani Si Ek Ladki' at 18:30 with 115,900 viewers.

On Colors, Bigg Boss 9' attracted 27,300 viewers at 21:30, followed by Sasural Simar Ka' at 20:00 with 25,100 viewers and repeat of Swaragini' at 23:00 with 24,300 viewers.

On Rishtey, Thapki' stayed top with 80,700 viewers, followed by Kitani Mohabbat Hai' at 19:30 with 69,400 viewers and Uttaran' at 18:30 with 57,200 viewers.

On &TV, Begusarai' at 22:00 topped ratings with 26,700 viewers, followed by Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain' at 20:30 with 17,800 viewers. New show Adhuri Kahani Hamari' at 21:30 pulled in 15,100 viewers.

On Hum TV, Tum Mera Pas Raho' at 20:00 pulled in 66,700 viewers, followed by Mohabbat Aag Si' at 22:00 with 30,800 viewers and Mujhe Apna Bana Lo' remained on the lower side with 16,200 viewers.

On Geo TV, Dil Ishq' at 20:00 raked in 17,300 viewers, followed by Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai' at 21:00 with 12,300 viewers.

Above data is an overnight rating supplied by Attentional - and may change slightly after consolidated figures become available in seven days from BARB.

Review: Siya Ke Ram - Epic with all the 'promise'

Maryada Purushottam... Siya Ke Ram, this is yet another magnum opus presentation coming from Producers, Nikhil Sinha and Suhanna Sinha after their success story of Devon Ke Dev.. Mahadev.

So what is new about this new Star Plus show, Siya Ke Ram?

Well, the maker and channel score in abundance over their unique thought of presenting the story of Lord Ram's life journey through Sita's perspective. This indeed opens up a never-before-told tale of Sita's life in the kingdom of Mithila and beyond.

The opening visual of the barren deserted land of Mithila, and the pain in the eyes of the common man over their 12 long years of drought provides for a heart-wrenching moment. The scene shift later, that presents the opulent palace of King Janak of Mithila, sitting in the dark; gives out the perfect essence of the King's gloomy state owing to his kingdom's drought situation. We then get a quick narrative of the only solution to the problem of King Janak, is a child born to him.

Moving over to Ayodhya, the fabulous set erected simply exudes class again!!

Whether it is the beautiful visual of Kaikeyi playing with the rays of the sun, or the serene background of the young Ram meditating under the guided rays of the Almighty, or the intellectual setup of the paathshaala', viewers are surely in for a visual treat. Last but not the least, the scene wherein the new born Sita is got upon Janak digging deep into the soil, and the blessings of Meghraj in the form of rain are simply scintillating.

Talking about the actors, Dalip Tahil and Bijay Anand look superior in class when it comes to their performance. Dalip as Dasharath portrays the desperate father and the confident king to aplomb. Bijay who makes his comeback after ages proves that he has not lost his mettle. The Queens - Snigdha Akolkar, Grusha Kapoor and Sampada Vaze look brilliant in their roles, and we look forward to more of them.

To sum it up, three cheers to the novel concept and apt story telling which moves at a good pace. Art Direction needs to be applauded, and the sets again prove to be the ace. Another unique aspect of this narration of the epic Ramayan is that the scenes are not over-the-top; the dramatization and dialogue delivery have a realistic and subtle approach.

Overall, an epic told differently'!! This Siya Ke Ram will keep the viewers glued and will indeed live up to the expectations...

http://www.tellychakkar.com/tv/reviews/review-siya-ke-ram-epic-all-the-promise-151118