Set To Rerun, 'Chanakya' Was Initially Rejected By Doordarshan

The fact that some of the most iconic and extremely loved shows from earlier times are currently being rerun in this period of lockdown of 21 days has been the biggest reason for happiness where nostalgia has certainly hit hard and in a good way we mean.

Joining the already on-air list of the same was the epic drama Chanakya that became a huge success back then. The 47 part drama was directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi and aired between 1991 and 1992. Dwivedi was the person responsible for fictionalizing and producing the account of the life and times of the 4th century BCE Indian economist, strategist and political theorist Chanakya, also known as Vishnugupta. He also played Chanakya himself in the show.

However, adding the most interesting trivia to it is that the show was actually initially rejected by Doordarshan when it was first pitched to them. Yes! That's right. In an interview with Times of India, Dwivedi said  “I had pitched it sometime in the mid-1980s. The response I got from them was that the show didn’t fit the channel’s scheme of work but they had liked my skill as a writer. It baffled me because they had historical shows like Tipu Sultan but did not feel that a show like Chanakya would work for them. I didn’t take no for an answer. I researched and wrote 20-page letters to them for a very long time. My letters were in chaste Hindi, debating the channel’s decision with strong points. Eventually, the broadcaster took cognizance of my proposal. By that time, several prominent producers wanted to make Chanakya and had been sending their proposals to the channel. Although I was a newcomer, they gave me the chance and asked me to submit my proposal again around 1986-87. It was in 1988 when I made the pilot and the show was approved. Later on, the government officials would joke about my letters but I would often tell them that if I didn’t write those long letters, they would not have paid heed to my request.”

He added, "I was a theatre-writer and actor. I wanted to get into films and I wanted to make the show to find my ground. It’s so funny but I didn’t have a TV at home when I was making Chanakya. I could purchase one after I made the show. My show ran into so many hurdles and so many people had criticized it at that time, giving it a religious and political color. Had it not been for the country’s limited intelligensia, Chanakya would not have run its course on TV.”

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