And so it begins. Tune in to page 3. - Page 2

Originally posted by: chandrima02

Hi All... After watching the first episode, "Aarambh", for me, has been one of the rare instances in which the content has clearly taken the precedence, instead of "love" - which has been the main theme for any xyz show on ITV. A refreshing change from the stereotypes. The execution looks very impressive; which has actually compelled me to ignore what @Ayesha (hope I have got your name correctly @TM 😊) has written - "some feel that this show reeks with undercurrent of racism and divide". Honestly, I have also identical impression regarding the core concept of the series.

Hello Chandrima!!! I am Ayesha.😆 @TM is Shivani.Totally agree with you.Aarambh is like a breath of fresh air from the other daily soaps in which the central characters live,breathe,speak love.Aarambh is definitely so much more than a mere cliched love story.Yes the romantic angle is there.But it's a subplot of the greater main plot.

Aryan invasion theory (indeed a British propaganda) has been proven to be a hoax going by the time-line of the decline of Harappan civilization. Currently there are numerous theories & counter-theories on whether the Aryans were actually invaders from outside of India as has been projected till now or they were native to the land only. Anyways, it's a separate issue. We may just take the concept as a grand imagination of the writer and enjoy the show as a mere fiction.

Yup.The entire Aryan invasion theory is nothing more than propaganda.

But when it comes to this series we have to remember that this is a complete work of fiction.This has been clarified by the producers from the first interview itself.This is a fictional drama.

I loved the portrayal of Matriarchal society of the Dravidians. A never seen before concept on ITV, at least for me. So soothing for the sore eyes which had only been served with ML abusing the FL and the FL digesting without any protest. Hope this one breaks the jinx. I am really hopeful considering the writer of the series and the count of episodes.

High Five!!! Even I was bored with the done to death saas bahu shows and Gul's love stories in which the FL becomes the doormat.Aarambh's Devsena is fierce and feisty and her entire society reveres women.

This concept is so soothing and refreshing.With this Aarambh will become a path breaking show of Indian TV.

I am impressed with a couple of details...

-> Indra, Agni, Varun were the main deities of the Aryans in the initial phases. Later Shiva was introduced as the Supreme owing to Harappan/Dravidian influence. I was a bit taken aback by the names they were using for the characters though - Shivam, Rudra (all names of Lord Shiva only).

-> Upabeet (the sacred thread) concept. Not only the Brahmins but also the other casts were allowed to carry the thread depending on his worth. Also, the cast system was not rigid at all in those days. The cast of any person was dependent on the worth and work he used to do.

-> They portrayed the Dravidians worshiping Goddess Amba (a form of Parvati); expected since it's a Matriarchal society. Chamundi (Devasena's mother) is another form of Goddess Parvati. Devasena is incidentally the name of the wife of Kartikeya, son of Shiva/Parvati. I am curious whether they are going to show the Dravidians worshiping Lord Shiva as well.

-> The prominence of the use of "head of bull" symbol in Dravidian society.

Excellent points!! I must say that the writers have taken proper care with the details.But yes even I was confused with the names being similar to Lord Shiva.

The performances have been stellar throughout the episode 👏. The VFX'- top-notch 👏.

Undoubtedly!!!👏

Just for GK:

The majority of the scholars believe that Sindhu & Saraswati (located in Rajasthan) were the most popular and sacred rivers of that era. The 5 rivers - Sutudri (Sutlej/Shatadru), Parusni (Ravi/Iravati), Asikni (Chenab/Chandrabhaga), Vitasta (Jhelum), Vipas (Vipasha) - are tributaries of Sindhu. These 5, along with Sarasawti & Sindhu, constituted the Sapta Sindhu.

Thank you so much for sharing this!! 🤗

A long post for a first timer. Apologies if it has been boring...

No not at all.Infact posts like this make the forum all the more interesting.

Originally posted by: --BlackSheep--

Pranipaat Pujya Pitashree!!😳 Pehchaan kaun??😉

Anyway coming to the episode,it was certainly a delight to watch.

The storyline,the execution and the VFX was brilliant.👏👏And the actors did a mindblowing job as well.

Detailed review will be after the episode airs.

Originally posted by: Banjaaran.

my keyboard kaput. gonna take 7 day- or more for me to do proper halla bol here. grrr...
me think- nazar utar gayi😆. the $erial gonna be epic for $ure.

Dido!!!!! Arrey koi nahi. We will halla bol here, after all we always have so much to talk about. Nahi. Let's begin with the nayan sukh maal Rajneesh. This guy has been on my it list for so long now. Haye!

a big big Hola and bear hug $hivi.
🤗 tackling hug.
GREAT to $ee you jaaneman. you iz here.. fun ride begin. big cheer.

jhappi again.❤️.

(zabardati $ilent $talker mode on. can't type more.)

love ya $hivi.
🤗🤗🤗

Same to same Jaaneman!

Word Count: 1

Originally posted by: Ramyalaxmi

@TM: Beautifully described the episode. Yes, I am slightly disappointed with the very first episode itself following the ideology of British which is nothing but "divide and conquer".

But your points are valid ones. The execution is awesome. Hope it continues.

Originally posted by: --BlackSheep--

Here are my two cents on the episode-

So finally the day for which we all were waiting with bated breath arrived.Aarambh which is a magnum opus in every sense came on our screens.

The most important factor about any series is its story.A story is the founding stone of any movie or series.Without a proper story a series is nothing.Usually in daily soaps it's the story which is ignored which is an extremely sad fact.But in this matter Aarambh stands apart.Because the USP of this show is its story.Its the story which is the actual hero.The fact that the show was promoted as 'From the writer of Bahubali' proves this.

The story should be the centralised focus of any creation that goes into visual or written medium. It is the story that connects to us first. The characters, the setting and rest of it are but detailing to idol that is carved in form of the story. The very fact that it was promoted as From the writer of Baahubali is enough of an evidence that for once on Indian television story will form the nucleus for revolution and not certain stars!

The story of Aarambh is about two clans or to be more precise two ideologies which are as different as chalk and cheese.They differ from each other on all accounts.Be it lifestyle,customs or thought processes.These two have nothing in common.A clash between these two is inevitable.And it's the law of nature that a clash often leads to the creation of something new.For example,hydrogen and oxygen combine in order to form water which has different properties from its parent elements.The Tudor dynasty was born from the War of Roses between the Houses Lancaster and York.

It's almost inevitable. Whenever there is a collision between two opposing forces, it is nature's law that one will perish for other to thrive. The Aryans vs Dravidians' mammoth clash is a testimony to this particular fact. Creation of the new always rests on destruction of the old. The world history and emergence of all familial dynasties will vouch for the lines scribbled above.

On one hand we have the Aryans who are a group of men united for a single cause.They are used to the rough terrains and the harshness of life.They crave for water to quench their prolonged thirst.They also wish to find a place which they can call home.And they believe that their promised land lies beyond the Sapt Sindhu.A point to be noted is that these men are not barbarians.They live by a code of honour.Yet they seek domination over a land which has been occupied by other people for a long period of time.On what basis do they lay claim on the land of the Dravidians??

Now on the other hand we have the land beyond the Sapt Sindhu which is home to another race known as the Dravidians.They are blessed with prosperity and happiness.The position of highest authority is held by a woman.Women are revered and worshipped.Their Queen is their mother and guardian.I would like to consider this an example of the belief that prosperity dwells where women are respected.However it has its share of imperfections too in the form of internal strife and politics which threatens their unity.

One man's revolutionarist is often another man's terrorist. When the basic idealogy of existence runs not parallel but opposite to each other, then no logic or scientific fact can put a stop to the war that becomes necessity thereafter. The Aryans are in dire need of survival. And when it's a question of survival nothing deters a man's determination. They have faced the vagaries of life, they have seen its most savage face and now they are ready to conquer the lush greeneries of the same even if that means coloring it red first. They are men who follow code of honor and conduct, maybe this is their way of repenting and atoning the sins that will be committing in the future. Maybe it is their way of justifying the wrong that is annexation of right that isn't theirs. The moment you decide you want something is also the moment when you decide someone else will not have that something. And our mind, our diabolical weapon churns an infinite ocean to give us reasons that say we are right. The Aryans seem to be following this very notion.

And opposing the very idea stands the Dravidian dynasty. A dynasty that believes in earning through toil, sweat and blood. They don't have to struggle for their survival, they don't have to think of quenching their thirst and they most certainly don't have to justify their reign by a concocted web of perverted mind. Theirs is a stable society where prosperity and righteousness is the way of life. A stark contrast from the way Aryans live and thrive. The Dravidians don't spill blood to appease their gods, they spill knowledge to make them proud. They too live by code of honor but theirs doesn't demean them who don't follow them. A liberal and progressive society, that theirs is, is often scoffed and mocked at. This is what will carve the divide between these two to deeper and dangerous levels making it the seedling for epic tree of war and destruction.

Then we are introduced to these two individuals named Devsena and Varundev.The values and beliefs of their respective clans are firmly inculcated in these two.It can also be said that these two represent their respective ideologies or they are the Aryan-Dravidian ideologies personnified.Devsena is free spirited.She is not bound by any constraints.She is destined for a great responsibility for she has to lead her people one day.She is a like a river whose flow cannot be stopped.A river symbolises nourishment.Civilisations are built on the bank of rivers.But if the flow of a river is disrupted then it leads to flood.The same logic applies with Devsena.
Then there is Varundev.He is firmly devoted to his clan and cause.He also seeks to restore his father's honour.He is righteous in own manner and lives to uphold the Aryan tradition.He has integrity,dedication and firmness.Just like an ocean.
Strangely enough a river ultimately meets the ocean.

That's a brilliant way to put it in!👏 Indeed Devsena is the river that meanders its way through every vagary and nourishes the land it touches. She is both gentle and fierce and more importantly has a mind of her own. Just like a river never discriminates it's beneficiary, Devsena too avoids that. She is free, unrestrained and powerful but unfortunately is not to survive on her own. A river has to empty herself in the ocean and than ocean is Varundev. His fury and calm will both engulf her and she will be left with no identy of her own. But ocean has its own misery. It isn't allowed to feel or spill it's content letting the world know of its misery. Varundev too will feel the sting of this curse soon. He is devoted to the cause of Aryans. While Devsena questions the norms by breaking divides, Varundev remains shackled in the same. He will never be able to pour his misery out to anyone. And this will come to haunt him back when he will win the war and lose the battle. I am waiting for that day to be honest.

Devsena and Varundev are two people entangled in the great universal game of clash.These two are the chief pawns on the board in which the players are the two contrasting ideologies.

They are not pawns but mighty Wazir in this game of chess. They will go all out in destroying the other. And when that does happen they will be left with nothing but sheer misery and wretched emptiness. Their fate was sealed the moment they stepped on the board for the deadly game.

All the actors delivered a power packed performance.The stars of the episode were undoubtedly Rajniesh and Karthika.
Following them are Tej Sapru and Tanuja Mam.Special mention goes to Tarun Khanna who shone in his brief appearance.How I wish that his character was around for more time.
Looking forward to the next episode!!

The actors were fan-freankin-tastic. No wonder the makers had gone all out with the casting. It definitely shows. This is one show that I looking forward to watching more and more.

Word Count: 1

Originally posted by: Meself

Well the British used this Aryan Invasion Theory to milk their way into the Indian polity but that shouldn't restrict us from enjoying an embolden imagination of a story teller; for we are the stories we tell. The racial divide has a logical explanation to it as well. The Indus Valley Civilization spread from Makran in Balochistan to Vidarbha in Maharashtra. The spread is from semi-desert to coastal area. The people living in these areas had high melanin content in their bodies to save themselves from the excessive exposure to blaring sunlight. The Aryans had come from present day Iran where sun isn't this harsh hence they had less melanin and were white while IVC people were brown. Its got nothing to do with who is superior and who is not. Its just basic biology that British churned to suit their own diabolic necessities.

The execution and presentation of the series is brilliant which makes one watch it keeping aside all the inhibition that crops up once in a while. So as I said dismiss it all and enjoy the adventure.😳

Originally posted by: chandrima02

Hi All... After watching the first episode, "Aarambh", for me, has been one of the rare instances in which the content has clearly taken the precedence, instead of "love" - which has been the main theme for any xyz show on ITV. A refreshing change from the stereotypes. The execution looks very impressive; which has actually compelled me to ignore what @Ayesha (hope I have got your name correctly @TM 😊) has written - "some feel that this show reeks with undercurrent of racism and divide". Honestly, I have also identical impression regarding the core concept of the series.

Hello! This is Shivani, Aayesha happens to be my putri. (L-o-n-g-g story!!)😆 Well for any presentation be it on a written or visual medium the stroy needs to be the central focus. This is one fact unfortunately the Indian TV and its makers are unable to digest. The very love that they base their story on ends up being a consumerist and shallow concept that garners most henious reaction at least from me. Also add to it the mindless faceless entities calling themselves the fandom and my hate reaches a zenith. Yes, I am hardly sorry for stereotyping this bunch that has me wary since a long time.

Aryan invasion theory (indeed a British propaganda) has been proven to be a hoax going by the time-line of the decline of Harappan civilization. Currently there are numerous theories & counter-theories on whether the Aryans were actually invaders from outside of India as has been projected till now or they were native to the land only. Anyways, it's a separate issue. We may just take the concept as a grand imagination of the writer and enjoy the show as a mere fiction.

Well indeed the Aryan Invasion Theory was a hoax propogated by British to help them strengthen their nefarious plots and ambitions. But to dismiss the arrival of Aryans as them being the natives is not done. The Boghazkoi or Mitanni inscription of 1600 B.C. in present day Iran makes mention of migration of two wings of Aryans. One migrated to east (India) and the other migrated to west (Europe). The one that migrated to east established the Vedic Era in Indian Subcontinent and triggered the history of this land as we know it. Again the Kassite Inscription too makes a similar mention. These inscription also carry the names of Aryan deities. So indeed they had decended from Central Asia to Indian Subcontinent but they weren't responsible for the decline of IVC as the British wanted us to believe in. Also the word "Arya" is now losing context as it signifies a linguistic group that of speakers of Indo-European language.

I loved the portrayal of Matriarchal society of the Dravidians. A never seen before concept on ITV, at least for me. So soothing for the sore eyes which had only been served with ML abusing the FL and the FL digesting without any protest. Hope this one breaks the jinx. I am really hopeful considering the writer of the series and the count of episodes.

The whole idea of women empowerment on every channel these days is nothing but a joke. On one hand they make tall claims saying that women are this and taht and on the same hand they shove down some of the most regressive content down the throat of their viewer. This one seems to be breaking that hard etched line and it is indeed a treat to the eyes.

I am impressed with a couple of details...

-> Indra, Agni, Varun were the main deities of the Aryans in the initial phases. Later Shiva was introduced as the Supreme owing to Harappan/Dravidian influence. I was a bit taken aback by the names they were using for the characters though - Shivam, Rudra (all names of Lord Shiva only).

The Boghazkoi or Mitanni inscription mentions Indra, Mitra, Varun and Nasatya. But Agni that was the second most important deity of Rigvedic Aryans isn't mentioned. This proves that Rigveda was composed in India and that Aryans were introduced to Agni in India. This also sheds enough light on the fact that Aryans heavily borrowed from the existing culture of Dravidians (if they can be called so in times where the word is losing its context). Sir John Marshall has identified the seal of Pashupati as Pashupati Shiva; which is enough an evidence to prove the borrowing of elements from existing culture by Aryans. Rigveda has terms like Harripiya and Panni to denote Non-Aryans. So this blend of two culture is clearly seen. I am glad that the makers did imbibe the elemental facts while creating their foundation.

-> Upabeet (the sacred thread) concept. Not only the Brahmins but also the other casts were allowed to carry the thread depending on his worth. Also, the cast system was not rigid at all in those days. The cast of any person was dependent on the worth and work he used to do.

That is Yagyopaveet. The ceremonial giving of Yagyopaveet was known as Upanayan which was the 11th Sanskar of Rigvedic Aryans. In later Vedic Period, as you pointed out, the caste system became water tight and Shudra were barred from Upanayan. Again dying Mauryan Era the Shudras were given right to Upanayan Sanskar.

-> They portrayed the Dravidians worshiping Goddess Amba (a form of Parvati); expected since it's a Matriarchal society. Chamundi (Devasena's mother) is another form of Goddess Parvati. Devasena is incidentally the name of the wife of Kartikeya, son of Shiva/Parvati. I am curious whether they are going to show the Dravidians worshiping Lord Shiva as well.

That unfortunately no longer holds the truth. The Mother Goddess cult of Indus Valley Civilization has come under severe scanner these days. While the various idols of feminine form do indicate that women enjoyed an equal position to that of men if not superior; this however is not sufficient to make claims on Mother Goddess cult. Also there are hardly any ziggurat or place of worship that could make historians claim that the society followed the cult of Mother Goddess. But indeed the makers here are using the notions which is evident in names such as Devsena, Chamundi and even Dayalini.

-> The prominence of the use of "head of bull" symbol in Dravidian society.

The performances have been stellar throughout the episode 👏. The VFX'- top-notch 👏.

Just for GK:

The majority of the scholars believe that Sindhu & Saraswati (located in Rajasthan) were the most popular and sacred rivers of that era. The 5 rivers - Sutudri (Sutlej/Shatadru), Parusni (Ravi/Iravati), Asikni (Chenab/Chandrabhaga), Vitasta (Jhelum), Vipas (Vipasha) - are tributaries of Sindhu. These 5, along with Sarasawti & Sindhu, constituted the Sapta Sindhu.

Absolutely. The subsidiaries of Indus along with the river was Sapt-Sindhu. Even Rigveda mentions Sindhu the most and it is the most important river of Rigvedic period. Saraswati is called Naditama or Mother of All Rivers and is later exalted to as Goddess of Knowledge. Apart from these two there are 40 other rivers that are written about in Rigveda. Yamuna and Ganga are mentioned twice and once respectively. This shows that extent of Aryans and perviously the Dravidians was limited to land between these seven rivers. They hadn't ventured beyond that. Also this land is called Bramhavarta or the Holy Land where Rigveda and other Vedas were composed.

A long post for a first timer. Apologies if it has been boring...

Don't, for it was so much fun interacting with you.😃