Prithviraj Chauhan Articles-No Comments - Page 2

Calcutta, April 8:From posers worth crores to props worth crores. From the pages of general knowledge to the pages of ancient history. From Mumbai's Film City to Vadodara's Sagar Film City. From Amitabh Bachchan to Angad Bedi.

The STAR team has finally found a replacement for its big-ticket show Kaun Banega Crorepati, in Prithviraj Chauhan — Dharti Ka Veer Yodha.

To be produced by the late Ramanand Sagar's Sagar Films, the lavish costume drama will be telecast from May in the KBC prime-time 9 pm slot on weekends, Friday to Sunday.

And why the decision to go from one era to another, and one AB to another?

"We couldn't have replaced KBC with just another soap and so we looked at a grand historical to infuse some kind of curiosity among the viewers," said Shailaja Kejriwal, senior creative director, STAR India.

"We at STAR also believe that India today is in need of heroes. While in KBC we had the biggest hero himself in Amitabh Bachchan, here we are trying to create another hero in Prithviraj Chauhan."

So, if the USP of KBC was the bearded superstar quizzing his way into millions of homes across the country, the success of Prithviraj Chauhan will rest on the broad shoulders of Angad Bedi. Spinning legend Bishen Singh Bedi's son plays down the Amitabh to Angad angle.

"It's not that I can take over from the Big B. All I can say is that I will give my best. It's bigger than anything STAR has ever done before and I hope to rise to the occasion and really play my part well," says the man who acted in a critically acclaimed bilingual festival film called Kaya Taran.

"I have been undergoing training — physical and speech — for the last six months to get into the shoes of Prithviraj Chauhan," reveals Angad, whose small screen exposure has been limited to playing host to the Karen Anand cookery show on STAR One, Cook Na Kaho.

Prithviraj Chauhan seems to be the flavour of the season with two big Bollywood directors trying to bring his story alive on the big screen. If Raj Kumar Santoshi has been planning to cast Ajay Devgan as the Rajput king, Pinjar director Chandra Prakash Dwivedi wants Sunny Deol to play Prithviraj.

But the Sagar family feels the three-hour span of a film is not enough to capture the heroics of Prithviraj Chauhan. "He is our Alexander, the greatest and most romantic warrior in Indian history," said Shakti Sagar, Ramanand's grandson, who is also the series director.

"In the 26 years he lived, he won so many wars and, of course, there was the famous love affair with Sanjukta. This has all the elements of a grand mega serial."

Twenty of the slated 150-odd episodes have already been shot, with Angad slated to slip into the Prithviraj Chauhan costume from Monday. With STAR going for at least "a one-year contract" for the period drama, KBC Tritiya has receded into the distance.

By BIJOY A K
Indiantelevision.com Team

(4 May 2006 9:30 pm)

Star is leaving no stone unturned to promote the historical saga. "The focus of our marketing activities will be to make viewers more familiar with Prithviraj Chauhan. People normally remember only the high points of Chauhah's life. The marketing efforts will be to make people aware of the real character," says Star India SVP Marketing & Communication Puneet Johar.

Apart from the obvious on-air, print, outdoors and radio promotions, Prithviraj Chauhan will have an extensive on-ground activity also - running from Rajasthan to Delhi.

"We will have a torch run 'Prithvi Jyoti' conducted from Rajasthan to New Delhi. The activity will culminate on 9 May in the capital with the vice president of the country addressing a gathering. The serial will be officially launched at the event," adds Johar.

The 9 May event will showcase the Prithviraj Chauhan costumes designed by a group of young fashion designers. The music of the serial will hit the market simultaneous with its launch.

As part of the marketing activities, Star will be merchandising Prithviraj Chauhan properties -- such as the weaponry -- on a commercial basis later. Star is also planning to release a cartoon book based on the life and adventures of Prithviraj Chauhan.

What makes the Sagar Films-produced Prithviraj Chauhan one of the much-awaited television programmes on Indian television is the sheer size of the project. According to Sagar Films director Shakti Sagar, the costume drama was launched with a start up budget of Rs 60 million.

"The Ajmer set we erected in our Baroda film studio cost us about Rs 45 million. We have shot 50 episodes of the committed 156 episodes, which will run for a year. That means, the cost of the show will go up manifold," says Sagar.

As part of its plans to revamp the weekend, the channel is also introducing a movie band Pus Superhits in its Sunday afternoon space, at 12 am. Star Plus will open the campaign with movies such as Viruddh, Black and Main Hoon Naa.

The entry of Prithviraj Chauhan in the weekend prime time band also triggers off a slight reshuffle in the Star Plus prime time schedule. The 9:30 pm & 10 pm Friday through Saturday slots will be occupied by the popular weekend soap Baa Bahoo aur Baby and Shanno Ki Shaadi respectively. Jodee Kamaal Ki will be shifted to the 8 pm slot on Saturday and the same slot on Sunday will be filled by Sai Baba. From 8 May onwards, prime time soaps Miilee and Kavyanjali will be telecast from Mondays to Thursdays only.