Oct 27, 2013 11:23 AM
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(Updated Dec 13, 2013 05:03 PM)
Mythological serials have always been popular on Indian television since the Doordarshan days. Shows like Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana and B R Chopra's Mahabharatha got cult status in those days and they became like events every weekends, where families used to sit together and watch these shows with reverence. Some of the characters became household names too and their popularity reached dizzying heights.
One would have heard of how people would prostrate before Arun Govil who portrayed the iconic character of Lord Ram in Ramayana.Such was the impact and connect of these shows. But, over time most of the mythological shows lost their sheen due to bad direction or monotony or lack of novelty factor.The Ramayana and the Mahabharatha series were started again by numerous other production houses, but none could make any impact.
In this context, the new channel of Star group Life OK started a new mythological series chronicling the story of Lord Shiva. It is quite surprising that not many had ventured to create a series on Lord Shiva and Life OK took a cue and the first episode was aired from 18th December 2011 at 8PM from Monday to Friday.Over time, the show started gaining a lot of popularity and now, it has become a flagship show and the star performer of the channel. The story began from the Mahadev-Sati union and has so far managed to depict on screen many memorable stories of Lord Shiva.
It must be remembered that it is a difficult task for an ordinary man to understand the concepts of Shiva Purana.But, due credit needs to be given to the makers for presenting it in an extremely simple manner which manages to strike a chord with the common man.Whether it is the depiction of the gods or the lucid storyline, it brought the divine closer to the reach of the people. Utkarsh Naithani and Mihir Bhuta, the script writers deserve a huge pat on their back for writing this show in such an exemplary manner and the episodes of Jalandhar, Shiva-Parvati wedding bear testimony to their impressive work.The mistake many mythological series do is to present spirituality in a very complex manner, but the writers here present many complex theories in a very simple way which is endearing to the viewers and a large part of the credit must go the script writers of the show for the its huge popularity.
The show is directed by Nikhil Sinha and he is doing a commendable job as he extracts the best out of each actor and the casting in the show is something to take note of.There is no melodrama and the director manages to extract a very restrained performance from each character. What helps the show immensely is the fast pacing, unlike other mythological shows and other serials which drag on endlessly. Each episode has something to look for and moves on at just the perfect pace which really appeals to the'impatient' Gen-X. The 1 hour long maha episodes every month during the weekend is really something to look forward to. In one word, Nikhil's direction is highly praise-worthy and he is one big factor for the success of the show.
Coming to the actors, well it is here that the show hits huge sixers and runs away with the trophy.Perhaps for the first time after The Ramayana and the Mahabharatha days, one can see some absolutely brilliant acting by the star cast.Mouni Roy as Sati was easy on the eyes and gave a charming performance.She laid a good foundation stone for the rest of the story.Sonarika Bhadoria came in later to portray Goddess Parvati and she was really like a Goddess in her appearance and her acting abilities too improved well with time and after some time, she was in the zone always.It was quite disappointing to see her leave the show and Puja Bose who filled in her shoes is still struggling to come to grips with the character and is a bit of a downer.Radha Krishna Dutt and Saurabh Raj Jain as Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu respectively register a big impact.Especially, Saurabh as Lord Vishnu is a treat to watch on screen.
Rushiraj Pawar essays the role of Lord Shiva's son Karthikeya and he is a delight to watch, with his pitch perfect performance and is surely a talent to watch out for.Sadhil Kapoor as the Bal Ganesh was extremely adorable and his expressive eyes were the highlight of his performance.A special mention must be made of Jiten Lalwani as Devraj Indra.He is stunning in his portrayal of envy, jealousy, pride and ego.Kumar Hegde as Shiva's dearest Bhakt Nandi is a remarkable actor and delivers a superb performance each time he is on screen.Darshan Gandas as Sage Shukracharya is worthy of mention.Shailesh Dattar brings in the right amount of mischievousness and wit and makes the role of Sage Narada very memorable.Among the demons, Manish Wadhwa and Tarun Khanna who essayed the role of Ravan were the best.
But, all the other character portrayals would have come to nought if the actor who portrayed Lord Mahadev failed. Mohit Raina, as Lord Shiva is supremely talented and confident and makes it one of the best ever portrayals of God on the screen.His demeanour and mannerisms are divine and makes one feel like the Lord is standing just metres away from you.He brings in a lot of charisma and dignity to the role and is alarmingly natural, which makes one wonder in amazement. His chiseled body aids him splendidly in the role and he is surely the hottest God on screen.He has displayed his enormous versatility in the various roles he has taken up so far, the most recent being that of Jalandhar, where he was in a different zone altogether.The calm, serene, divine lord on one side and the confused, misguided Jalandhar on the other made one feel if the two were totally different actors! Hats off to this remarkable man and the show would not have been half of what it is without this dynamic Lord Mohit Raina.Surely, one of the best ever God on screen and an absolute delight to watch! I bow down to this man.
The sets create a very natural ambiance for the show and the graphics are quite good too, though some of them might appear as tacky.The cinematography by Deepak Garg and Amit Malvia is noteworthy and helps the depiction of the story very well.As far as the make up is concerned, it never feels overdone and all the characters look very bright on screen with the right amount of lighting too.The wardrobe is eye catching and quite modern, but never feels out of place in a mythological serial.
The show Devon Ke Dev Mahadev is definitely one of the best shows seen on Indian television.There is something in it for every age category and one gets to learn something very positive at the end of each episode, which is not the case in any other show or serial.The show brings the gods nearer to the people and is a delightful way to spend 30 minutes in front of TV each day.It gives out a strong message to the public, which will be relevant for eternity.It has made Lord Shiva dearer and nearer to the people and we are fortunate enough to witness his story through this wonderful show.There is a saying that people do not love god, but fear him.This series banishes such notions and makes one to LOVE Shiva, RESPECT Shiva and exhorts us to imbibe such godly qualities.It is not the power which makes one a GOD, but the supreme qualities are the one which makes one a GOD.The show never compromises on entertainment, but delivers tons of age old morals and principles, which lay a strong foundation for man to create a solid edifice and reap a great destiny.
Hats off to everyone involved in this great show! Don't miss it. Very strongly recommended.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA.
