Three decades ago when India’s most watched mythological televenture Ramayana and Mahabharata hit Doordarshan, it popularised television with the record number of TV sets being sold throughout the country. A majority of the population would flock in front of their TVs, eagerly waiting for the epic tale to unfold once a week. Mythological tales have always had a special place in Indian entertainment even with the celluloid as the pioneer of Indian film industry Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Satya Harishchandra started it all. Ever since, mythology has been one of the most popular genres after family, social dramas and the recent reality ventures. Kannada small screen too has been making such tales for its audience. The humongous success of couple of such shows has paved the way for more numbers this season. With at least half a dozen in the kitty including two more ready to be telecast, the Gods are back big with more advanced technological avatars. Bengaluru Chronicle reports.
“Time and again, there have been one or two mythological serials enthralling the audience, but this time they are ruling the roost. What is more interesting is that apart from the mythology ones, most of the family subjects are also getting webbed into fantasy thrillers with a pinch of mythology involved in it for a twist in the tale. After Mahabharata, Hara Hara Mahadeva, the Kannada television has seen the emergence of Shani, Mahakali, and even Mahavdevi including the latest Ughe Ughe Madeshwara,” says television writer Ashwini.
The latest serials which are ready to hit the small screen are Shri Vishnu Dashavatara on Zee Kannada and Jai Hanuman on Udaya TV.
“The making of mythological dramas require extensive research with experts from respective fields getting involved in the scripting process. It is a sensitive subject, as it is closely watched by many. From costumes, designing huge sets to usage of language and other such exercises takes time for preparation. This is also a reason why such shows are limited in number. However, the highest television rating points in the recent times for such shows has prompted the makers to make them big and challenging,” says director Subramanya.
It connects well with the audience as it is watched by all age groups especially the elders along with the family, says Pandit Niranjan Acharya, who shares that the digital avatar of latest shows has certainly enhanced the experience of such shows which gives a realistic touch to them. He also feels that the content should not be over dramatised as it is based on mythological characters which are well documented. One should not move away too much from existing information. Otherwise, it's a nice trend that today’s generation is hooked onto mythological characters, he adds.
