When Devavrat/Bheeshma calls Satyavati (she is called Matsyagandha for some reason, which based on the stink from the fish rotting in my fridge can't be all that good) "Maate" for the first time in Ektaa Kaapooor's Kahaani Hamaaray Mahabharat Ki (or whatever it is spelt as), I could not figure out if she was crying that someone probably 20 years older than her was addressing her as mom or if she was just plain happy that all roadblocks on her way to becoming the queen of Hastinapur had finally been removed.
Ekta Kapoor's serials are an easy target, and this one does seem like a decent watch. Probably because I know that they can't really stretch the story too much, or too wide, unless she wants Bajrang Dal or VHP protesting in front of her house.
And I think her version is actually moving faster than the original B R Chopra version.
Kiran Karmakar makes probably the most sissy-voiced king in Indian TV history. And am I the only one who thinks Ronit Roy's been modelled on Legolas?
And Ganesh is goddamned ugly! But what would you expect from that hairy Shiva that they keep showing every few minutes. He needs someone from Gillette urgently.
And finally, who thought of Makrand Deshpande as Vyas? He is the theatre 'actor' with the worst diction I have ever seen. Has he been signed on because he is hairy to begin with, and save on make-up time and costs? I had this theory since my first year in undergrad, after seeing some of my batchmates, that people who are plain shameless are considered good actors very often, just because they don't feel conscious doing stupid things in front of people. Mr Deshpande, especially after a performance at IIM Calcutta's fest last year, fits that category accurately.
I have always felt that Mahabharata has a lot of scope for x-rated scenes, which our talented serial-makers avoid in order to achieve greater viewership. I wonder if anyone ever will make an adult version of the story.
It's funny seeing multiple close-ups, shaky cameras and over-expressive actors in a myth. It'll probably help us believe that we have always been like this through history, and it's not a recent degradation of filming standards.
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2 comments:
This link - http://saralamahabharat.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html- says that King Santanu never wanted to marry Satyavati. In fact, she was the foster mother of the children when she took to taking care of Chitravirya and Vichitravirya.
Besides, as the saying goes - old habits die hard - Ekta can't help using her saas-bahu camera angles in this epic, plus showing the faces of each and every character in the vicinity, after every dialogue umpteen times. And I really don't think Anita Hasanandani can match up to even Rupa Ganguly, forget about Draupadi!
Oh, I didn't know that. Though, it does seem pretty likely.
I like some of the camera shots in the series, but in general, it does exhibit brilliantly the depths Indian television has reached.
In fact, watching almost any news channel immediately after watching this series could induce depression in anyone.
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