Will the Baahubali 2 MAGIC spill over to TV costume dramas, too?

Getting inspired by Baahubali and agreeing to do a historical is just the beginning... The real grind starts now,’ tweeted Rohit Roy. He couldn’t have put it better. Though historicals and mythologicals have been TV’s staple for years, there is indeed a spurt in the genre on the small-screen. Not just historicals and mythologicals, the small-screen is now flooded with fantasy costume dramas and supernatural fiction shows.

To begin with, there’s the fantasy drama Chandrakanta, being made by two channels. Prem Ya Paheli — Chandrakanta is already on air, while the other is still being readied. Lord Shani is getting his due in a serial called Karmphal Data Shani, tales of the Monkey God are being narrated in Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman, while Vignaharta Ganesha will be revisited for probably the fifth time on TV! Promos of the mythological Mahakali, wherein the goddess will be shown in all her avatars — from Durga to Sati — are already on air. We’ve seen Lord Krishna in all his glory on TV in Mahabharat, Gita Rahasya, Vishnu Puran and Shri Krishna, but that hasn’t stopped makers from coming up with yet another show on him — Paramavatar Shri Krishna. Among historicals, there’s Peshwa Bajirao that came on the heels of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, but with a difference. The serial chronicles his journey in becoming a great Maratha warrior rather than his love story. Sher-E-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh traces the life of the founder of Sikh Empire. A historical is in the making on the life of Prithvi Vallabh, the ruler of Malwa region. The love story, we hear, is much like the one between Baahubali and Devasena. In fact, Baahubali writer Vijayendra Prasad is now making his TV debut, scripting a period drama Aarambh, in which the female lead is also called Devasena! Besides, there’s a period drama on one of the wittiest poets and the navratnas of King Krishnadevraya, Tenali Raman in the works and also a historical, Porus.

Baahubali impact

Shrishti Arya, who is producing a period drama, Aarambh, for the first time, says the success of Baahubali has whetted the audience appetite. “While a film like Baahubali took so many years to be made, on TV the audience gets supplied its fix of this fantastical world week on week.” Abhimanyu Singh, (producer, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and Vignaharta Ganesha), says people want variety. “This is a genre that hasn’t been explored much, so it is bound to start kicking in. Audiences are now interested in fantasies. There is definitely more demand and that’s why you find more costume dramas,” he elaborates. Channels want a mix of shows and this (genre) is a very exciting space on TV right now, points out Siddharth Kumar Tewary, (producer Shani and Porus). “It has been proved time and again on TV and now with the movie Baahubali,” he adds.

No dearth of stories

Rohit, who is all set to play Porus’s father in the historical, says India with its deep-rooted culture has a lot of scope for period dramas, “We have a treasure trove of such ideas. We don’t need to look towards West for ideas as far as such dramas are concerned. Also, people want to see larger-than-life cinema and here TV can afford it.” Kritika Kamra, who is essaying the titular role of Chandrakanta, feels costume dramas resonate with the audience because they are home-grown. “Somewhere we also draw from the kind of cinema that is doing so well. Baahubali is the biggest film and internationally too, big hits are costume dramas,” she adds.

Actors are lovin’ it!

Shaleen Bhanot has done two costume dramas back-to-back — Suryaputra Karn and now Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He says the scope for performing is much more than in a regular soap. “You get to do things that are larger-than-life, learn things like horse-riding, gada fighting (in Karn I did that as Duryodhan) and also be part of huge fight sequences. One of my fights in Ranjit Singh was choreographed by one of the biggest fight masters Allan Amin. I got to say some epic lines in Karn and in Ranjeet Singh I am mouthing the teachings of Wahe Guruji. Chai paani ki baat nahi kar rahe!” For Kritika doing a costume drama was an experiment. “I have done love stories and my share of reality shows. I didn’t want to do kitchen dramas. I was looking for something different and on TV where options are very limited. So, when Chandrakanta came my way it was something new for me.” For her role as a princess, she learnt sword-fighting and classical dancing. Though Rohit is yet to start shooting for his show, he has already started prepping for it with lessons in horse-riding and diction. “The language is different it’s pure Hindustani, which I have started learning,” he says.

Challenges, too

While it looks pretty glamorous on screen, it’s doesn’t come easy. All the actors who have been part of such shows are unanimous in that. “This is more challenging than my first show,” declares Kritika. Shooting on sets that are not always equipped with air-conditioners, wearing layered costumes, elaborate hair styles and heavy jewellery is cumbersome. “It is more difficult removing them than putting them on. If I have to use the washroom, it’s a huge process,” laughs Kritika. Shaleen adds that they shoot in extreme conditions. “I just shot in Gujarat in 41 degrees heat, and had got injured during a fight sequence. You literally give your sweat and blood to the show. Yet, the creative satisfaction is much more,” he quips. For Rohit, the biggest challenge will be the underwater fight sequence with crocodiles and jumping from a 20 feet ship into a 100 feet river. “I have hydro phobia,” shares Rohit. And, yet, they love taking up the challenge, not just for the experience, but also because they get paid more — around 10-20K more — than they would for regular soaps!

Grand visuals and VFX

Costume dramas have come a long way from the time two arrows were shown battling in the air two decades ago in Ramayan. Today, technology has helped producers use the best of VFX and with every show, it’s only improving. While Abhimanyu assures that the kind of special effects that will be shown in Vignaharta Ganesha is the kind-never-seen-before, Rohit promises that Porus will be the most expensive show to be made on TV. “We will start shooting in Thailand soon as that is where we can show Jhelum the way it should be,” he informs. What’s more budgets are not a constraint anymore (one episode of a costume drama costs five-six times more than a regular soap. It could be anywhere between Rs 20-50 lakh) with channels doling out huge amounts as the success ratio of these shows is good. As Siddharth says, “These shows have a lot of pluses. It’s about our culture, there’s history, mythology — it’s all inclusive for the family.”

No wonder then, after Baahubali, writer Prasad has turned to the small-screen. He shares that the subject was better suited to a medium which could engage with the viewers for a longer time. He says, “The story (of Aarambh) was such that I as a writer and Goldie Behl as director wanted a lot of freedom to explore the nuances of the various characters and the dynamics between them. It is such a large canvas that it could  be done only on TV.”

Need we say more?