Mahakumbh: A journey coming to an end

Mahakumbh: Produced by Arvind Babbal Production, this Mytho super-natural thriller replaced Life Ok’s magnum opus ‘Mahadev’ in December 2014. Within no time, ‘Mahakumbh’ claimed top position in the list of the most popular TV shows.

Directed by Arvind Babbal, the show’s main core refers to an important chapter of ‘Samudra Manthan’ from Indian mythology. How the good and evil fought over the source of 'Nectar of Immorality - Amrit’. The show which captivated viewers’ mind is coming to an end in July 2015 after 120 episodes.

The main cast includes- Gautam Rode, Seema Biswas, Manish Wadhwa, Surekha Sikri, Payal Rajput, Rahil Azam, Mala Salariya, Azad Ansari, Kallirroi Tzafetta, Ketki Dave, Zachary Coffin, Achal Nagesh Salwan, Mohan Maharishi and Nissar Khan.

Looking back at this epic journey, we spoke to the central characters who were involved in making ‘Mahakumbh’ a landmark show in the history of Indian television. This is a Times TV Exclusive:

Gautam Rode aka ‘Rudra’: Someday I would like to do a role like Al Pachino’s in ‘Godfather’

The good byes:

As the 10- month journey is coming to an end, I am sad. It’s difficult to say ‘goodbye’ to things which you get attached to. ‘Rudra’ gave me the opportunity to break my ‘chocolate boy’ image. I was never worried about getting type casted. People will get bored if they see you doing same role again and again. Introduction of ‘seasons’ or specific numbers of episodes in daily soaps has been beneficial to us actors. We get a chance to start afresh with every role.

My Character:

In the earlier episodes, ‘Rudra’ was aggressive but later changed into much calmer state. I tried different looks. I enjoyed doing action sequences and going to miss those most. Scenes like Mai Mui’s cremation or when Rudra met his father Shivanand for the first time were emotionally strenuous for me.

My co-actors:

Off-screen Manish (Wadhwa) is more like a friend than a father figure. I am lucky to have good bonding with all my ‘Mahakumbh’ co-stars. Since most of my scenes are with Seemaji (Biswas) and Nissar (Khan) Bhai, we have become quite close to each other. Besides being an amazing actress, Seemaji is also a wonderful human being. No matter how stressful the situation might be on the sets, she is always calm and controlled; that’s one thing I would love to learn from her. Among the cast, all are trained actors and there is no competition among us. We think about the scene first and then about our individual performances. Being a happy go lucky guy in real life, getting the animal instinct of Rudra during the early days of shoot were most challenging for me.

Life after Mahakumbh:

It’s been a 3 and half years I have been shooting on this set. Before ‘Mahakumbh’ I shot ‘Saraswatichandra’ on the same set. It’s like a home away from home for me. I will miss this set, my co-stars and just the overall experience of shooting for ‘Mahakumbh’. I have planned 2 holidays- one for a friend’s wedding in UAE followed by other in London. After ‘Mahakumbh’, my fans’ expectation has raised a notch higher so I have to be extra careful about my next role. I don’t have any particular dream role but someday I would like to do a role like Al Pachino’s in ‘Godfather’.

Manish Wadhwa aka ‘Shiavanand’: Mahakumbh’ has been a milestone in my career

My character:

Compare to my earlier roles of Raavan, Ajatshatru or Chankya, it was tricky to play Shivanand as there was no reference for the character. I followed director Arvind Babbal ji’s vision. As an actor, half the battle is won when you look the part. In ‘Mahakumbh’, Shivanand has totally 8-9 different getups. The character has different shades from a recluse to a doting father to a person bound by his duties. Arvindji has made the character realistic at the same time different from what you see on other shows. When situation demands Shivanand doesn’t hesitate to oppose his son as well as mother. The conflict shown between him and Rudra is not a regular father-son row. Similar to my theatre days, I got a chance to portray ‘Navras’ through this role.

My co-actors:

Sharing screen pace with veterans like Seema Biswas, Mohan Mahrishi, Robin Das gave me a different high altogether! The entire team of ‘Mahakumbh’ is fabulous which made shooting a pleasurable experience. There are no ego hassles and insecurities on the sets. This show has been a milestone not only in my career but in the history of television too.

Kallirroi Tzafetta as ‘Kathryn’: I have discovered the pleasure of acting in front of the camera.

Shooting in India & abroad:

Shooting for ‘Mahakumbhi’ was a fast paced learning experience. Like most Greek actors, who are primarily theatre actors, as it’s the main acting industry, I was used to very different acting medium. Earlier I did a stint with a French TV show shot in India but nothing major till ‘Mahakumbh’.

Hindi as the spoken language:

Language is a huge barrier for me. To express myself without understanding a single word spoken by other person was a troublesome. If I had the full command over language it would have helped me perform better.

My character:

Through ‘Mahakumbh’, I have discovered the pleasure of acting in front of the camera. I was thrilled that my character is action oriented. I exercise 4-5 times a week and believe in keeping myself fit. Technicality of doing action was more tiring than the physical exhaustion. To combine action with facial expressions that too with conviction was complicated. Referring to roles like ‘Charlie’s Angels’, ‘Black Widow’, ‘Lara Croft’ and ‘Salt’ has helped me immensely in playing ‘Kathryn’. Kathryn is half bad and half good, which makes her more human. I don’t mind if I get type casted in such action packed roles in future.

My co-actors:

I bond most with Azad Ansari who plays ‘Charles’. He is dedicated, fun to work with. He is serious about his work which also helps me to improve my performance as his co-star. Once I heard Atul Mongia saying that as an actor one has to perform with strong conviction to appeal to the audience. I follow that rule to connect with my characters.

Life after Mahakumb:

After the show gets over, the first thing I will do is get a brand new haircut. I will start production of my stage play and then I will be heading to Greece for much needed holiday.

Arvind Babbal, Director: I am feeling empty

Farewell to Mahakumb:

The empty feeling you experience after finishing a great novel, is how I am feeling right now. Though you finish the book, the characters remain with you. Similarly, the show might end but its characters will stay in my heart.

Actors and characters of the show:

My favourite roles are of ‘Udiya Baba’ played Robin Das and ‘Mai Mui’ played by Seema Biswas. These theatre actors look more like their on-screen characters than actors. They make their roles look more authentic. Mai Mui’s funeral scene was emotionally difficult for me to shoot. We shot the scene in Banaras where the temperature was 46 degrees. Seema ji laid on the pyre without complaining for the whole day, while Gautam carried her up and down the steps for each take. Both the actors were completely dedicated in giving the perfect shot. The show’s success should be credited to my entire crew and not just the actors. Though I will give extra points to my actors as they had to go through physical stress for many scenes. All my actors have worked extra hard to get into their roles which is evident in their performances.

Technical challenges:

As a director, my biggest task was to shoot in front of croma. I had no previous experience of computer graphics or VFX. To visualize everything when there is nothing in front of your eyes and shoot accordingly was a tough job for me! The scene, where Shivanand sees entire galaxy in his library was difficult to shoot. I imagined the scene in my mind and shot with the help of R&D team’s references.

Finale of Mahakumb:

The climax of the show is going to be grand with mind-blowing special effects. It will showcase the final battle for ‘Amrit’. The Garudas have to pass 7 gates to obtain ‘Amrit’. At each gate, they will be confronted by the Chiranjeevis (Immortal Guards). Few of the characters will die in the process. How Rudra manages to protect ‘Amrit’ and bring ‘Ganga’ back on earth will conclude the journey of ‘Mahakumbh’.

Nitin Jayshukla, Creative Director for Arvind Babbal Productions: The script is the backbone of any show.

The show:

Early on, when the concept of ‘Mahakumbh’ was conceived as fixed finite 60 episodes each series for 2 seasons. Later looking at the viewers’ response, the channel decided to continue for 120 episodes without a break. The script is the backbone of any show. Our script writer Anirudh Pathak didn’t believe in stretching a story too far. It felt like cheating the viewers. So we have decided to end the show.

The team and the cast of Mahakumbh:

A good team has the potential to make a simple story turn into a potboiler. To get the correct casting for such unique subject was our initial obstacle. To have a clear storyline was a mammoth job. We made sure that the graphics of the show should be excellent and at par with the current technology. Before Bollywood introduced ‘Drone’ cameras, we used them for special sequences shot in Poland and Banaras. As the show is coming to an end, I am totally shattered! But as they say, all good things come to an end and we are happy with all the appreciation showered on ‘Mahakumbh’.