Rajshri Productions’ latest project Piya Albela is a take on Vishwamitra and Meneka’s love story. SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks to the lead pair to bring you a report
Rajshri Productions is out with its latest family drama on Zee TV. Sooraj Barjatya is known for his grandeur and opulence in storytelling with an emphasis on family values and traditions be it films or TV serials. Same is the case with his new project Piya Albela which is a modern-day take on Vishwamitra and Menaka’s love story. The ancient mythical romance has been presented in a contemporary setting.
Talking about his show, Sooraj Barjatiya, the producer says: “I am delighted to announce this long awaited project. It is close to my heart and I have been working on it for eight years. Persistence and belief in the story has made it a reality today. Retelling an ancient story in a modern context adds richness to human drama across the ages.”
Sheen Dass who plays Pooja (the woman protagonist) tells you that there is a mystery that even Naren, played by Akshay Mhatre, is unaware of. “The whole story about him is that he is looking for life’s answers and that is where I step in,” Dass tells you adding that the reason why she grabbed the role is because of the story.
The fact that there are few people in the industry who concentrate on the story was an added advantage for Dass. Of course, the tag of Rajshri Productions was also a major factor. “The fact that it is a Sooraj Barjatiya show, means that the project is taken to another level; he is a legend and working on any project involving him is great. This is something that I realised after I started working with them; I realised the difference there is in working for Rajshri,” Dass says.
Though Barjatiya is known for his grandeur, the sets are not over the top and nor is the attire given to the characters. Take for example Pooja. She is a second year college student. Her clothes need to be in sync with her role. But Dass tells you that this changes once she starts her job. “While subtlety is important, a bit of OTT is also necessary since it attracts the audience. Over doing anything is not good. Pooja is from a small town — Dehra Dun. She is a simple girl. If you see my attire changes as the serial progresses,” the 23-year-old actress says.
The good part is that Dass is playing a character that almost all will be able to identify with. The only challenge for Dass was that her opening shoot began with her being in the other house where has to be subtle. Pooja is a self-assured but here she has to be different — she is not Pooja. “To adjust to this difference as a character took time. But now, I think I am in the mould,” Dass says.
Naren on the other hand is very different. “He is on a quest to find answers to what life is all about. He is not worldly. If you see him in a crowd, he will come across very normal but once you speak with him you will find that he is very different from your average 25 year olds,” Mhatre tells you.
To begin with, playing Naren was a bit of a challenge since one doesn’t find such boys in real life. So when Mhatre was given a narration he found the role a bit unreal. So the initial thought was to draw the essence from certain film scenes like Guru Dutt’s Pyasa, Ranbir Kapoor’s Kabira and Chandrachur Singh’s Maachis.
“But that didn’t work. So the research team read a few books like Vivekanand, Mahavir, etc. They were from rich families who went on life’s quest. But in the end what it boiled down to was to feel Naren’s journey since he doesn’t follow any particular spiritual person,” Mhatre tells you.
Interestingly, playing Naren was something that Mhatre didn’t want to do since it was TV; films were more important. But it was the product that attracted him and in the end it was something that he wanted to play at all cost. “This show is definitely a dream come true and something that I would not give up,” Mhatre says.