Smart promo strategies, the romance of nostalgia and relic-hunting are the pivots of Zee’s new prime time show, says Christy Varghese
We were almost sick of travelling through expansive farmlands interrupted briefly by sanguine bovines till we saw this grand palace loom up on the horizon. And we were immediately transported to princely India at the appropriately-named ITC Grand Bharat with its moustache-twirling, namaste-wielding sentries welcoming us.
We felt like royal guests as we waited in the plush ballroom awaiting the arrival of the royals. The Business Head of Zee TV, Pradeep Hejmadi, probably wished to echo the atmosphere of his forthcoming project when he chose the luxurious, vintage charm exhibited by the palatial proportions of the ITC Grand Bharat, Mewat, to launch Zee TV’s latest magnum opus Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani (ETRETR). And in our opinion, in a nutshell, he was bang on target regarding the effect produced.
He is betting big on this period drama of the 1940s to break the clutter in the prized 9:30 pm slot. With politics, love, intrigues and secrets of princely India, it is Zee’s way of focussing on historical fiction following the past successes of Jodha Akbar and Jhansi Ki Rani.
We were greeted with a performance by Siddhant Karnik and Drashti Dhami against the backdrop of a cut out of a brightly lit palace, enacting the gist of the soap opera in the form of a narrative-dance drama scenario. Karnik plays the male lead in ETRETR as the regal Ranaji Indravadan Singh Deo, an intense brooding prince who was apparently a happy young carefree man before the wars he fought in scarred him inside out.
The storyline essentially revolves around the bubbly Gayatri, played with much enthusiasm by the attractive Dhami, who is fathered by Seth Govind, an extremely affluent Baniya played by national award-winning actor, Darshan Zariwala who is way ahead of his times by giving much importance to the needs of his daughter in an age where a girl child is not really the best thing that could happen to you.
From the instant she arrived on the stage, Drashti carried herself along the lines of Gayatri, exhibiting her doe-eyed look of perpetual glee, complementing it with a wide smile throughout her interaction. “I feel really exuberant on playing the lead role in ETRETR, though I think I am more like the ‘modern gal’ types, the rustic sets in Bikaner, Baroda and Gajner ooze ethnic charm like anything, so I believe I’ll play this role just fine,” she smiled.
The broad-shouldered Karnik’s role is supposed to be the complete opposite of Gayatri’s however, and his presence actually seems to quell Gayatri’s fun loving aura every time they share the set, “This show is predominantly a love story set in turbulent times, with much historical relevance also attached to it, but there is a fictional layer as well.”
Zariwala’s role which comes across as more than the apt supporting act, is in a direct contrast with his wife Damyanti, played by Moon Bannerjee, who doesn’t really believe in fulfilling her daughter’s whims. But Zariwala, on the other hand, turns out to be the spark for his daughter’s personality and charm. ETRETR also features renowned actresses Anita Raj and Surekha Sikri and popular actor Akshay Anand among its talented cast.
The producer, Sanjoy Wadhwa of Sphere Origins, revealed that when he was approached with this idea, he sensed that this could snowball into a major feather in his cap and after doing some brainstorming and research, he approached Zee with his venture. His preparations were in-line with his disclosure that this soap opera will feature vintage cars, clothing stitched in such a way so as to reflect the 1942 era and Belgian chandeliers among other details to lend some authenticity to the programme. While the grandeur and opulence has been reflected in the above said manner, the simplicity of common households has also been depicted in an appropriate manner, claimed Hejmadi.
He was, however, a bit sceptical on the length of the series, “On paper ETRETR is scheduled to run for an year-and-a-half but let’s see how the public responds to this and maybe we might be persuaded enough to extend its lifetimeIJ” But Comall Wadhwa of Sphere Origins was optimistic regarding the response of this show, “This is an extraordinary story, Gayatri’s struggle and the royal aspect of this soap opera also comes with a twist. Yeh Raj Mahal nahi, Raaz Mahal hai. I am sure that the mysterious aspect of the royal household in ETRETR will cause an emphatic response from the masses.”