Parth Tayal talks to the makers of Vighnaharta Ganesha about how this show is different from the previous one & the use of motion capture technology for larger-than-life viewing experience
Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi — a 10-day festival that falls every year in August-September and to tell viewers the story of lord Ganesha — Sony Entertainment Television (SET) brings to you a new show titled Vighnaharta Ganesha.
The story revolves around how an ostracised child and undermined God becomes the supreme deity among the Gods — param-poojniye.
Though there have been many TV shows, films and cartoon shows on the life of lord Ganesha, Vighnaharta Ganesha will have a different storyline. “The story of Ganesh will be relevant for centuries. We have partnered with Contiloe Pictures to give Ganesh a more realistic connect, which has never been seen before anywhere,” Danish Khan, EVP and business head of SET, says.
To play the role of Ganesha, child actor Uzair Basar has been roped in who was last seen in shows like Meri Bhabhi and Siya Ke Ram. “I was a little skeptical about taking up the role of lord Ganesh as I thought I would have to put on prosthetic make-up or mask throughout the shooting. But when I got know that we would be working with motion capture (Mo-cap) technology, I instantly said yes. This opportunity is definitely a blessing in disguise from lord Ganesha to me,” Basar says.
Mo-cap technology and animatronics are being regularly used in Hollywood but this will be the first time that it will be used for an Indian television show. It will give viewers a more realistic and visually aesthetic experience as far as production design, celestial costumes and audio-visual is concerned.
“The technology has been taken from movies like Avatar and The Planet of the Apes. We wanted to do something different and enhance the viewing experience. A technology like Mo-cap can help do that, therefore, it has been used in our industry for the very first time,” Abhimanyu Singh, CEO of Contiloe Pictures, shares.
Apart from the breathtaking graphic effects and visuals, it will be interesting to watch how makers bring in new facts to surprise the audience and devotees of lord Ganesha.
The show, which will premiere on August 22, 2017. To be aired from Monday to Friday at 8 pm, it will replace another mythological show Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman. The starcast includes Akanksha Puri as Parvati, Malkhan Singh as Shiv, Basant Bhatt as Kartikeya and Anand Garodia as Narada Muni.