Dramas & Dreams

After Mahadev, another show of the Mythological/Historical Genre, that has been able to carve a niche for itself on the basis of content and commerce on Indian TV, undoubtedly, is Maharana Pratap. The show, which has been running over a few months now, has the advantage of portraying the life of an already well known ruler. Albeit it began at a slow pace, the first few episodes clearly hinted at what turn would the story be taking in near future – the rivalry between the Rajputs and the Afghans, and subsequently, Mughals. The sets, costumes and special effects are excellent. The dialogues are top notch, and the screenplay is crisp. That’s where Maharana Pratap scores. Keeping in mind that it is a historical, facts cannot be played with much. Even then, they have managed to show good deal of drama, in the most subtle way possible. The music is wonderful, highly energetic, and the music directors are none other than the Bawra Brothers (who compose music for Devon Ke Dev.. Mahadev).  The casting of the show, again, is perfect.

The show, at present, is showcasing the childhood of Maharana Pratap, who, for now is Kunwar Pratap. Faisal Khan (the winner of DID Lil Masters) is playing Pratap’s role, with all the agility. His father, Rana Uday Singh, exhibits a stern exterior and vulnerable interior, very well portrayed by Shakti Anand. Rani Jaywanta Bai (played by Rajshree Thakur), his mother, is a strong, knowledgeable and virtuous woman ; who takes her stand as and when needed. The traitor in the house is Uday Singh’s youngest queen, Rani Dirbai, effectively enacted by Aashka Goradia ; representing the never ending jealousies and ambitions.

Another fact I love about Maharana Pratap that it hasn’t shown the clichéd conservative Rajasthani way of living. The women characters – both positive and negative, have been given much power, and rightly so. The Rajput principles and objectives have been beautifully depicted, and how they are passed down from one generation to the other.

Maharana Pratap is highly informative, and yet it doesn’t seem like a boring History lecture. The show has efficiently and successfully maintained a balance between action and emotions, showing Pratap’s valour and vulnerability. It has kept me, and many others gripped. So in case, you haven’t caught up with it yet, do tune into Sony TV on weekdays, 10 PM. I’m sure you’ll find it fascinating too!

Ishma Raina is a TV enthusiast and discussed her views regularly on D&D. If you want to turn into a reviewer viewer here , follows us at dramasD on twitter

Related articles

• Pratap will be declared as the to-be-King in Maharana Pratap (myfunzones.wordpress.com)
• Mahabharat, Buddha, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev lead list of epic tales on primetime TV (dnaindia.com)