Dramas & Dreams

The new show “Mahakumbh” , coming on LifeOK in December , has generated considerable hype already. It is  being proclaimed as the biggest show ever on television and if the promo released is anything to go by, the makers just might be  ready to put their money where the mouth is for this one.The promo undoubtedly gives a very promising picture of what could be in store for Indian TV viewers.

The element of mystery has always been a wily seductress when it comes to stories & Mahakumbh appears to be heavily  relying on that. This first teaser declares in a very straight forward way that a centuries old secret is going to be revealed. Almost at once, a flurry of questions hatch inside the brain: What secret? Why was it hidden? And what does the Kumbh Mela has to do with it?

Since the Kumbh Mela is one of the most attractive realities of our times, with its root embedded in timeless history, it seems like a brilliant idea  to entwine it with the fictional premise! Isn’t this the cleverest way of reeling the audience in? To leave the line blurry between myth & reality?

Another important theme I see lurking behind the tantalisingly short promo, is a possible link between a  mythical legend passed through centuries & the modern science. Why is it being called the biggest mystery of the twenty first century? Does it mean that people among us , the scientists & the physicists, the torchbearers of rationality, have found an element of truth in an age old mythological legend? That premise right there, has an immense scope. We have seen many authors recently, not only catching the public imagination playing with this theme , but holding that imagination captive for long.The stories end but the “what if” lingers.  We loved Da vinci Code for the same reason as the Interstellar.  The glimpse of the unknown. A lunge at what’s beyond grasp. A possibility of an extra dimension. Will Mahakumbh use it to its fullest? The show might be the first on Indian TV to keep you awake at nights, long after the telecast is over.

Add to this, a good looking protagonist with a tortured past ( Yeah I can guess that much from a tatooed back!), and I don’t think Mahakumbh has left any stone unturned to make sure that everyone sits upright & takes notice of this biggest show on indian television.

There is of course the usual threat of the TRPs in future, which could make the mystery so interesting at the moment, drag itself to death. Consequently the scenes with edge of the seat action & thrill could get replaced with scenes with glycerine & explanations…

But , we the ever optimistic audience, will worry about that if and when we get there. For now, the Mahakumbh promises to live up to its hype & seems to have all the ingredients to bring a considerable change in the Indian TV content. With the brilliant team that gave us Devon ke Dev Mahadev, behind Mahakumbh, the expectations are sky rocketing high & we are rooting for 15th december with all we’ve got!