Television has seen many a fairy and fantasy tales in recent times!! Moving away from this zone of imagination and getting into the zone of legendary and ancient epic tales is the presentation of the newly launched show on SAB TV, Tenali Rama.
Epic tales and stories from ancient fables are always the ‘first step’ to learning for any growing, school going kid. The moral values, the tales of wit and wisdom, the basic nurturing to ‘be good and do good’ come from such fables. Certainly, majority of the TV viewing audience who have been excited to watch this show Tenali Rama will agree to the fact that they have either listened to or read the extremely entertaining, knowledgeable tales of Tenali Rama who was regarded as one of the wisest men in the court of King Krishnadevaraya, the ruler of Vijay Nagar.
The first positive that comes out of this epic folklore on SAB TV is that regardless of the age, every Indian household will love to welcome Tenali Rama into their living rooms daily, to watch on screen the amazing tales of Rama, the ones they have imbibed and enjoyed reading about for all the years.
Tenali Rama – the name in itself brings a smile, and the same goes to the actor playing it, Krishna Bharadwaj. What an amazing transformation the young lad has had over the years. From being seen in shows like Jasuben Jayantilal Joshi Ki Joint Family, Sukh By Chance etc, the actor has seen a tremendous growth in terms of his acting prowess.
The term that can be used for him is only one – ‘Amazing’! His innocence mixed with sparks of brilliance and wisdom and above all, his cute and effervescent smile will only make you fall in love with him. If all this has not made you fall in love with him, then you just need to watch his eye expressions, his mannerisms and not to forget, the ‘hatke’ jig dance in the dream sequence. You will certainly not be able to take your eyes off him.
Now moving on to his counterpart, the Maha Pandit and Raj Purohit Tathacharya, essayed by the veteran actor Pankaj Berry. He’s a super senior when it comes to acting, and knows the kind of performance he has to deliver for the show. Berry is too good in his dialogue delivery, his strong baritone voice providing his character the much needed command.
The first episode saw the first face-off between Tenali and Tathacharya, and the sequence is actually one of the best sequences in the first episode. With the two talented performers meeting eye to eye, and giving it back with dialogues, the sequence turned out to be mind-blowing. ‘Aapke bade ho jaane se main toh chhota nahi ho jaata na? – this intellectual comment coming from Tenali indeed set the pace for the lot many ‘battles of the brain’ that these two characters will indulge in at the courtroom of King Krishnadevaraya.
Talking about Sharda, the beautiful and elegant childhood friend of Tenali who is made to wait at the wedding altar in her bridal avatar. Priyamvada Kant does a swell job in the role. She looks the best in her wedding costumes and jewelry. Her takiya kalam ‘Uthalooo’ which she uses at different situations she is caught in, ends up giving the viewers funny moments. Her chemistry with Tenali, the easy way in which Tenali manipulates her anger with his sweet talk and calms her down the very next minute, makes for a good watch. We certainly look forward to more of Tenali-Sharda chemistry and banter.
Now talking about the senior actor, the powerhouse of a performer, Nimisha Vakharia. As the mother of Tenali, who has forced herself to remain silent for life, the actress does a really good job with her eyes and facial expressions, not to forget her commanding stick that she puts forward every time she wants to put a point across.
Coming to the look and feel, presentability of the show, the start to the episode with its entertaining graphics where the book takes us into the graphical world, introduces us to the kingdom of Vijay Nagar and to its King, his courtesans and of course, the picture of Tenali Rama seated effortlessly on a tree are amazing. Good work by the art direction team and the visual effects team.
Contiloe Pictures, the renowned production house which has given many noteworthy shows in the past, has picked up the right subject and concept to mesmerize masses. With a dearth in good and clean comedy shows on TV, this comic presentation of the life and journey of Tenali Rama, which comes right from the history books, presenting the rich and intellectual culture of ancient India is certainly a must watch!!
Overall, SAB TV which has of late been on a quest to find the right combination that will click as a package, has found a match-winner in Tenali Rama, is what we can say.
Lastly, the important aspect to mention is that the first episode has not provided the introduction to King Krishnadevaraya which is being played by talented actor Manav Gohil. Even though we have not witnessed Manav in action till now, his glimpse in the promo and other teasers of the show indeed give us a feeling that we are about to witness a majestic act coming from this performer.
Also, with the two masters in the story – Tenali and Tathacharya doing a swell job, it would be indeed nice to see the third element in this entertaining package having his own chemistry as a King with Tatacharya and Tenali. Yes, we look forward to the entry of Manav with bated breath.
Overall, IndianWikiMedia.com gives this effort of Tenali Rama 4 out of 5 stars!!
