Renowned producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary has always been fascinated by India’s rich history and mythology. His production house Swastik Production which is known for making path-breaking shows like Mahabharat, Razia Sultan, Suryaputra Karn, Karmaphal Daata Shani and Porus, is all set to take audience on a romantic journey with the tale of Radha and Krishna in his new daily RadhaKrishn on Star Bharat.
Talking about the show, he shares, “For me RadhaKrishn is the story of pure romance. I showed a week long story of Radha and Krishna in my show Mahabharat. Everybody knows about raasleela but it struck me somewhere that why Krishna dances around trees. I felt there must be a story here, which led me to get a research team on board. Now, it’s been three years and we have come to a conclusion that there is a core message through this series. I am a firm believer that no story is ever written or ever happens in life if it doesn’t have a subtext to it. There is a reason behind everything that happens in life. Radha and Krishna’s romance had a core meaning and what we have cracked is what we are working on. There is one line in the show which goes like ‘Jag karta hai prem, prem paane ke liye; inhone (Radha and Krishna) kiya prem, prem samjhane ke liye’. That is a crux of Radha and Krishna, for today’s youth. This is the story to make you understand what love is.”
Siddharth believes that getting the perfect Krishna for his show was a challenging task. “It was not an easy task. When you are creating an iconic God or character like Krishna, there is a preconceived notion that the viewers have. It is imaginary; hence getting the actors right was a difficult task. When we got Sumedh Mudgalkar on board, we could imagine him like Krishna. I saw his audition for a negative character in the show but I felt that he had that charm of Krishna. I am a firm believer that actors create characters. Sumedh is a brilliant actor. He has permanence and energy, which is a rare combination. He is very committed. As an actor, he is convinced that he wants to play the role and give his 100%. He is passionate and I believe he will do a great job.”
When asked what aspects he kept in mind so that audiences’ religious sentiments are not hurt, he says, “Viewers are very sensitive. I believe there are different interpretations of stories in different parts of the country; so eventually we go with the most popular and well accepted take on that particular plot. I have a certain understanding; hence I am trying to give my best. I hope viewers don’t get hurt with any sequence. Our objective and intent is very important. My intent behind making this show is not wrong.”
On an end note, Siddharth says that Porus was not made for TRPs. “Porus for me and the broadcaster has been a very successful show. The series was not made to achieve high ratings. I would tell all to look at the numbers on the digital front. We have got 80 million views. The days are gone when you come home and switch on your transistor to listen to music. Now you can hear it on the go. The same happens with content. I am a content maker. I make shows which can be featured on different platforms and can be consumed by both TV and digital audience.”
