these are some of my favorite moments really special and close to my heart in mahabharat
24 November 2008
20 November 2008
ekta's interview
Controversies and rumors go hand in hand when it comes to Ekta’s Kahaani Humaarey Mahaabhaarat Ki!! The talk of the town of late was that Ekta’s epic has not gone well with the masses and will shut shop soon… There was also a buzz that her huge set at Filmcity was actually brought down…However, Ekta Kapoor broke her silence finally and invited media to celebrate Janmashtami on the sets of Mahaabhaarat.. Looking very casual with the media, Ekta Kapoor addressed the rumors floating around and said, “Mahaabhaarat is the Number 1 show on 9X. The TRP of my show is 1.2 which is the same as other mythos”.On the talk that the channel is investing nearly 1.2 crore per episode, Ekta says, “I really do not know from where this came from. If anyone is paying me this much, then I will surely shift my serial there. Frankly speaking, I am not even getting one fourth of what is mentioned. I would say that many of them are spending their valuable time talking about my show, but it is high time now that they realize that my show has become popular in spite of Zee and Star Plus having their #1 show at the same time slot. Above all, as far as my knowledge goes, I have heard there were two Mahaabhaarats to be made, but till now I have not heard of the other”.Defending the pivotal character of Bhishma Pitamah played by Ronit Roy, Ekta added, “I know it is difficult for the audience to come out of the era of Mukesh Khanna and accept Ronit as Pitamah. Even Mukesh Khanna had done 3 movies before he took up this role. And the most interesting point is that the TRPs are always high when Ronit is shown; and this clearly states that we have won the battle”.Ekta says that she readily accepted the challenge of launching her epic on a new channel like 9X and wanted to come out with flying colors. “I agree that the TRPs would have been bigger if I had launched the epic on Sony or Zee. But the fruits of success tastes better now as I have made it possible in a new channel like 9X”, she avers.Having celebrated Janmashtami in style, she talks about the casting of Krishna. “The moment I saw Mrunal Jain in my office, I decided that he will be my Krishna. It was a decision that came from my heart; he went thro’ a look test and no audition was taken for this casting”, states Ekta.Lastly, Ekta says that the abundant research that she had done for 4 months has paid off. “I will not stop doing mythos and my next epic is going to be on Lord Balaji”, she confirmS
In pictures: Dahi handi on Mahabharat setsEkta Kapoor took the media to her Mahabharat sets (Hastinapur) in Goregaon, Mumbai. There she revealed her Krishna (Mrunal Jain).
Ekta's celebration of Dahi Handi was very unique as it was first Dahi Handi which was celebrated in Hastinapur and not in Dwarka or in Mathura. Ekta informed everyone that set of Dwarka and Mathura are smaller than this and it was rumour that this set was dismantled.
As usual, when Ekta arrived she immediately got the media's attention. But Ekta immediately went and hugged her Ved Vyas (Makrand Deshapande) who was busy in testing various fast food items which were available on set.
Finally, after Ekta's entry her new find Mrunal Jain, Krishna, entered and broke the handi. Ekta chose him without any audition and the guy immediately left the sight without interacting with anyone.
To everyone's surprise, when Mrunal broke the Handi, Ekta went and touched his feet. He too happily gave his blessings to Ekta. Later on she said that for her whoever is dressed as a Lord is god.
Very few cast members were present on the sets. Two of them were Kunti and Gandhari. A truly professional actress who plays Gandhari was giving interviews by with a blindfold on her eyes.
Ekta's celebration of Dahi Handi was very unique as it was first Dahi Handi which was celebrated in Hastinapur and not in Dwarka or in Mathura. Ekta informed everyone that set of Dwarka and Mathura are smaller than this and it was rumour that this set was dismantled.
As usual, when Ekta arrived she immediately got the media's attention. But Ekta immediately went and hugged her Ved Vyas (Makrand Deshapande) who was busy in testing various fast food items which were available on set.
Finally, after Ekta's entry her new find Mrunal Jain, Krishna, entered and broke the handi. Ekta chose him without any audition and the guy immediately left the sight without interacting with anyone.
To everyone's surprise, when Mrunal broke the Handi, Ekta went and touched his feet. He too happily gave his blessings to Ekta. Later on she said that for her whoever is dressed as a Lord is god.
Very few cast members were present on the sets. Two of them were Kunti and Gandhari. A truly professional actress who plays Gandhari was giving interviews by with a blindfold on her eyes.
Mrunal Jain is Ekta’s Lord Krishna
Mrunal Jain is all set to play the role of Shri Krishna in 9X’s Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki. Mrunal will join the team of much admired actors like Ronit Roy, Saakshi Tanwar, Anita Hassanandani, Aryan Vaid, Chetan Hansraj, Makrand Deshpande in the mega mythological show.
Being a newcomer Mrunal Jain will play the challenging role of Lord Krishna, the Lord of the Geeta, which is the quintessence of Indian mystical-philosophical thoughts. The immediate cause of his avatar was his own maternal uncle, Kans, in their kingdom, Mathura.
Watch Mrunal essay the mytho character at 9 pm, Monday to Thursday on 9X.
ektas holy feeling
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Kali and the serial kkiller
As anyone who follows these things would know, Heidi Klum dressed up as the Goddess Kali for a Halloween party a few days ago, in a costume that was remarkable for its attention to detail: the many blue arms carefully in place, skulls and shrunken heads dangling from the Goddess’s hips as accessories, and Klum’s husband Seal as the finger-collecting bandit Angulimaal. My first darshan of this Kali was on the pages of Delhi Times, the photo caption memorably stating that “this proves Klum has respect for the Hindu goddess”. Because apparently that’s what Halloween is all about – dressing up as people you respect.Even so, various Hindu groups in the US say their sentiments have been hurt by Klum’s masquerade. These people should stop worrying and take a cue from Ekta Kapoor’s recent pronouncement at a Dahi Handi celebration. "Anyone who dresses up as a God is God for me," said the creative head of Balaji Telefilms, shortly after she bent to touch the feet of Mrunal Jain, the young actor who plays Krishna in Kahaani Hamaaray Mahabharat Ki.Ekta's remark leads me to wonder what might happen if she were to encounter a Halloween Kali.
Kali and the serial kkiller
As anyone who follows these things would know, Heidi Klum dressed up as the Goddess Kali for a Halloween party a few days ago, in a costume that was remarkable for its attention to detail: the many blue arms carefully in place, skulls and shrunken heads dangling from the Goddess’s hips as accessories, and Klum’s husband Seal as the finger-collecting bandit Angulimaal. My first darshan of this Kali was on the pages of Delhi Times, the photo caption memorably stating that “this proves Klum has respect for the Hindu goddess”. Because apparently that’s what Halloween is all about – dressing up as people you respect.Even so, various Hindu groups in the US say their sentiments have been hurt by Klum’s masquerade. These people should stop worrying and take a cue from Ekta Kapoor’s recent pronouncement at a Dahi Handi celebration. "Anyone who dresses up as a God is God for me," said the creative head of Balaji Telefilms, shortly after she bent to touch the feet of Mrunal Jain, the young actor who plays Krishna in Kahaani Hamaaray Mahabharat Ki.Ekta's remark leads me to wonder what might happen if she were to encounter a Halloween Kali.
TELLY NAGARI .COM
Another Sujal...
Telly baroness Ekta Kapoor has no hang-ups in admitting that her latest epic serial ?Kahaani Hamaray Mahabharat Ki? on 9X has been unable meet their lofty TRP expectations, as she feels ?that the TV channel is new?. Being a die-hard optimist, she is hopeful that with the ?take-off stage in ?Mahabharat? happening next month where all the cardinal mytho-characters turn into adults, and there is the Krishna-Radha separation, the home-viewers traffic would increase rapidly. But of course it wouldn?t reach sky-high,? she reconciles. Interestingly, Mrinal Jain who plays Krishna was getting a lot of mushy female fans? feedback that he had that fleeting ?jhalak? of Rajeev Khandelwal. But was Ekta subconsciously looking for the handsome heart-throb character ?Sujal? factor when she finalised Jain after just a ?look test? minus the gruelling auditions? ?What mattered to us most was the divine serenity and yet the correct expression in the actor?s eyes when he donned the robes of Lord Krishna. At the same time he had to project the credible romantic natkhat vibes as he interacts with Radha,? responds Ekta. Not surprisingly both Mrinal and Puja have ardent filmy aspirations. Neither of them are apprehensive about being tagged with the overpowering mytho-screen image of the spiritual characters they are currently playing. Argues prolific model Mrunal, ?In today?s times audiences are intelligent enough not to have any image hang-over if you are able to convincingly play diverse characters. There are feelers coming in from certain film-directors. Once my ?Mahabharat? stint is over I will gradually get into movies, with Krishna?s blessings of course.?
Telly baroness Ekta Kapoor has no hang-ups in admitting that her latest epic serial ?Kahaani Hamaray Mahabharat Ki? on 9X has been unable meet their lofty TRP expectations, as she feels ?that the TV channel is new?. Being a die-hard optimist, she is hopeful that with the ?take-off stage in ?Mahabharat? happening next month where all the cardinal mytho-characters turn into adults, and there is the Krishna-Radha separation, the home-viewers traffic would increase rapidly. But of course it wouldn?t reach sky-high,? she reconciles. Interestingly, Mrinal Jain who plays Krishna was getting a lot of mushy female fans? feedback that he had that fleeting ?jhalak? of Rajeev Khandelwal. But was Ekta subconsciously looking for the handsome heart-throb character ?Sujal? factor when she finalised Jain after just a ?look test? minus the gruelling auditions? ?What mattered to us most was the divine serenity and yet the correct expression in the actor?s eyes when he donned the robes of Lord Krishna. At the same time he had to project the credible romantic natkhat vibes as he interacts with Radha,? responds Ekta. Not surprisingly both Mrinal and Puja have ardent filmy aspirations. Neither of them are apprehensive about being tagged with the overpowering mytho-screen image of the spiritual characters they are currently playing. Argues prolific model Mrunal, ?In today?s times audiences are intelligent enough not to have any image hang-over if you are able to convincingly play diverse characters. There are feelers coming in from certain film-directors. Once my ?Mahabharat? stint is over I will gradually get into movies, with Krishna?s blessings of course.?
msn india .com
Mrunal Jain who essays the role of Lord Krishna in 'Kahaani Hamaaray Mahabharat Ki' spoke to our source about his debut, playing the young and old Krishna, professional life and beyond...
On playing Lord Krishna...
This is my debut on TV and I am glad that I got the biggest break ever with a big production house. I am only focusing on playing Lord Krishna right now because it will be difficult for people to accept me in a different role at the same time.
Debuting with a mythology...
I am glad that my first break was a mythology. This version of the 'Mahabharat' is completely different from the earlier version. People are commenting on the costumes that are used in Ekta’s version but they are not giving it enough time. I don’t think there is any vulgarity on the show.
Landing the role...
I gave the auditions and I was supposed to play one of the Pandavas but when I met Ekta she decided that I play Lord Krishna. I would have been a fool to miss the opportunity. Initially, I was very surprised and confused as to whether I would play the young or old Krishna. Over the course of time, I was offered both the roles.
On comparisons with Nitish Bharadwaj
I was confident that I could do it but I had the fear that people may not accept me as Lord Krishna. And now I am happy that I am being accepted. Nitish Bharadwaj made such a big impact on people and I look up to him; I want to leave a mark on people’s mind and I am sure that I will.
Preparations for the role...
Playing different ages is a big challenge. I am working on my voice, body language and have stopped working out. I need to look innocent and portray a childish behaviour. I also did some reading on Krishna and some Bhagwad Gita as well. The voice needs clarity and, from my smile to each and every expression has to be innocent for the young Krishna. I am a Gujarati and I need to speak pure Hindi but I am taking efforts to improvise on that.
Working with the Balaji banner...
Working with Balaji has been fantastic. One of the reasons that Ekta chose me to play Lord Krishna is that I am a pure veggie. I don’t have onions and garlic. You can find me wearing kurtas most of the time. I have totally got into the character and follow certain things strictly. I have been provided with all the comforts. The directors are more like teachers and are really cool. So it feels great to constantly have people to guide you in learning.
Life on the sets...
Everybody on the sets addresses me as Krishnaji and respects me. In fact Ekta Kapoor touched my feet on Krishna Janmashtami because she looks at me as Lord Krishna and not Mrunal Jain. And when I am in Krishna’s outfit, I am very polite and calm. I want to give my 100% to whatever I do and give the best shot.
On the success of reality TV...
We have good daily soaps these days and the concept of 'saas-bahu' is going away. And reality shows are a big TRP booster. It is a change for people. It is ultimately what people want and reality shows are working well.
Big screen vs Small screen
TV is watched everyday but it is not the case with movies. It is cut-to-cut acting on the small screen. And everything is different between small screen and big screen from pin to airplane. Both the media are good in their own ways but I want to do movies as well.
Life beyond work...
I work 18 to 20 hours everyday and I hardly get anytime for myself. But I make it a point to visit the temple everyday. I watch some TV and it is mostly 'Travel and Living' and some news channels. I also love designing for automobiles. I would have been an automobile designer if not an actor. I also hit the gym whenever possible. I work on the weak areas of my acting; I take feedback from my seniors.
Working with Balaji has been fantastic. One of the reasons that Ekta chose me to play Lord Krishna is that I am a pure veggie. I don’t have onions and garlic. You can find me wearing kurtas most of the time. I have totally got into the character and follow certain things strictly. I have been provided with all the comforts. The directors are more like teachers and are really cool. So it feels great to constantly have people to guide you in learning.
Life on the sets...
Everybody on the sets addresses me as Krishnaji and respects me. In fact Ekta Kapoor touched my feet on Krishna Janmashtami because she looks at me as Lord Krishna and not Mrunal Jain. And when I am in Krishna’s outfit, I am very polite and calm. I want to give my 100% to whatever I do and give the best shot.
On the success of reality TV...
We have good daily soaps these days and the concept of 'saas-bahu' is going away. And reality shows are a big TRP booster. It is a change for people. It is ultimately what people want and reality shows are working well.
Big screen vs Small screen
TV is watched everyday but it is not the case with movies. It is cut-to-cut acting on the small screen. And everything is different between small screen and big screen from pin to airplane. Both the media are good in their own ways but I want to do movies as well.
Life beyond work...
I work 18 to 20 hours everyday and I hardly get anytime for myself. But I make it a point to visit the temple everyday. I watch some TV and it is mostly 'Travel and Living' and some news channels. I also love designing for automobiles. I would have been an automobile designer if not an actor. I also hit the gym whenever possible. I work on the weak areas of my acting; I take feedback from my seniors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
