Impressive! First look of Bharat ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap
Truly a magnum opus – grand, not garish is what can be felt while watching Maharana Pratap!
Presented with grandeur yet with an asthetic background, Contiloe Telefilms, ‘Bharat ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap’ on Sony TV looks outstanding in the first episode! The first episode of the show which opened with a two minute introduction in Amitabh Bachchan’s deep voice went on to make a mark of being a show to look forward to!
Cast – Faisal Khan as the young Maharana looks apt and prepared for the role which requires him to look agile and royal at the same time. Displaying kiddish innocence at times as the young Maharana, it is no wonder that he is doted upon by all. Despite the hot, outdoor location shoot, Faisal looks fresh and adds a get-up and go spirit to his character.
Rajshri Thakur Vaidya as his mother, Maharani Jaivantha Bai Songara, will be seen as the main source of inspiration for the young prince and the mother-son duo on screen have a somewhat facial resemblance giving credence to the casting. Shakti Anand seen on-screen after a long time is seen as Maharana’s father Uday Singh and looks a little tired. His entry is a bit filmy with the background music somewhat reminding one of the film Omkara! The other two maharanis who were shown in the first episode are the Maharana’s step-mothers played by Aashka Goradia and Divyaalakshmi. Aashka who plays the most beautiful chhoti maharani looked gorgeous in her royal spelndour but has a hint of sadness in her eyes and you hope that she does not start crying like she did when she was inside the house during Bigg Boss Season 6!
Story – The show will also appeal to the younger audience who will want to see the young prince and his growing up days. While the young Maharana Pratap is being groomed into being a warrior and will be seen getting trained for the same, he does not miss out on small childhood activities and mischief. In the very first episode we see him trying to get that elusive, lone lotus flower for his mother’s pooja even as crocodiles tried to make him their bait. In tonight’s episode we will again see him risking his life and entering the enemy area to get kairis (green mangoes) for his chhoti maa who is craving for them. His brave attempts and will power to excel are the traits for which he will be well known later in life and that comes out prominently in scenes like these.
Dialogues – The Rajasthani touch in the dialogues is prominent with everyone addressing each other as ‘Maasa’, ‘Kunwarsa’, ‘Maharanisa’, ‘Khairi khamba’ etc. Even the normal language spoken is shudh hindi with a royal touch. Again Rajashree looks comfortable with the dialect since she is used to speaking like this during her Saat Phere days.
Set – The shoot for this show was in Jaisalmer and the outdoor locations are perfect. However most noteworthy are the palaces of the various ranis which look impressive and grand enough. The producers seem to have been liberal when it came to the look of the show being kept real, grand and big with a lot of detailed research gone into the making of the sets. Set designer Omang Kumar has indeed kept upto thier expectations!
Costumes – Costume designer Neerusha Nikhat who has earlier too done costume designing for period dramas is not new to this genre. The research and detailing into each costume is obvious and the look for each character is different and unique. Each costume is supposed to be not less than a lakh of rupees and the jewellery which goes along with all the costumes looks ethnic too.
Music – The background score and lyrics do justice to the look of the show. It infuses energy into the show especially every time the entry of Faisal Khan comes up.
