For team of Prithviraj Chauhan, it’s all about shooting — and eating

Cast and crew sample traditional Lakhnavi fare like kakori kebabs, galoutis; no expenses being spared for teleserial which goes on air this summer


Shirin Abbas
Lucknow, April 18: APART from the ongoing shooting of their teleserial Prithviraj Chauhan, what’s high on the agenda of the cast and crew of (Ramanand) Sagar Films in the city at present? Tucking into Lakhnavi delicacies.

For model-turned-actor Jas Arora, who plays Prithviraj’s father Someshwar Chauhan, this is not his first trip to the City of Nawabs. Not surprising then that he’s the team’s unofficial food guide, leading producer Amrit Sagar, series director Shakti Sagar and the rest of the team to try chicken tikkas, kakori kebabs and galoutis with wafer-thin rumalis and sheermals.

The serial is preparing to take centrestage on the Star bouquet this summer. ‘‘When it’s a Sagar Films’ production, you can be sure that there will be loads of emotion, drama and opulence involved. We don’t beleive in doing anything half-heartedly,’’ says Amrit Sagar.

No expenses are being spared. Rs 4.6 crore was spent in creating just one set — the Ajmer Palace. Over 40 acres of land in Baroda’s Film City has been converted into the serial’s sets — desert dunes, a lake and an entire battlefield. Cloth for one of Someshwar’s costumes had to be sourced from Benares as the material had disappeared from the looms decades ago.

Dressed for the party — in Jodhpurs and a tight waistcoat, Jas Arora says there is no rivalry about sharing screen space with Angad Bedi, who is playing the lead role.

‘‘Prithviraj is 13 when Someshwar dies,’’ he points out. ‘‘The entire period from 1819 to 1845 has been re-created in 156 episodes. The story starts with Someshwar and Kamlavati’s romance. giving me ample scope to get my share of the arclights,’’ he adds.

His on-screen love interest, Sunila, says she is looking forward to doing a ‘‘meaty positive role’’ after essaying a number of negative roles on the small screen. ‘‘Playing mother is no big deal. All mothers on TV today are young and sexy.’’

How close will the serial stick to historical facts? Replies Shakti Sagar: ‘‘The prime source is of course Chand Bardai’s Prithvi Raj Raso which is the one authentic text available of the period. We have also involved a team of researchers 24X7 on the job. But the serial is not just about history, the story is also about everyday life and emotions, love stories, power politics and a lot of what we see around us.’’