Showing posts with label Shri Krishna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shri Krishna. Show all posts
Playing Krishna taught me to live in the moment-Swwapnil Joshi
2:38 PM
Shruti Paniker (BOMBAY TIMES; September 7, 2023)
“Three decades on, when one recalls the onscreen Krishnas, I am blessed to be one of the names that comes up,” says Swwapnil Joshi, who played the role of a young Krishna in Ramanand Sagar’s TV show Shri Krishna. The actor adds, “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ramanand Sagar made Shri Krishna after the success of Ramayan, and I got an offer to play the central character. It couldn’t have gotten bigger than that. It was an absolute no-brainer (to take up the role).”
The actor reveals that it was also a chance for him to re-associate with Ramanand Sagar after his turn as Kush (of Lav-Kush) in Uttar Ramayan. “I played an interesting part of Krishna’s lifetime. There was the romance with Radha, then Kans vadh, so I played some important milestones in Krishna’s life. I was honoured that Dr Sagar thought of me for the role back then,” he adds. Excerpts:
On the prep that went behind portraying Krishna
I was 16, young and naïve. And most of my prep was done by Dr Sagar. Right from conceptualization and storytelling to dialogues and picturization – it was his brainchild. All we did as actors was surrender to his vision. So, if you loved me as Krishna, the first credit goes to Him (Krishna) for inspiring me to act well, and the rest goes to Dr Sagar.
On being remembered as Krishna
Every character takes a part of you and every character gives a part of itself to you. So, the fact that it’s been 30 years, and that there have been other actors who’ve played Krishna in 10 other bigger shows, if I am still remembered as Krishna then I’ve definitely given something to the character. I think I gave an innocence to the character and a certain cuteness to it. I want to believe that I’ve given something to the character that it has stayed with people.
On people worshipping him as Krishna
I think my middle class upbringing helped me stay grounded despite all the adulation that came my way while playing Krishna. I used to live in a chawl in Gujarat. And the love of fans was surreal. Playing the character taught me to live in the moment. The second thing it taught me was: ‘Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma Phaleshu Kadachana’ (Perform your deeds without any expectation of the fruit).
On playing Krishna again
If I choose to take up the role of Krishna again, it’d depend on who’s making the show. It cannot be made as a film project or a web series with a balance sheet in mind, the makers need to understand the sanctity of it. With the right kind of people with the right setup, why not!
Supreme reign: Gods continue to top TRP charts
8:09 AM
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 10, 2020)
Clearly, gods are reigning supreme during the lockdown. At least, that’s what TV viewing pattern — during the Coronavirus induced shutdown — seems to indicate. So, while reruns of Ramayan and Mahabharat topped the TRP charts at the start of the lockdown [around March-end], the ‘religious reign’ continues even now. As per the latest data by Broadcast Audience Research Channel (BARC), Doordarshan’s Shri Krishna is the most watched TV show for second consecutive week. The top five shows also include Mahima Shanidev Ki, Mahabharat [new version] and Ramayan on various channels.“To start with, people have been feeling low for the last three months, and so, these classic shows make them feel good, and also give them a sense of emotional strength. Plus, you can watch these shows with the entire family, and there’s a lot of nostalgia involved, too,” says TV producer Shashi Mittal.
Besides reruns of Ramayan and Mahabharat, a number of gods-based shows as Karmaphal Daata Shani, Uttar Ramayan, Paramavatar Shri Krishna, Vighnaharta Ganesh and Mere Sai - Shraddha Aur Saburi among many others have been running successfully on television during the lockdown.
“If you notice the pattern during the lockdown, people have gone back to not just old TV shows but also classic movies. As for out-and-out religious shows, it’s like going to back your comfort food when you are upset or angry about something. The sheer universality, relatability and the joyful nostalgia involved with such shows make people turn to them,” says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.
Money-wise, too, mythologicals worked their magic. Apparently, six new TV commercials of a top dairy brand were launched during lockdown with the shows. “For any brand, this was the best time because of great viewership. The investment in Ramayana and Mahabharat was like a lottery. We got 100X back,” R S Sodhi, managing director of the dairy brand has said in an interview.
Lastly, a 47-year-old homemaker, Swati Paliwal puts things in perspective: “Watching religious shows give me a lot of mental peace, and it alleviates my tension during such stressful times. It gives me a feeling that all will be fine.”
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