Shiv Sagar, the head of Sagar World Multimedia, belongs to a lineage deeply connected with Indian epics and storytelling. With shows like ...
Shiv Sagar, the head of Sagar World Multimedia,
belongs to a lineage deeply connected with Indian epics and storytelling. With
shows like Ramayan, Shri Krishna, and Vikram Aur Betal, among others, and
ongoing shows like Kakbhushundi Ramayan and Kaamdhenu Gaumata to their credit,
the company has changed the landscape of mythological shows in the
entertainment industry. As a kid, Shiv remembers visiting the set of Ramayan,
which was created by his grandfather, Shri Ramanand Sagar.
He said, "I was 10 years old when Ramayan was
being aired on television. We would visit the sets and sometimes even become
junior artists when small kids were not available for production or were too
expensive. At that point in time, we didn’t realize the impact all this would
have on the country and the world, but now, when we look back, we see what an
important milestone it was and what a great achievement of the late Dr.
Ramanand Sagar ji and the entire Sagar family, including the womenfolk."
"One cannot deny the impact, awe, and
admiration one develops for the creative people in the house who worked day and
night to make this possible and keep it all together. Also, watching these
epics from a young age again and again, listening to stories from the sets,
hearing about the problems, and learning about different versions of the
Ramayan and Mahabharat—all of this seeped into the subconscious mind at a young
age and left a lasting impact on our thoughts and life patterns as we evolved,"
he added.
Currently, Kakbhushundi Ramayan is running on DD
National and is based on a conversation regarding Ramayan between Kakabhushundi
and Garuda, both of whom were devotees of Rama. Talking about the show, Shiv
said, "When DD approached us to make Ramayan again, we were excited. The
grace of Lord Ram has always been in the family. We know our job very well and
felt we could create something no one else would be able to."
Sagar World has also brought Kaamdhenu Gaumata to
life on-screen with a show of the same name that airs on Star Bharat. He said,
"Kaamdhenu Gaumata is such a unique project that as a creative person, I
felt instantly drawn towards it. In India, a cow is not just an animal but an
emotion. So many times, even in our daily lives, we experience this—for
example, when a cow crosses the road, cars stop out of respect. The cows here
are also not afraid of human beings, because they know their power."
"When my father, Shri Prem Sagar, conceived
the idea and narrated it to me, I was instantly sold on it. These days, there
is hardly any innovation in the mythology genre. Production houses and channels
are mostly rehashing old Sagar Art shows with newer techniques and better
production values. Kaamdhenu is a totally original show, and that’s the reason
it has worked," he added.
However, he confessed that shooting with a real cow
was challenging. "Shooting with an actual cow we bought in Vadodara and
making her act was a very difficult task. The same cow was photographed from
head to toe, and a 3D model was created to handle stunt and action sequences
that would not have been possible with a real animal," Shiv concluded.
No comments