Nagpur: From Star Plus and the writer of Bahubali & Bahubali2, K. V. Vijayendra Prasad, comes this magnum opus show, the story of which narrates the clash of two civilizations born and built out of two different existential needs; one desperately wanting what the other had and the other fighting to defend what they believed to be rightfully theirs.
The story goes back to the time when the Dravidians ruled over the Indian subcontinent and the Aryans, the nomads from the west, were in search of Saptsindhu, the fertile land they had always heard about. The Dravidians had it all from fertile land to a flourishing civilization, while the Aryans were still in search of the land where their clan could settle down and flourish.
Aryans were given nothing on a platter. They found themselves born and struggling for survival in difficult terrains. They had a hunger which made them go hunting, adventuring, and conquering. The young Aryan civilization was looking for a land where, all that they struggled for was available – food, water, pleasant weather and a land that was fertile throughout the year. They found it as well, but it was somebody else’s. However, that never deterred anybody in history from going for it. And that’s the reason they came looking for the Aryavarta and made their final push to conquer it.
On the other side, the Dravidians were the lucky ones. They were born in a land which had all that was needed to survive. They had what their Gods ordained for them. They built a great civilization. And a strict society because they did not want to lose all that they had.
On the Dravidian side we see Devsena, born in a matriarchal society and is groomed to be a queen. But she prefers her simple carefree life, as she feels that the throne will distance her from her father. As the would-be-queen, she is duty-bound to protect her clan from the Aryans. While Varundev, who hails from the Aryan clan, is a warrior down the ranks trying to restore respect for his father and fighting for Aryans to acquire the prosperous Dravidian land.
Devsena (Karthika Nair), the heir apparent and an unparalleled warrior, born in matriarchal society will be seen heading the Dravidian clan to defend it from the ambush of the Aryans, who in search of Sapt Sindhu were willing to leave no stone unturned. It is on the battlefield that she encounters an admirable warrior from the Aryan clan, Varundev (Rajniesh Duggall), who through his endurance has risen up the ranks in a democratic society. This battle marks the beginning of not just the biggest conflict there once was between these two civilizations but also unfurls the story of two warriors who are fighting from opposite sides unaware of the fact that destiny has something else planned for them. This roller coaster ride of a show will transport the viewer to a mystical era where nothing is what it seems. Karthika briefly shares about her role, “Vijayendra ji’s character of Devsena has been an extremely beautiful and strong girl. She is gracious and adventurous at the same time.”
This weekend magnum opus also marks the debut of Tanuja Mukerji on television as Hahuma, the spiritual leader of Dravidians, who is beyond time and is seen prophesying the future of Dravidians as well as Aryans. The legendary actress shared, “This role is distinctive in many ways. Everything she does is so well-crafted and I am glad to be a part of this project.”
Aarambh is driven by all the variants of the human emotions’ spectrum – love, jealousy, pride, hatred, greed and all the other shades in between and therefore, is set to keep the audiences intrigued and wanting to see more.
Commenting on the project, writer Vijayendra Prasad said, “This is a creation of a parallel world of heroism. My story of Devsena will be the first and only narration of a woman so strong that she could rule the world of patriarchy by knowledge and sword. This is the only project which has brought me to the small screen.”
AARAMBH has the potential to capture the audience’s imagination at multiple levels. In the superficial is the visual excellence. At a slightly deeper level are human emotions and dramatic content. At the deepest level is the philosophical take on how and why conflicts happen. However if we leave aside all of these, for the audience in general, it is great ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT.
About STAR India
STAR India has defined the Indian media landscape since 1991 and today is one of the country’s leading media conglomerates, reaching approximately 650 million viewers a month across India and more than 100 other countries. STAR generates 20,000 hours of content every year and broadcasts 50+ channels in 8 different languages, reaching 9 out of 10 C&S TV homes in India.
The network’s entertainment channel portfolio includes STAR Gold, Channel V, STAR World, STAR World Premiere HD, STAR Movies, STAR Movies Select HD, STAR Utsav, Star Utsav Movies, Life OK, Movies OK and STAR Plus, India’s No. 1 Hindi General Entertainment Channel. It has a leading presence in regional broadcasting as well, through a bouquet of channels which include STAR Jalsha, Jalsha Movies, STAR Pravah, Maa channels and affiliate channels Asianet, Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies, Suvarna, Suvarna Plus and Vijay. It is also present in the Indian movie production and distribution space through Fox STAR Studios, an affiliate joint venture company.
STAR India is making quantum leaps in transforming sports in the country by leveraging the group’s strengths in superior content and audience engagement. STAR’s sports business has grown rapidly to 10 channel properties (STAR Sports 1, 2, 3, 4; STAR Sports HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4 and Star Sports Select HD1, Select HD2), making it the leading sports network in the country.
STAR is set to drive the agenda on digital content consumption in the country with Hotstar, STAR’s revolutionary digital platform that brings your favourite TV shows, movies and sports in one destination.
STAR India is a fully owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.
—Farhan Kazi
