TV serial on Mohenjodaro civilization in the making

Mumbai, June 22 (IANS) Tired of watching endless "saas bahu" dramas on television? A new serial on the ancient Mohenjodaro civilization would now take viewers back in time to show how those highly evolved people lived and dressed and their culture.

To be made on the lines of widely-appreciated serials like "Discovery of India" and "Chanakya", the serial titled "Sambhav" will depict the life style of people of the ancient civilization with various dramatic elements.

"The serial is not purely historical but set in the backdrop of the Mohenjodaro civilization. It is a period drama based on the actual facts from that time," said Anoop Wadhwa, of Reasonable Advertising Private Limited (RAPL).

"The production value will be high and the look of the serial will remind one of yesteryear's block buster 'Chanakya'," said Wadhwa, whose daily family drama "Kashmakash Zindagi Ki" has completed 300 episodes on Doordarshan.

The script for "Sambhav" has been penned by Pradyot Pandit, who has written more than 16 shows (fiction and non-fiction) for various channels.

Pandit, a graduate in dramatics from Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal, said: "It took me more than a year to write the first episode because it needed a lot of research."

Pandit said he used the resources from the Archaeological Survey of India and books and documents available for his research.

"Since very little information is available about the ancient civilization, it was not easy to research," said Pandit, who has assisted renowned writers like Anees Bazmee, Sudhanshu Mishra and Anil Choudhury of serials like "Kabir" and "Phatichar".

Pandit told IANS: "The story of 'Sambhav' also deals with the Aryan age which is known to be the oldest civilization of India. Though we have incorporated dramatic elements, the flavour of the story is of that age and is backed by historical evidence."

With the script ready, shooting for the pilot will begin shortly, said Wadhwa, adding that he hoped to start airing the serial from the year-end.

Wadhwa has also started a cricket portal, criccontest.com, with live gaming and cricket equipment auction.

On the channel on which "Sambhav" is to be telecast, Wadhwa said, "Talks are on with various satellite channels. Let's see who gives us the best deal."

The Mohenjodaro civilization was built around 2,600 BC in what is now Sind in Pakistan. The city was one of the early urban settlements in the world, existing at the same time as the civilisations of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and Greece.

Anoop Wadhwa and Ashok Wadha of RAPL are also shortly launching their next venture, "Kasak", a serial on the trials and tribulations of a woman journalist, on the national network of Doordarshan.

• Television