Media news - Sai Baba returns to small screen

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Article published in: Screen India

Friday, September 23, 2005

URL:

 

http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?ontent_id=11234

 

 

 

 

 

Sai Baba returns to small screen

 

Posted online: Friday, September23, 2005 at 0000

hours IST

 

 

Several movies have been made on this saint, even

the small-screen has devoted space to this legendary

soul and now the Sagars are producing a serial on

Sai Baba for Star Plus. Sai Baba marks Ramanand

Sagar’s return to the small-screen after a long

hiatus. The pioneer of mythos on the small-screen,

Sagar had directed the record-making Ramayan in

1987. His next Godly serial Shri Krishna made Rs 130

crores for Doordarshan and now in 2005, the thespian

is back to produce and direct Sai Baba.

 

The series will be aired from October 9, every

Sunday evening between 8.00-9.00 pm just before KBC

2. As Prem Sagar jests, “People will first pray to

Sai Baba and then get ready to win the moolah.”

 

Sai Baba is the story of the humble fakir who became

a saint from Shirdi, a town situated in the far off

Nasik, in Maharashtra. To this day the birth and

parentage of Sai Baba is still a mystery, but today

Sai Baba is worshipped by devotees from all

religions and faiths. If Ayodhya is closely

associated with Lord Rama, Mathura with Lord Krishna

then Shirdi is known only for Sai Baba, the humble

barefooted saint who was always there for the needy.

His ‘miracles’ brought people flocking to meet him.

 

For the series, the Sagars have constructed a

special set costing Rs 30 lakhs in Sagar Filmcity in

Baroda. It took over three months to recreate the

entire township where Sai Baba resided. “Pains have

been taken to adhere to authenticity and erect the

Khandoba temple, Dwarkamai, neem ka ped etc,”

informs Prem Sagar. A NSD actor Mukul Nag who had

played the role of Sudama in Shri Krishna is playing

the title role.

 

 

 

© 2005: Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

Article published in: Mid Day

September 17, 2005

URL:

 

http://web.mid-ay.com/hitlist/2005/september/118912.htm

 

Ramanand Sagar is back

 

 

By: Shaheen Parkar

September 17, 2005

 

 

 

Ramanand SagarThe small screen’s pioneers of

mythological dramas, the house of Sagars, are back

with their latest offering, Sai Baba.

 

This project, which they prefer to term as a

mytho-biopic, has been conceived by the grand

patriarch Ramanand Sagar himself.

 

Launching in Oct

 

What’s interesting is that Sagar made history with

Ramayan in 1987, and then made Krishna in 1996.

 

Now, it’s Sai Baba in 2005. This weekly one-hour

show airs on Star Plus on Sundays at 8 pm, beginning

October 9. It will precede Kaun Banega Crorepati 2 —

a case of the living god before the screen god?

 

History repeats itself

 

“Three generations of the Sagars are simultaneously

into production and each with varied fare according

to their tastes,” says Prem Sagar, son of Ramanand

Sagar. Incidentally, the third generation of the

Sagars is making youth centric shows like Hello

Dollie Aur Uska Magic Bag (Star Plus).

 

“Even though our father is 87 years old, he is

totally involved. After Ramayan, he was overwhelmed

with Krishna, which came a decade after Ramayan. Now

that it is almost 10 years post Krishna, he is fully

immersed with Sai Baba. He has researched and

executed it thoroughly,” adds Prem Sagar.

 

No stars, please

 

Playing the title role of Sai Baba is Mukul Nag, a

National School of Drama graduate, who was earlier

seen as Sudama in Krishna.

 

“We can’t take stars to play such roles, their

starry presence will overshadow the character,” says

Prem. Also essaying key roles are Anu Kamal and

Kumar Hegde.

 

Sai Baba is being shot at Sagar Film City, near

Baroda, Gujarat. “We have recreated Shirdi in our

sets.

 

We have taken great care in exact detailing of the

most minute aspects, even the location of the neem

tree,” he adds.

 

Incidentally, two years ago, the Sagars took a break

from mythos with a soap titled Arzoo Hai Tu, which

aired on SaharaOne as their new generation had new

tastes.

 

Sagar Entertainment has also produced Vikram aur

Betal, Jai Ganga Maiya, Shri Krishna, Alif Laila,

Gurukul and Hatim for the small screen.

 

© 2005 Mid-Day Multimedia Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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