Legend Has It

Sony Entertainment Television

Monday – Thursday,10pm

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For the first 20 minutes of Sony’s Bharat Ka Veer Putra: Maharana Pratap,we felt like we were under a moral police scanner. More than lessons from history,this one’s a lesson in moral science. A glorious description and introduction to the all-rounder Pratap would be: an obedient son,a loyal patriot,courageous,intelligent and a best friend. A young Maharana,he is the epitome of perfection,essayed brilliantly by Faisal Khan. Inspired by the life of this legendary ruler of Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs who ruled Mewar,Bharat Ka Veer Putra: Maharana Pratap,produced by Contiloe Telefilms,is a fictional account of the life and times of Pratap.

The first episode,that aired on May 27,grabbed eyeballs with Amitabh Bachchan’s voice-over,introducing the characters and giving a brief background — the three queens,with the eldest and most sorted,Jaivantha Bai,played by Rajshree Thakur; the mysterious Aashka Goradia as the youngest Rani Bhatiyani; and the playful Divyalakshmi as middle Rani Sajja Bai. Then there is the revenge-seeking Maharana Uday Singh (Shakti Anand,here,is seen after a long time) who plays Pratap’s father.

The beginning of the show was spectacular with lavish sets and yards of silk and brocade. This is something that Indian television get perfectly. But whether it will manage to engage the audience with a story that promises twists and turns instead of pregnant pauses and heavy duty dialogues,remains to be seen. We are particularly interested in how the characters shape up considering that this piece of history is volatile.

In the meantime,from what we saw,Khan as a young Maharana Pratap dodges the crocodiles for a lotus flower,listens like a good boy to his mother,fulfills everyone’s wishes,acts like a valiant brother and fast friend and shows glimpses of patriotism,perseverance and chivalry. Although it’s still at a character-building phase,the Afghan Mughal villainy can be toned down. For instance,Shams Khan is more of a caricature than menacing. This is where HBO’s Game of Thrones can act as the reference point. But like we mentioned,there is more to come in shades of grey. We’ll be patient with it and see how the story unfolds.