Country Roads

It is a story of an urban girl,played by actress Madhvi Singh who sets out on a tour of interior India — covering several states including Rajasthan,Gujarat,Chhattisgarh,Jharkhand,Uttar Pradesh,Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. “Long ago,I met a girl who was worldly wise but knew little about the actual India,even though she claimed she did. Her thoughts were so interesting that it prompted me to think. I then decided to put down the basic premise,find a girl and then take her around India,shoot her on real locales and develop the story along the way,” says Mirza. It is supposed to be a 26-episode show,but Mirza — who is still shooting it — believes it could exceed the given number of episodes.

Mirza,who has directed movies such as Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai (1980),Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989) and Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984),has been known for his realistic portrayal of the urban middle class and the impact of communalism on society. Even through his TV shows Nukkad and Intezaar,Mirza focussed on everyday struggles. “It was the common man that fascinated me then and fascinates me now,” states Mirza,who has shown the various facets of a common man’s life in his latest show.

The show wasn’t easy for Mirza. Firstly,he decided to travel with a crew consisting of five members and one actor. “Since there was a lot of travelling involved,we did not want to travel with a huge crew,” says Mirza. Another major hindrance was the weather,which fluctuated from extreme heat to rains. “But the travelogue also helped me savour some of my best travel moments. In some places,the terrain is so wonderful and at other places,the people and their quirks,their food,” says Mirza,who last directed the film Ek Tho Chance in 2009.

While Doordarshan,which is in its makeover phase,is trying to showcase a bouquet of new shows,Mirza feels this is the only channel that he would like to work for. “I like my association with the channel because it gives me a lot of creative liberty. And this show is a proof of that,” he says.