Om Namah Shivay (1997 TV series)
Om Namah Shivay is an Indian-Television series based on Hindu Puranic tales and stories of Lord Shiva. The series is presumably named after the mantra Aum Namah Shivaya. It "depicts the spirituality, divinity, and the moving power with which Lord Shiva governs the destiny of the universe."
Om Namah Shivaya | |
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Genre | Mythology |
Written by | Vikas Kapoor |
Screenplay by | Darshal Laad |
Directed by | Dheeraj Kumar |
Starring | Samar Jai Singh Yashodhan Rana Gayatri Shastri Manjeet Kullar |
Narrated by | Rishabh Shukla |
Music by | Sharang Dev |
Opening theme | Pt. Jasraj (Vocals) |
Country of origin | India |
Original language | Hindi |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 208[1][2] |
Production | |
Producer | Zuby Kochhar |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production company | Creative Eye |
Release | |
Original network | DD National |
Picture format | |
Original release | 1997 – 1999 |
Plot
The plot centers around Lord Shiva and brings Hindu theology to life in a series of interconnected stories. The serial begins with the creation of the universe and the other Devas, then guides the viewer through Shiva's marriage to Sati, Sati's death, Shiva's marriage to Parvati, and tales of many devotional acts, demonic battles, and important religious events (such as the creation of the twelve Jyotirlinga). It ends with events covered in the Mahābhārata and the blessing of the hero Arjuna by Shiva.
According to the show's introduce the material used to construct the show's plot and the script was extensive. Sources listed are the Vayu Puran, Shiv Maha Puran, Skand Puran, Ling Puran, Tantra Chooramani, Valmiki Ramayan, Swetashwar Upanishad, Vaman Puran, Varah Puran, Koorma Puran, Rudra Yamal Tantra, Padma Puran, Devi Bhagwat Puran, and Bhagwat Puran. Director Dheeraj Kumar, a devotee of Lord Shiva, oversaw nine years of research to ensure that Om Namah Shivay's story was complete and accurate;[3] nonetheless, the opening credits begin with an apology for any errors that may have been made in the series.
Kumar has also stated that, besides depicting stories central to the Hindu faith, every episode of the serial "contains certain portions which highlight the cultural heritage of India."[4]
Cast
The Family of Shiva
- Samar Jai Singh/Yashodhan Rana as Shiva[5]
- Gayatri Shastri as Parvati
- Jagesh Mukati as Ganesha
- Saurav Aggarwal as Kartikeya
- Manjeet Kullar as Sati Shiva's first wife but later burns herself in the fire, after her father Daksha Prajapati insulted Shiva because of his looks.
- Yashodhan Rana as Kamadeva
- Rajeshwari Sachdev as Rati
The Vishnu Family
Vishnu's Incarnations
- Sandeep Mehta as Narada
- Sanjay Swaraj as Indra
- Shailly Chaudhary as Shachi, the wife of Indra
- Firdaus Mevawala as Brihaspati
- Santosh Shukla as Chandra
- Dharmendra Rana as Varuna
- Priyanka as Kaushiki
- Chand Dhar as Shukracharya
- Gajendra Chauhan as Daksha
- Kshama Raj as Prasuti
Other Characters:-
- Nimai Bali as Jalandhara / Shani / Duryodhana / Sindoorasura
- Rajesh Shringarpure as Arjuna
- Gufi Paintal as Shakuni
- Upasana Singh as Mohini
- Sarvadaman D. Banerjee as Rajkumar Vrishdwaj
- Kaushal Kapoor as Andhaka
- Vaquar Shaikh as Ravana
- Pappu Polyester as Nandi
- Kulraj Bedi as Kumbhakarna
- Raman Khatri as Vibhishana / Hiranyakashipu
- Govind Khatri as Hiranyaksha
- Daman Maan as Mahishasura
- Utkarsha Naik as Kaikasi
- Arun Mathur as Sumali
- Amrit Pal as Tarakasura
- Mahendra Ghule as Kamalaksha / Bhima / Hanuman
- Deepak Jethi as Vidyunmali
- Sanjeev Siddharth as Tarakaksha
- Pratik Bohara as Shumbha
- Anil Yadav as Nishumbha / Parashurama
- Shalini Kapoor Sagar as Karkati
Soundtrack
Songs from many well-known Indian singers are featured in this serial; a few examples include the title song "Om Namah Shivay" (Pandit Jasraj), "Rudra Rudra" (Vinod Rathod and Udit Narayan, episode 53), and "Trikal Darsh" (episode 89), "Man Mein Ek Kamna" (episode 62), and "Maha Shivratri Aayi" (Alka Yagnik). A contemporary article states that "Jasraj's son, Sharang Dev, has provided music" and that "almost every singer of Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar included, has sung for the serial."[4]
Unity is created in the series by using the same songs for different scenes, or even the same melodies with different lyrics, to soundtrack a recurring theme or situation. For example, the creation of each Jyotirling is accompanied by a chorus of the song "Ajar Amar Shiv Shankar." "Dharm Na Janu," sung by the boy Upmanyyu in episode 58, later becomes the melody for the song "Jeevan Kya Hai," which the young Markandeya sings in episode 168; each child sings to seek Shiva's protection through prayer. Indra, Narada, and the Devatas sing "Om Shri Tripund Dhari" to ask rescue from Shiva in episode 56; Sachi then sings the same melody as a prayer to Shakti, "Jai Shakti Dayini Maa," in episode 100.
Continuity is also created between different performers with music. For instance, the song "Maha Shivratri Aayi" is sung by Shiva's first wife Sati, and then by his second wife Parvati, both celebrating the great festival of Maha Shivaratri.
Broadcast
Om Namah Shivay was running in parallel with another TV series called Shiv Mahapuran which was based on the same topic. Shiv Mahapuran was created by Gulshan Kumar from T-Series. Both the shows used to telecast on Doordarshan. However, while Om Namah Shivay was shown on DD-National channel, Shiv Mahapuran was telecast on DD-Metro channel. Sometimes, both use to run the same track parallelly.
Yashodhan Rana and Gayatri Shastri - the second actor to play Shiva, and Parvati, respectively - became engaged in 1999.[6] They married in 2001 and divorced in April 2010.[7]
Home video
In 2003, Om Namah Shivay was released as a two-part, 42-DVD set, distributed by Madhu Entertainment and Media. It includes an option for English subtitles and a choice of four languages for audio (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam). The DVD insert explains more about the series' creation and purpose: "There is no one character in world history...which has influenced people so great and made them culturally rich as Shiva. The name of Lord Shiva is unique in each and every respect. The TV serial Om Namah Shivay is gratitude shown to this God of Gods called Shiva. A great effort is put to make this serial an unforgettable experience in every Indian's life."
References
- "Sony to run old DD mytho in afternoon band". Indiantelevision.com. 30 November 2002. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- "Om Namah Shivay on DVD". Indian Express Group. 25 July 2003. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- "A Magnet With a Magic Touch". screenindia.com. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- "Dheeraj Kumar Makes It Big on the Small Screen". smashits.com. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- "On screen Shiva and Parvati, Yashodhan Rana and Gayatri Shastri, get engaged". India Today. 5 July 1999.
- "But really..." india-today.com. 7 May 1999. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- "Oh my God, Yashodhan-Gayatri split". tellychakkar.com. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010.