RSTV commissions Shyam Benegal-directed mini-series Samvidhaan

For a first, the Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) has commissioned a 10-part mini-series titled Samvidhan that would show the framing of the Constitution and the story of how it was drafted. The series directed by noted director Shyam Benegal, is being currently shot in the Film City, Goregaon. Reportedly studio No. 5 of Film City has become the Central Hall of the Parliament House, where the debates took place to draft the Constitution of India, between 1946 and 1949. The studio has housed a replica of the Central Hall of that period and over 150 actors are in attendance to tell the story of the making of the Indian Constitution. Observed auteur Benegal on directing the mini-series, “The Constituent Assembly of India sat for two years, eleven months and seventeen days to debate on and draft the Constitution. By the time this mini-series is over, we would have taken a little less than that time to make Samvidhaan and tell the story of how our founding fathers and mothers fought against all odds to give a democratic shape to the destiny of India. It is an epic story, the story of the birth of our nation and we have done our best to do justice to it while also maintaining its historic authenticity and flavour. The idea was to bring out the drama, to make it as entertaining as it will obviously be educative.” Here it may be noted that the director’s uncle, Sir Benegal Narsing Rau wrote the first draft of the Constitution. It is an interesting co-incidence that besides Benegal’s uncle many other members of the cast and crew were related to the constituent assembly members or have met them. Commented executive director, Rajya Sabha Television Rajesh Badal, “It is a historic moment in Indian cinematic history. This is a story, of the pain and struggle, the passion and the compassion, the fights and the camaraderie that went into making the Constitution of India. It is a dramatization and fictionalization without losing the facts, an attempt both to preserve and cherish those who fought for the independence of India and more importantly to ensure that the freedom is maintained through democratic governance.” Badal added that it was Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India, who encouraged RSTV to explore, document and present the underlying processes, decisions, events and personalities that shaped our nation post 1947. Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari have been entrusted to write the series. Tiwari also essays the role of Pandit Govind Vallabh, noted actor Sachin Khedekar plays Dr. B R Ambedkar while Dalip Tahil enacts the role of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Others in the cast are Tom Alter, Rajendra Gupta, K K Raina, Rajit Kapur, Harish Patel, Anjan Srivastava, Mohit Chauhan, Utkarsh Majumdar, Divya Dutta, Ila Arun, Rajeshwari Sachdev and Kennith Desai among others.