Years ago, I had watched a movie on Ashoka, The Great. Shah Rukh played the lead role. I could never consume Shah Rukh as Ashoka. Going down the memory lane, I still remember Mughal=e=Ajam in which Prithvi Raj Kapoor played Akbar, The Great. I don’t know how Akbar looked, but after the movie, whenever someone took the name of Akbar I used to have a flash back of the Akbar of Mughl-e-Ajam.

Few weeks back, Imagine TV channel started a historical serial on Chandragupta Maurya. I was happy. I thought I shall be getting something of my choice on the small screen. I have kept on waiting to get my heroes back in shape. But the director and the writer don’t want to comply with my wishes and those of millions.

I don’t know how much research has gone in preparing the serial and its story. The director must not get a right to play with it in the manner he wishes. Unfortunately, no one as much I know have raised voice against making such as a silly serial with two greatest characters of Indian history- Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya. The director and producer have no right to imagine fantasy of Chandra Kanta Santati in creating the story of Chandragupta Maurya who ably assisted by Chanakya built the first great Indian empire. Someone should sue the channel for distorting historical characters beyond a limit. Unfortunately, the historians and intellectuals these days hardly bother in the name of right of expressing one’s opinion.

I know if some good writers have written any good historical novel based on the two historical characters that the producer could have followed, but still, I am sure, there must be many even today to script some rational story about them.

I agree that not much information is available about the initial period of their lives. Chanakya authored the great book, Artha Shastra, but it hardly contains any story about him or Chandragupta.

Anyone interested in knowing more about him can go through Wikipedia and ‘Chandragupta Maurya and his times’ By Radhakumud Mookerji.
Years ago, one Dwivedi produced a serial on Chanakya that was pretty good.
I wish the director takes note of it and makes it worthy of the characters. It shouldn’t distort the images of the characters in the mind of the young students of history who are also its citizens.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are purely those of the author and may not in any circumstances be regarded as the official view of BiharTimes.

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