Mukul Dev: Television isn't only about saas bahu sagas

Mukul Dev in an interview with mid-day talks about why he chose 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 as his comeback vehicle on the small screen

Mukul Dev

After hosting the first season of Fear Factor India in 2006, Mukul Dev turned down several offers from the television industry, instead, focussing on his journey in regional cinema. But when 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 came his way, he took the bait. His reason was simple — "the show takes a deviation from what you otherwise see on TV."

The actor reveals he was fascinated by the script that traces the Battle Of Saragarhi, where 21 soldiers of the Sikh regiment fought the Afghan tribesmen till their last breath. "There was no reason to say no to the show, it was a mind-blowing project. Also, it puts the notion that only saas bahu sagas work on TV, to rest. The other television offers that came my way weren't as challenging," says Dev.

While getting into the skin of his character Gul Badshah involved growing his mane and adopting an Afghani dialect, he says that the unforgiving climate of Leh and Ladakh proved to be the most challenging part of the shoot. "The first day was tough as we were not acclimatised. The popular belief is that if you are feeling cold, you should have a glass of rum to feel better. But in this case, it would imply a sure shot trip to the hospital," he says, adding that he also struggled with horse riding. "Imagine riding an untamed horse of Ladakhi origin on that hilly terrain, while mouthing your lines with aggression! There were times when I was almost thrown off."

Point out how several filmmakers are bringing the same story on the big screen and he says there is no competition. "There is no copyright, so it's up for grabs. But we are dedicating 65 episodes to the story. We've explored all possibilities. I don't know how the other directors have approached the subject."

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