Chanakya

Dr Dwidevi made his first acting/direction TV venture with "Chanakya". It came out in times when several other historical and mythological series were popular. It is interesting how "Chanakya" captured the attention and minds of people in between such glamorous shows.

"Chanakya" is a result of a lot of detailed work on life of people during the rule of the Mauryan Dynasty. The sets, costumes, language & pronunciations and cinematography separate it from other costume dramas. The characters are not cardboard cut-outs. They are well-rounded and have depth. Chanakya is one of the shrewdest characters in history. He has been played so well that he virtually comes out of the screen.

On the whole, "Chanakya" reminds us that 'kutil' and shrewd minister of the Mauryas is not merely history. He created history.

Chanakya (written/directed, and played by Dr.Chandraprakash Dwivedi) is a class of its own. Though the tele-serial did not do well when telecast on Doordarshan (the Indian national television), the amount of research that went into producing the serial, the historical accuracy, and the care taken in costume every aspect of production is remarkable.

The background music is played only by instrument that were prevalent in 3rd century BC. You will also notice that the Indian horsemen will ride without saddles (which was not introduced to India before Alexander's visit to Takshasila.) The swords and shields used was also a replica of those from the Mauryan times. The most commendable aspect being the setting itself. Dr.Chandraprakash Dwivedi spent over 1 crore (10 million) rupees back in those days, for reconstructing a replica village/city of the Mauryan times. Though the city is not 100% a replica of 3rd Century Pataliputra or Takshasila, it is remarkably planned and structured as per the definitions given in Chanakya's book - the Arthashastra.

Chanakya Kautilya has been my role model since I was 7 years old. This is a man who's very thoughts will send shivers down your spine, and his insights will help you in every aspect of life - be it business, politics, or domestic affairs.

I own the eight part DVD of "Chanakya" tele-serial and have seen it over and over in the past three years. Once I play the first episode, I know for sure that I am incapable of watching anything else till we finish the entire set.

This serial is recommended for history buffs, students of politics, and common folks like me who love Chanakya.

It is not a fiction or a drama but depicts the establishment of the Maurya dynasty in India. One man, who had faced very tough circumstances not only in his childhood but also in his life made history by uniting the different independent states sharing the same culture and background into one country, India and threw the kings out who did not deserve to rule. His patriotism for his motherland was beyond any appreciation. It inspires one to preserve that culture and always uphold the needs of the country over your own needs and desires. I have watched it twice, but even when I watched it the second time, it didn't inspire me less than it did the first time. It teaches many good things and the best thing I like is the theme that if you are following the truth and have faith in your beliefs, no matter how many obstacles or hurdles you face, don't give up and you will win one day.

I would give it a 9/10 (just because at some places it has been prolonged unnecessarily, dances etc. were not that needed).

The serial has been made very well, and the acting of the main character, Chanakya, played by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi is stunning. The language and its articulation give a very good impression of the theme.

On the translation of Greek, which was done using English, I would expect betterment of accent, but this was a very small part of the serial.

All together, the work is wonderful, and there is no doubt that it was recognized by academy and people. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi's articulation, expression, and body language are worth praising.

The historical aspect of the serial is the most important. The theme of the work seems to be fiction, but it is not. It is a reality Bharat (India) witnessed long time ago. There are many lessons that can be learned from the serial, e.g. the concept of nation that is united by values and history and the existence of various states within the nation, tension between states, personal benefit and national benefit, nationalism, etc.

Watching the serial will provoke many philosophical thoughts in the mind of the viewer.

India is a country of a billion people and I am surprised only 1 person before me has felt compelled to write about this work of sheer genius.

If I was in India, I would seek out all the makers of this tremendous effort and personally thank them for letting me know that there was one man in India such as Chanakya. He was the first true patriot that India produced - a patriot who unified India even as he was making seminal contributions to the fields of Political Science and Economics in the earliest stages of development of these sciences. No other professor has ever held a political sway over any country leading both to its creation and a stable government - in the history of civilization.

But that is not all. The script is truly awesome. The characters of Chanakya and the others have been portrayed with remarkable depth and consistency to make them truly believable and they arouse the viewer's empathy. 48 hours of viewing is not for today's world of fleeting attention spans - but for those who are willing to put in the effort and time, the satisfaction is tremendous. It is not entertainment material like pop corn accompaniment - to be shrugged off and confined to the dustbin of memory - after a couple of hours of viewing. For the history buff, it tantalizes you enough to want to devote 4-5 hours every day for 2 whole unrelenting weeks, without hesitation. I have already done that twice over a span of 4 years. I am sure I would want to watch the entire series again after my college going boys can muster the patience and interest to do likewise to understand their Indian heritage.

My only complaint is that the names of the actors and the roles they play are curiously difficult to find. I am still trying. The web search engines provided no answers and the DVD's I have do not make the job of finding these easy either. Even the janitors who helped the filming crew seem to get more prominent billing than the cast. After all the 90+ hours of viewing, I still can't figure out the name of the genius who plays Chanakya - who figures in almost 50% of all the frames!