Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, due to make his fiction debut on television with Yudh next month, hopes that the series’ unique story will help him connect to a larger audience.
‘Yudh’ boasts of a plethora of talent in its writing and casting departments, led by Bachchan’s character of a real estate baron.
The 71-year-old star, one of the first from Bollywood to take a plunge into television by hosting popular gaming reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, said he wanted to explore the narrative format for a long time.
“For quite some time I wanted to get an opportunity on television in which I get to work in a serial. I got in touch with [director] Anurag Kashyap last January. Then we together took this forward. For me it has been an amazing experience. And I am thankful to those people who have worked with me and helped make this series,” said Bachchan, unveiling the first poster of ‘Yudh’ in India’s capital on Wednesday.
Bachchan, who has starred in over 180 films in a career spanning more than four decades, says he decided to be a part of the series because he understands the potential of TV.
“Television is a very powerful medium. Commercially the turnover of television is three times more than that of films. It means that more people watch TV than films. There are more than 800 channels. I wanted to contribute to this. It is not about coming down to TV or going up to films. I think it is a healthy interchange of talent,” he said.
‘Yudh’ is directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, with Kashyap on board as creative director and ‘Madras Cafe’ helmer Shoojit Sircar as creative consultant.
“The story is the USP [unique selling point] of ‘Yudh’ and not me. I feel the directors, the writers are the main guys involved in this show. If there is no story then I am useless. I am a mere puppet and I did what they asked me to do,” Bachchan said.
The poster shows an intense-looking Bachchan running in a blue suit against the backdrop of highrisebuildings amidst dust.
“I play a construction company owner. There is business rivalry and family issues along with health issues which might be terminal... how he balances is what you will get to see,” Bachchan said.
Co-produced by Bachchan’s production company Saraswati Creations with Endemol India, the show is being promoted as a “first of its own kind” TV series.
“TV needs change and we always complain about it. I feel [‘Yudh’] is cinema as a TV series,” said Sircar. “‘Yudh’ is novel concept and it will change the whole Indian television scenario which is mainly dominated by ‘sass-bahu’ sagas.”
Kashyap agreed: “It’s like cinema on screen. This is Mr Bachchan at his best. We followed rules of cinema for the show. The approach... from script to sound design to editing, it’s same as it’s done in films.”
Yudh’ has a stellar ensemble cast with the likes of Sarika, Kay Kay Menon, Nawazuddin Siddique and Tigmanshu Dhulia among others.
The makers said that the show is expected to air on Sony television next month.
Kashyap directed Bachchan in ‘Bombay Talkies’.
“This is Mr Bachchan’s finest work in so many years. I hope that we do to television what we have been wanting to do for so long and we start creating a new kind of content. It is a novel way of storytelling on TV,” said Kashyap.
Sircar said he would not mind releasing his Bachchan-starrer ‘Shoebite’, which is yet to see the light of the day, on TV.
