Anirudh Pathak reveals real reason behind Shrenu Parikh and Mohit Malik

Changing the lens and telling the same story from a new point of view was director Anirudh Pathakrsquos aim when he first decided to depict the brotherhood with the show Gatha Shiv Parivaar Ki mdash Ganesh Kartikey Mythological tales about deities are often told from a single perspective but he envisioned making this more relatable by portraying Shiv and Parvati as parents rather than as a God and Goddess As the show went on air on October 6 the director mdash who has previously created cult favourites Devon Ke DevMahadev and Siya Ke Ram mdash spoke to midday about offering audiences a glimpse into mythology drawing from the Vedas and Upanishads while sifting through folklores He also discussed his vision for the pivotal roles and why audiences are more receptive to such stories post the pandemicExcerpts from the interviewIn the 25 years you have worked as a director how do you think television shows have changed when making a mythology showI have understood two things Firstly you have to view the changes in audience viewing habits for mythological shows through two lenses mdash pre and postCOVID The pandemic gave people the opportunity to understand death Everyone now knows that everything is perishable and nothing lasts forever PostCOVID Irsquove noticed a cultural hunger No one wants to live merely for the sake of living I think this is the time when content is reinventing its point of view especially for mythological shows It was a different time altogether when I made my previous shows The new audience amounts to over 330 million especially with the impact of social media The second change Irsquove noticed is that content cannot be purely educational it has to bind with family and family valuesAnirudh PathakYoursquove already made Mahadev With so many options available why focus on Ganesh and KartikeyI have done my MA in Sanskrit so Irsquove always been connected to the Vedas and Purans At home we often worshipped Kali and Shiva mdash thatrsquos how I spent my childhood Secondly wersquove not often seen brotherhood on screen Films with two heroes always tend to work and I donrsquot think anyone has seen mythology through that lens Kartikey is a major god in the South and Ganesh is a popular deity in the North Thatrsquos why I thought it was the right time to tell this story I think the positioning was aptWhat did your research entailMy journey started with Shiva the story of Mahadev which I made earlier But incorporating him into regular households was a difficult task Mythological shows are all about learning and about God My agenda was to infuse it with a dose of family There is a mother who is the epitome of cosmic power yet her heart breaks for her children Parvati may be a goddess but she is ultimately a mother It is a dysfunctional family for lack of a better word Shiv Parvati Kartikey and Ganesh are connected to each other and I wanted to explore that family dynamicWe worked in three stages First we looked at what the scriptures said The lessons in the Vedas are theoretical while the Purans convey them through stories Every story we hear about deities has its core in the Upanishads and Vedas Mythology is like a memory passed down for generations supported by folklore You have to travel back at least 2000 years to get all your facts right Shiv and Parvatirsquos shivshakti is like consciousness an energy When they unite the world runs Ganesh and Kartikey are shivshaktirsquos worldly expressions My attempt has always been to portray the truthfulness of mythology There are many stories to tell mdash like when the Ramayana is told from Sitarsquos point of view it changes a bit but the core story remains the same If you stay true to your story people will accept it thatrsquos what I believeHow long have you worked on this storyThis story has been with me for eight years Many channels have been keen to bring it to the screen but it worked out best only now Wersquove been working on the show for a year I wanted to upgrade the VFX we use in the show Everything aligned at the right timeHow much have you explored VFX and Artificial Intelligence AIAI has opened new avenues for VFX With the help of advanced technology we can now do things we previously only imagined My aim is to maintain that level throughout the show AI is still at its nascent stageWhy did you cast Mohit Malik and Shrenu Parikh as Shiv and ParvatiI was looking for a mother in Parvati In most shows she is portrayed more as a heroine than as a mother Shrenu is a good actor but more than that she has the vatsalya of a good mother The moment I met her I knew she was my Parvati Mohit was suggested by the producers but he was also busy with his films When he finally agreed he became so involved in his character that he made us feel it on set I think he started living as the character He is more of a father figure in this show Theyrsquove brought their own flavour to the roles and made them their own Thatrsquos why our lens is different from all other stories of the Shiv parivaar If it becomes as cult as Mahadev or if we start seeing idols of Ganesh and Kartikey together I think my show will be a success And someday if they make a temple for them together my wish will be fulfilled8Number of years it took for the story to find its destination