This Mahalaya, Star Jalsha to showcase the eternal love saga of Shiva-Parvati

On the auspicious occasion of Mahalaya, Star Jalsha is back again to welcome Goddess Durga through a remarkable portrayal of artistry and devotion, with its special show ‘Ya Devi Sarbavuteshu’, which will be aired on October 14 at 5 am.

It is for the first time in the history of Bengali television that the focus will be on Shiva-Parvati’s eternal love saga and story. It will narrate and portray the spiritual journey of Shiva-Parvati through the perspective and perception of Navarasa, showing how there is a correlation between their strength, love, and devotion. The epic series beautifully and aesthetically weaves together spirituality, romance, and mythology.

The show will also portray the infamous war of Mahishasura Mardini, where Goddess Durga defeats Mahishasura, the demon, in the end.

The highlight of this year’s Star Jalsha’s celebration of Mahalaya is the incredible cast of popular actress Koel Mallick, who is playing the roles of Goddess Durga, Sati, and Parvati, along with actor Ronojoy Bishnu, playing the role of Lord Shiva.

The celebrations will be made more joyous with the graceful dance performances by actress Trina Saha and Sandipta Sen and the presence of other cast members, which includes Subhoshmita Mukherjee as Mahamaya, Dipannita Rakshit as Annapurna, Gourab Mondal as Mahishashur, Payel Dey as Kali, Sushmita as Brahmacharini. The whole portrayal of the programme will be a surreal journey, speaking of divinity, devotion, and joyousness, thereby enthralling the viewers.

Surinder Films has produced the show, while Debojyoti Mishra is the music director for this Mahalaya programme. ‘Ya Devi Sarbavuteshu’ will not be limited to a television programme, but will be a cultural celebration resonating with the entire Bengali community and touching the hearts of audiences across West Bengal.

Adgully caught up with the terrific cast of ‘Ya Devi Sarbavuteshu’, where they shared their experience of working in the show. Excerpts:

While reminiscing about her childhood memories of celebrating Durga Puja and her thoughts on this year’s Durga Puja, actress Koel Mallick shared, “Previously, the number of times I have come on screen as Ma Durga, every time my conscience has worked to an extent, since from childhood as everyone knows, I have grown up in a joint family in Mallick Bari, which has turned 99 years this year. As for everyone, Durga Puja means lots of fun and enjoyment, I have grown up in the same manner in a big joint family, and in front of us when Ma Durga’s idol used to be created, we used to wonder why so much time is being taken, we did not know much about the preceeding rituals and we used to think because of the artisans, our Pujo is being postponed and as soon as they will give shape to Ma Durga’s idol, the Puja celebrations will start. And after that  we will be able to pray for many things from Ma Durga."

She added "In childhood, the wishes were like getting to eat more phuchkas and other food dishes. But jokes apart, this year’s Mahalaya is very special for me because of ‘Ya Devi Sarbavuteshu’. When I read the script, I thought truly we have seen Ma Durga as Mahishasura Mardini, but there are so many roles that Ma Durga plays and I was captivated by the intricate description of every form, such as Ma Kali and the reason for the birth of such forms. This time I take three forms – Ma Durga, Parvati and Sati. Our director and his wife helped us a lot in taking up these different roles.”

One of the anecdotes she shared was of the time she became emotional at the scene where Parvati’s father says that he does not regard her as his daughter anymore as she has married against his wish. She shared how the show delves deeper into lesser-known facts about Ma Durga beyond Mahishasura Mardini. She said, “Credit goes to the entire team, the dialogues, and the descriptions are so wonderful that it made us go deeper into our characters with a sense of awe, and therefore, this year's Pujo is all the more special for me.”

Subhoshmita Mukherjee, who plays the role of Oishani at Horogouri Pice Hotel, shared about her experience, “All these years I have seen Mahalaya on Star Jalsha, this is the first time I’m acting there. Most importantly, sharing screen space with Koel Mallick was a huge thing for me. After going to the shoot location, I came to know what I actually had to do, I was nervous, but everyone helped me a lot in playing the character.”

On being asked how she prepared for the role, Dipannita Rakshit shared, “Because I had done dance performances earlier, I have played many roles – be it Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitrangada, or Annapurna, etc. For me, it was a little easier as I have danced before, so no new kind of preparation was required. However, I practiced according to the choreography as required for the role.”

Subhoshmita Mukherjee shared the same, saying, “Most of the preparation for me happened on the spot.”