Jamunia Article Corner

   Imagine and Yash Patnaik's new show Jamunia has been shot inside the beautiful Kawardha Palace, and this provides a realistic feel...

Yash Patnaik's and Imagine's new show Jamunia has been shot in the very scenic and realistic locales of Chattisgarh. And unlike other serials that shift base from its original back drop to Mumbai after few weeks of initial shoot, Jamunia is one show that will be completely shot in Chattisgarh.

Another feather in the cap for the unit of Jamunia is that it will be the first show that will be shot inside a real palace, and will be taking the audience directly into the King and the Queen's artistically made rooms.

"Kawardha Palace has been portrayed as the big Haveli in which the main antagonist of the show Thakur Gajraj (Mohan Joshi) and his family reside", informs our source.

Kawardha Palace, which is situated in Chattisgarh was built by Maharaj Dharamraj Singh, is made of the best Italian marble and stone, and stands out in the 11 acre of lush green garden. This was one of the last built palaces in the world, and it took nearly 15 years to erect this beautiful masterpiece that speaks of India's rich cultural heritage. 

Our source adds, "In fact, a section of the cast and crew even resides in the Kawardha Palace, while another group has been put up in a lodge nearby. The crowd that will be shown in the show for various sequences is actually a section of the villagers living in that area. Many of the local actors in Kawardha and Bhopal have been brought in to play small roles".
   
According to our source, "The production house has taken over the possession of two villages in the area, and they have been shooting their jungle scenes in a village named Bawli".

Confirming this news, Producer Yash Patnaik of Beyond Dreams tells us, "Yes, Jamunia will be completely shot in the locales of Chattisgarh; our aim is to bring the real feel of a village in our show. We have been shooting in two villages. Also, we are the first to shoot inside a real palace for a TV show. The scenes inside the Kawardha Palace have been shot splendidly".

Jamunia launches on Imagine tonight, 8th March and will air at the 8.30 PM slot, from Monday to Friday.

Manmohan Tiwari is back on Imagine after Rakhi Ka Swayamvar, with Jamunia. Here is he in an exclusive chit-chat with Telly Buzz..

Manmohan Tiwari came to the limelight with Rakhi Ka Swayamvar, and now he has bagged a meaty role in Imagine's Jamunia, produced by Yash Patnaik's Beyond Dreams.

Here is Manmohan in an exclusive interview with Telly Buzz, as he talks about his debut full-fledged role, life after Rakhi Ka Swayamvar and much more…

You are an advocate by profession, so how come a passion for acting?
Though I have completed Advocacy professionally, I never started practicing it and during that course too I was doing theatres in Delhi which I continued for 3 years.

How did the offer for Jamunia come to you?
The Channel and production house directly gave me a call to take up the role; I think they approached me after observing me on the show Rakhi Ka Swayamvar on Imagine. They must have found me appropriate for the role (smiles).

The reason for taking up the role - was it the character or the story?
I found the story as a whole very appealing. Above that an opportunity to work with such an experienced cast was something I didn't wish to miss.

You had also done a cameo in Karam Apnaa Apnaa on Star Plus, tell us something about it?
That was just a one day shoot during my struggling period and I had done that even before appearing on the Swayamvar.

What were you doing after working for the Swayamvar and before Jamunia happened?
I got a call for Jamunia three months after Swayamvar came to an end and now we have been working on this serial from past six to seven months. And before starting the shoot we were working on my character sketch so have been busy with the same.

Elaborate on your role in Jamunia?
I'm the only one who is fun loving, flirtish, romantic & loves women. My character is very talkative & lively. I'm Thakur's younger brother Harihar's son.

How well do you relate yourself to the character Awadh Thakur?
A lot I would say, we have many qualities in common except for the flirtatious behavior the character portrays. In a way I could say it's quite similar to Govinda's role in Raja Babu.

You are playing a negative role in the serial, could you elaborate?
No it's not at all a negative role it's quite positive.

How is your experience working with the co-actors?
The experience is quite enlightening, the entire cast and crew is very supportive and helpful. And as it is my debut in a full- fledged role, it's all the more exciting.

You are shooting in Chhattisgarh, tell us something about the place?
The place is very beautiful like any other state in India. The climate though is quite hot right now but the ambiance is amazing. And the beauty of the state can be seen in the serial as we have tried shooting at most beautiful places of the state.

You had commented that the only reason you participated in the swayamvar was to get noticed, and get a break in the entertainment industry.  How true is it?
It's absolutely true and I stand by that statement completely. Because before getting into the Swayamvar I was a struggling actor, and I had conveyed this during my auditions for the Swayamvar too. And then I felt that if Rakhi can do a Swayamvar for her publicity then why can't I.

During Swayamvar season there were lots of girls who fell for you, and even made confessions on your blog. How did you react to it?
(laughs) I have always been famous among girls. And I did receive many messages and thank all the people for their love and support.

What kind of a response are you getting from the audience?
The response has been quite positive as of now. I hope for the best in the future.

This is your second show on imagine, and we heard you are one of their blue-eyed boys. How do you react to this?
There's nothing like that; they have chosen me for the show because they felt the role suits me.

Would you like to do a serial with Rakhi Sawant?
Yes surely if given an opportunity I would love to work with her.

What are your further projects?
My aspirations are high but as of now I'm just working on Jamunia.

Reporter and Author: Pooja Shenoy

She will escape while everyone is asleep and try to commit suicide. But she won't be able to end her life because a well-wisher from the village will save her on time. He will convince her that she should not listen to anyone and go ahead with the marriage. And the marriage will soon take place.

Akansha Gilani who plays Chatori says, "Chatori and Batori are not fond of Jamuniya. Both even tried to kill her but she escapes. We are unhappy to know that Jamuniya is getting everything a woman would ask for. We have been manipulating everything so that Jamuniya believes she is jinxed and should not go ahead with the marriage to save Jay's life."

"Before us, nobody dared to come and shoot here," said Andhare. Kawardha is 120 km from state capital Raipur.

The series, about the trials and tribulations of orphaned girl Jamunia, played by Bhavana Khatri, is going live on NDTV Imagine on Women's Day, March 8, and producers have moved here with a team of about 125 people for the shoot.

The owner of Kawardha Palace, where the serial is being shot, has rented out the ground floor to the unit of 'Jamunia'.

"I did a recce of 1,100 km here. We needed a palace and a beautiful village and this place suited our purpose. We met the (erstwhile) maharaja and maharani of Kawardha and requested them to allow us to shoot here. Initially, they refused, but later gave permission," Patnaik told us.

"I chose the real location because it gives impact and detailing and I have also unbound writers by bringing them to a real location. There are logistical problems, but I have control. I can shoot any time," he added.

Shooting on location has affected their budget.

"In Mumbai, when you make a serial, the per day expense of shooting comes to somewhere between Rs.300,000 to Rs.400,000. But as we are shooting on real location, our budget has gone up 30 to 35 percent. One needs a budget of Rs.250-300 million to make a serial like this," said Patnaik.

The cast and crew, who left the comfort of their homes to shoot, had adjustment problems. The 'Jamunia' cast is a mixed bag - from newcomers to locals to veterans like Mohan Joshi and Suhasini Mule.

"Initially, I had problems, but now I'm comfortable. Earlier, shooting while sitting on the floor didn't come naturally to me, but now I have got used to it," said Bhavana.

Preeta Jain, who plays Jamunia's cousin, Chatori, in the serial, said: "Now we feel at home. All the female artists stay in the campus."

Usually 22 episodes are aired in a month and actors have to shoot 12 hours a day. And 'Jamunia' is no different.

"There are breaks. Artists keep coming and going. We don't keep an artist here if he or she is not required. Unlike a film schedule, serials are a long-term thing. After a certain period it becomes like a family. Right now we have about 30 episodes in the bank," said Andhare.

Organising the shooting here was a humongous task for Amit Bangia, production controller of the serial. "It is a mammoth task to shoot in this area. Locations are pretty far. If we have a 7 a.m. shooting shift, we start preparing from 2 in the morning. And there is no time to eat or sleep.

"Shooting a crowd scene is the toughest job. In Mumbai, it is very easy to gather people to shoot a crowd scene, but not here. There were two more people with me here, but once they went back to Mumbai, they didn't come back. But I am doing it because it's a challenge to shoot in Kawardha," said Bangia who worked as a production assistant on serials like 'Kkusum', 'Kasturi' and 'Maika'.

Apart from other things, mosquitoes are a real problem after sunset, but the team has learnt to cope.

Shooting the serial here has made local businessmen happy.

"I run a travel agency here and I have six vehicles. But I am not able to meet up with the demand of the unit. I have to arrange for vehicles from other places to fulfil the production unit's demand," said Kaushal Singh, who runs Jai Mata Di Travels.

"We charge about Rs.700 for eight hours. After spending time with Amit, I have also learnt a lot about shooting. I know they will need horses and elephants to shoot a wedding, so I have already spoken to the people concerned," he added.

Hotels in the area are also doing good business. There are four hotels here and the 'Jamunia' production team has hired them for the crew members.

Andhare says at the moment they are not worried about the TRPs, their main concern being the initial build-up of the story.

Source: IANS