Ekta defends her Mahabharat

Ekta Kapoor, whose Kahani Hamare Mahabharat Ki went on air early this month, tampered with the structure of the Hindu epic and began the series with cheerharan to grab viewer attention. She started the series that premiered on 9X channel July 7, with cheerharan or the episode in which the Kaurava brothers try to strip princess Draupadi.

I decided to do my own take and take on the criticism from the very first episode. I used the cheerharan like a prelude to grab viewers' attention. People are shocked by our beginning," Ekta told IANS in an interview.

Ekta says this is her most ambitious project. "I've been ready for the raised eyebrows. Every change in the original Mahabharat has been done in close consultation with me. I don't want this to be just another one of my soaps that comes and goes. Twenty years from now I want someone to call up another producer and say, 'Dude you just made the new version of Ekta's Mahabharat.'

Excerpts from an interview:

Your Mahabharat is finally on air?

I wanted to see everyone's expressions. And the response has been a relief. Frankly, when I saw the first episode I liked what I saw.

But Mukesh Khanna seems to hate it.

(Laughs) I know some people hated it. I was prepared for it. On Tuesday Mukesh Khanna went on television to blast our 'sets' for 'Mahabharat'. He didn't realise we shot on location at the Aamer fort in Jaipur. He said, "It is not at all an authentic set." My response, "It is real location, sir." We shot the first two episodes at the Aamer fort. It took me seven days.

How was it shooting at Aamer fort?

I love the Aamer fort. The response I got was overwhelming. I did it without caring about the results. I've made the Mahabharat for a new generation. I don't care what the traditionalists think. For the first time critics liked what I've done. But with the joy came the sadness. I lost my most trusted director Gary Bhinder.

That came as a blow?

Yes. His death really hurt me. Just the other day June 15, I was explaining the scene to Gary and I promised him we'd hug each other on the day the first episode of the Mahabharat was released. Today, he isn't there. It makes you wonder what is life about.