Ganga Kii Dheej is one such story that deals with the ordeals of young unmarried girls in a village called Kaliganj based in rural West Bengal.

Nov 04, 2010 – Kya Koi Pratha Kisi Ladki Ki Pavitrata Ka Pramaan Ban Sakti Hai...

Premieres Monday, November 15, Every Monday to Thursday at 10 p.m only on SaharaOne Television.

Living up to its promise of delivering each new show that explores a different sub culture within the umbrella of the Indian culture, along with the successful launch of its third new Show ‘Ek Chutki Aasman’, SaharaOne is poised for another launch this month. In lieu of its brand new initiatives in programming, starting Monday, November 15 ‘Ganga Kii Dheej’ from the SaharaOne Stable will be the fourth new show to be launched and will be aired weekdays, Monday to Thursday at 10 p.m.
Ganga Kii Dheej is one such story that deals with the ordeals of young unmarried girls in a village called Kaliganj based in rural West Bengal. It highlights the growing up of the girls within the restrictions of the various rituals and customs laid down by the self-proclaimed lords of the land. Kaliganj is ruled and is under the supreme power of one such landlord Dadabhai (Kabir Bedi) who is like god to the villagers as most of them work under his command.

Says Mushtaq Shiekh, Creative Director – SaharaOne Television,” Ganga Kii Dheej is a story of Pakhi who is caught in the dangerous web spun by Dada Bhai and Maha Mai. She represents the common man who is used as a pawn by self-proclaimed lords of the land. She stands for purity pitched against the darkness of age-old rituals and traditions merely practiced to oppress the women and the poor. It is Pakhi’s quest to re-align the game, change the rules and play to win! Will she manage it or like the many others find herself ‘drowned’ in the calm waters of Kaliganj, is the seed of Ganga Kii Dheej”.

Ganga Kii Dheej follows the journey of a young girl Pakhi (Leena Jhumani) residing in Kaliganj and whose life changes because of the set rituals blindly followed by the community. Pakhi’s village is bound and flanked by mountain and water at all four sides and nobody can escape the village without the authorities coming to know about it. The rituals and traditions force the girls in the village to be under heavy protection till they get married. They can’t even step out of the house without a veil and a herd of so-called brothers to go with them to all the places possible in the name of security. The girls get their “freedom” only after marriage but the passage to get married is not easy. They have to undergo a purity test in the name of religion. Maha Mai (Ashwini Kalsekar) is the village high priestess, who executes the practice and is feared by all the villagers for her dominance over all the people when it comes to religious tolerance. Every father fears the day when the daughter gets married as that means the girl will have to go through the purity test. It’s a tradition blindly followed as nobody can raise a question to Maha Mai at the risk of being ousted from the village.

Harry Baweja’s ‘Baweja movies’ with its maiden venture ‘Ganga Kii Dheej’ for SaharaOne, now has ventured in television software production collaborating with Flying Turtle Films. Flying Turtle Films is the brainchild of protégés of Balaji Telefilms Shabir Ahluwalia, Anil V Kumar and Sakett Saawhney who have in the past many years excelled in respective fields of acting, direction and production amongst their vast resume of television shows and films.

Says Harry Baweja, Producer Baweja movies,” Ganga Kii Dheej is a story bout a small village in Bengal, where the society believes in rituals wherein, an unmarried girl has to go through a purity test before she could get married. According to him SaharaOne is a popular channel, and he is really thankful to them for giving his team the platform to show their talent.

Ganga Kii Dheej follows Pakhi’s struggle against the social structure and to expose and abolish the murky under belly that exists, without the community actually knowing about it. The show also explores how the ones in power exploit the innocent people of the village, in the name of ‘religion’ and ‘God’.

Will Pakhi succeed in exposing Maha Mai’s agenda behind the murky rituals?

Ganga Kii Dheej,
Starting November 15, Every Monday till Thursday at 10 p.m
On SaharaOne Television.

Atul Malikram
pr@atulmalikram.in

-StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto