If you’ve been pretty bored of Indian television’s line-up these days, you’ll definitely think that Anurag Basu‘s Stories By Rabindranath Tagore is a breath of fresh air. The director has been adapting some of Tagore‘s finest literary works for Indian television, and the results have, so far, been well-received. It’s definitely one of the best new shows on TV today, and if you’re as into it as we are, take a look at 10 cool facts about Anurag and the show you didn’t know:
1. Anurag Basu’s birthday falls on the same day as Rabindranath Tagore’s according to the Bengali calendar. Talk about coincidences!
2. Anurag came up with the idea of recreating Tagore’s stories for television over 10 years ago! Well, he did take his time…. but in the end, it was all worth the wait. Hope, we don’t have to wait 10 years more for another great piece of work, Mr Basu!
3. Anurag’s interest in Tagore was driven by the two leading ladies in his life, his mother and Tani, his wife.
Never say your mother didn’t teach you anything! 😉
4. Anurag and his wife Tani Basu had an interesting tale to tell. While on a shoot many years ago, the group was chilling after a hectic day’s work. They barely knew each other then. While doing so, Tani broke out into an old Tagore song, and that was it – Anurag was hooked. And that was the beginning of a wonderful love story – there’s more, but we’ll save it for later!
5. Anurag wasn’t happy with the costumes designed by his regulars! So, what did he do? He did the next best thing – he called up his mom. Yes! The costumes of this show were actually designed by Anurag Basu’s mom!
6. Keeping up with the Tagores! – Anurag was so passionate about the show that for the first time in his directorial life, he was unsure about something! He was worried that Tagore’s songs were so beautiful and intense and he wouldn’t be able to do justice to it. Don’t worry Mr. Basu… with Shaan and Arijit Singh singing some of the songs on the show, we’re sold!
7. One of the hardest stories for Anurag was adapting ‘Atithi‘ –a heart-warming tale of friendship between a 10-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy for television. The roles required subtle emotions from these characters and that was hard to capture for television. Well… he got the kids to do his bidding!
8. Anurag’s Magic Music Man – While working on Barfi, Anurag discovered this young enterprising talented musician, Anurag Saikia who worked on the music of the movie. So impressed was he with this young prodigy that he got him to do the background score for the show! Talk about being discovered!
9. The Talented Mrs. Basu – While filming scenes from Chokher Bali, Anurag suddenly felt the need for a song to bridge two scenes. So, what do you do? Get your wife to sing a Tagore song! Get the spot boys and others to sing the chorus! Get the producers to cook up the beat on a laptop, some buckets and household items, and voilà – you have a song! The actors lip synced to Tani’s voice and the song was actually recorded after the shoot was over.
10. Anurag Basu never moved away from his trusted lieutenants as his producers! The show was so demanding that for the first time in 15 years, Anurag Basu worked with a completely new fresh set of talent. Of course, the old producers were on the sets too!
What are your thoughts on Stories By Rabindranath Tagore so far?
Psst! Tonight’s story, ‘Samapti’, features an intimate romantic scene that’s sure to set the screen on fire! Here’s a sneak peek:
Tune in to Epic channel at 10 pm every Monday and Tuesday to witness the old world charm of Tagore in Basu’s style.
This post is in partnership with our friends at The Epic Channel. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.