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"Chanakya" More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 15 reviews in total |
13 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
A painstaking work of sheer genius and passion, 25 August 2005
Author:
Prasad Seshadri from United States
India is a country of a billion people and I am surprised only 1 person
before me has felt compelled to write about this work of sheer genius.
If I was in India, I would seek out all the makers of this tremendous
effort and personally thank them for letting me know that there was one
man in India such as Chanakya. He was the first true patriot that India
produced - a patriot who unified India even as he was making seminal
contributions to the fields of Political Science and Economics in the
earliest stages of development of these sciences. No other professor
has ever held a political sway over any country leading both to its
creation and a stable government - in the history of civilization.
But that is not all. The script is truly awesome. The characters of
Chanakya and the others have been portrayed with remarkable depth and
consistency to make them truly believable and they arouse the viewer's
empathy. 48 hours of viewing is not for today's world of fleeting
attention spans - but for those who are willing to put in the effort
and time, the satisfaction is tremendous. It is not entertainment
material like pop corn accompaniment - to be shrugged off and confined
to the dustbin of memory - after a couple of hours of viewing. For the
history buff, it tantalizes you enough to want to devote 4-5 hours
every day for 2 whole unrelenting weeks, without hesitation. I have
already done that twice over a span of 4 years. I am sure I would want
to watch the entire series again after my college going boys can muster
the patience and interest to do likewise to understand their Indian
heritage.
My only complaint is that the names of the actors and the roles they
play are curiously difficult to find. I am still trying. The web search
engines provided no answers and the DVD's I have do not make the job of
finding these easy either. Even the janitors who helped the filming
crew seem to get more prominent billing than the cast. After all the
90+ hours of viewing, I still can't figure out the name of the genius
who plays Chanakya - who figures in almost 50% of all the frames!
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Excellent, most well-researched Indian tele-serial to date., 21 September 2006
Author:
Chanakya Kautilya from Canada
Chanakya (written/directed, and played by Dr.Chandraprakash Dwivedi) is
a class of its own. Though the tele-serial did not do well when
telecast on Doordarshan (the Indian national television), the amount of
research that went into producing the serial, the historical accuracy,
and the care taken in costume every aspect of production is remarkable.
The background music is played only by instrument that were prevalent
in 3rd century BC. You will also notice that the Indian horsemen will
ride without saddles (which was not introduced to India before
Alexander's visit to Takshasila.) The swords and shields used was also
a replica of those from the Mauryan times. The most commendable aspect
being the setting itself. Dr.Chandraprakash Dwivedi spent over 1 crore
(10 million) rupees back in those days, for reconstructing a replica
village/city of the Mauryan times. Though the city is not 100% a
replica of 3rd Century Pataliputra or Takshasila, it is remarkably
planned and structured as per the definitions given in Chanakya's book
- the Arthashastra.
Chanakya Kautilya has been my role model since I was 7 years old. This
is a man who's very thoughts will send shivers down your spine, and his
insights will help you in every aspect of life - be it business,
politics, or domestic affairs.
I own the eight part DVD of "Chanakya" tele-serial and have seen it
over and over in the past three years. Once I play the first episode, I
know for sure that I am incapable of watching anything else till we
finish the entire set.
This serial is recommended for history buffs, students of politics, and
common folks like me who love Chanakya.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
mudrarakshas, 1 June 2006
Author:
anshul2001anshul from India
Chanakya describes the exploits of a clever and farsighted Brahmin to unify all of India under one ruler and his gentle persuasion of Minister of current largest kingdom i.e. Magda named "mudrarakshas".Second half of series is loosely based on this ancient Sanskrit text which details all political moves of Chanakya to win loyalty of people of Magda without much bloodshed. This ie really strange that Indian records don't mention invasion of Alexander and all information we have is from Greek sources.Similarly Chanakya the first patriot of India who succeeded and whose vision is relevant even today is not a person who is accorded his due honor and attention in history. Especially good in series are costumes and sets of those times.But physique of soldiers is somewhat less than required.e.g. Army of Porus and other republics roughly correspond to present day Pathans and Punjabis but all extras in movie are north Indian people .This was the only eye sore and in innumerable dance sequences in courts dancers were not that beautiful as they should have been or would have been.Some people may laugh at my objections but Dr Dwivedi while paying attention to small details like what a particular official was called in NW India and in eastern India in those days has not paid attention to these small things. A must watch for all history students and also political science students and in today's troubled times for all Indians.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Jai Maa Bharati, 2 February 2004
Author:
abladabla from US
It is not a fiction or a drama but depicts the establishment of the Maurya
dynasty in India. One man, who had faced very tough circumstances not only
in his childhood but also in his life made history by uniting the
different
independent states sharing the same culture and background into one
country,
India and threw the kings out who did not deserve to rule. His patriotism
for his motherland was beyond any appreciation. It inspires one to
preserve
that culture and always uphold the needs of the country over your own
needs
and desires. I have watched it twice, but even when I watched it the
second
time, it didn't inspire me less than it did the first time.
It teaches many good things and the best thing I like is the theme that if
you are following the truth and have faith in your beliefs, no matter how
many obstacles or hurdles you face, don't give up and you will win one
day.
I would give it a 9/10 (just because at some places it has been prolonged
unnecessarily, dances etc. were not that needed).
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
In the times long ago, 5 January 2004
Author:
For the Love of Good Cinema
Dr Dwidevi made his first acting/direction TV venture with "Chanakya". It
came out in times when several other historical and mythological series
were
popular. It is interesting how "Chanakya" captured the attention and minds
of people in between such glamorous shows.
"Chanakya" is a result of a lot of detailed work on life of people during
the rule of the Mauryan Dynasty. The sets, costumes, language &
pronunciations and cinematography separate it from other costume dramas.
The
characters are not cardboard cut-outs. They are well-rounded and have
depth.
Chanakya is one of the shrewdest characters in history. He has been played
so well that he virtually comes out of the screen.
On the whole, "Chanakya" reminds us that 'kutil' and shrewd minister of
the
Mauryas is not merely history. He created history.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
EXCELLENT: would give it a 100 stars., 29 October 2010
Author:
songokuabhi
Chanakya is a 47-part Indian television historical drama written and
directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi and is based on events occurring
between 340 BCE and 321/20 BCE, starting with Vishnugupta's(moniker of
Chanakya) boyhood and culminating in the coronation of Chandragupta
Maurya. Chandraprakash Dwivedi played the title role of Chanakya.
So the director features as an actor himself and to top it all, the
protagonist of all characters. Kudos to him, who was supposed to only
be a part of the scripting but had to direct it after a fallout with
the to-be director. Thank God for that, else CHANAKYA would have been
something and someone else.
The actors are apt, their acting perfect, not over-the-top as is the
case with much other tele-serials of that era.The scripting and
dialogues are perfect, as would have been in that ancient period, so is
the background score, replete with shlokas and excerpts from the VEDAS
and UPANISHADS.
The icing on the cake are the costumes and setting locations etc. They
really look like a MAHAJANAPAD of that ancient period.
Only One complaint: The series should have been longer. Then we would
have had more to enjoy and learn.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
A far sighted nationalist...very much required in today's India, 29 April 2010
Author:
rohinigupta11 from Delhi, India
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I finally laid my hands on this eight part series after some continuous effort to find it.I am a big fan of Chanakya and Chanakyaniti. Though centuries old but it is still capable of helping us through situations we may find ourselves in. So I started watching Mr.Dwivedi's Chanakya with high expectations and hopes...let me say it on record...i was not disappointed..I am not a history expert so can not comment on authenticity of the surroundings but the content is what I paid attention to. It is so well written and executed that I was hooked from scene 1.Other than some long dances there is nothing that I had to forward. I am surprised why a man of his calibre and intelligence not given his due in India's history. It might somewhere deter people from playing the politics of divisiveness that is going on today in BOMBAY ( and not Mumbai...)
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
The serial shows the efforts of Vishnu Gupt Chanakya, a great scholar, economist, and politician., 18 April 2009
Author:
m00a00d from Bharat
The serial has been made very well, and the acting of the main
character, Chanakya, played by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi is stunning. The
language and its articulation give a very good impression of the theme.
On the translation of Greek, which was done using English, I would
expect betterment of accent, but this was a very small part of the
serial.
All together, the work is wonderful, and there is no doubt that it was
recognized by academy and people. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi's
articulation, expression, and body language are worth praising.
The historical aspect of the serial is the most important. The theme of
the work seems to be fiction, but it is not. It is a reality Bharat
(India) witnessed long time ago. There are many lessons that can be
learned from the serial, e.g. the concept of nation that is united by
values and history and the existence of various states within the
nation, tension between states, personal benefit and national benefit,
nationalism, etc.
Watching the serial will provoke many philosophical thoughts in the
mind of the viewer.
My two-bit on 'Chanakya', 6 December 2009
Author:
J_Anu from UAE
I watched this serial recently on a friend's recommendation. Am
thankful that I did so- the serial gives a proper perspective to a lay
person on Chanakya and why he is so important to Indian history. Very
little importance or coverage is given (as far as I remember) in CBSE
history books to Chanakya, who seems to be the first true nationalist
thinker & nation-builder in India, probably anywhere in the world. His
characterisation of a nation as defined by its common cultural heritage
more than by political boundaries is something unique, a first, and
path-breaking, I would say with my limited knowledge. The serial
appears to be well-researched, with proper (though not intimidating)
Hindi being used by all characters without sounding artificial or
pompous- probably the result of a lot of practice. Definitely a
must-watch for anybody who wants to know anything about ancient Indian
history- the period which is usually forgotten or glossed over by our
secular modern historians in their effort to highlight the medieval
Muslim period as the only Indian history.
The serial has some good acting by characters that played Dhananand,
Sinharan, Susidharthak, Amatya Katyayana, Ambhi Kumar. Some weak points
of the serial that I noticed: 1) Poor editing- the successive scenes
sometimes (rather, many times) seem disjointed. 2) Sometimes
over-the-top dialogue delivery by characters, including Dr CP Dwivedi.
Too loud and emotional at times, serves to reduce the genuineness of
the emotion that is sought to be highlighted. 3) Poor, cheap-looking
sets- probably a reflection of the non-movie background of
producer/director, and the less technological sophistication of two
decades ago. 4) Can't get to know who played which character, except,
of course Dr CP Dwivedi and Malavika Tiwari (who is known from other
serials/movies). PS: Am wondering why most of the comments till now
have been from Indians or PIO's residing outside India!
Great Serial, 15 May 2008
Author:
Aninda Chanda from India
This was the first serial of its kind that showed the true or the fact
about ancient India general environment.Dr.Diwedi took pain to bring
out the real prevailing world of that time, and showed that if politics
is used in good condition then how it can change the countries faith.
It was just for vision of "Chanakya" because of which Magadha became
the most powerful kingdom of that time. If same type of visionary
appear in this era then again India has capacity to become the worlds
most powerful country.
The serial is an asset of India that must be preserved for ever and
must be seen once in month so that one should able to keep alive
"Patriotism" for his country.
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