As the seventeenth edition of the annual Indian Television Academy awards concluded last evening in Mumbai, the studio of Rose Audio Visuals was flooded with euphoria as VFX producer Devendra Kumar bagged home the award in the best VFX category for Aarambh.
Nominated alongside some popular dramas such as Chandrakanta, Karmaphal Daata Shani, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Paramavatar Shri Krishna, the visual effects of Aarambh, spearheaded by producer Kumar, was adjudged the winner during the function.
Animation Xpress caught up with a buoyant Kumar, who exults, “I’ve tried to show something very different in Aarambh in attempting to change the TV scenario from a cinematic point of view. Be it the background or the depth of technicalities, everything was carefully crafted and was huge.”
“People saw something new on the screen, and being rewarded for the same is a proud moment for me.”
Directed by Goldie Behl, Aarambh was launched on 24 June 2017 and struck a chord with the viewers in no time. Set in the ancient era of Indus Valley Civilization, the show chronicles the historic battles between Aryans and Dravidans. The stunning visual effects portrayed in the programme added to its viewership, but the crème de la crème moment came when it was bestowed with the ITA prize.
On the odds of winning the award, Kumar assesses, “Other shows in the nominations were made by big and established production houses such as Swastik, Contiloe et cetera. So it was good competition for me and the studios. They’ve also been doing work for TV shows for so many years too.”
Among the many that congratulated Kumar on his achievement, director Goldie Behl was reportedly among the first. “Actually he was also one of the nominees in the best director category, but he did not turn up. However, as soon as he came to know about the news, Goldie called me back and congratulated me.”
Co-produced by Goldie Behl and Shrishti Arya, Aarambh: Kahaani Devsena Ki was written by K.V Vijayendra Prasad and aired 24 episodes in its first season.