TV shows Gangaa and Swaragini explore new cities

Soapmakers are moving towards smaller cities in search of character and vibrancy, which, they tell us, are hard to find in the over-explored big cities.
The days of setting shows in Gujarat and Mumbai are passe, as a majority of new daily soaps are finding new cities as their backdrops. Sample this: Tere Sheher Mein, that was launched recently, entails the journey of a family from Mumbai to Banaras after they go bankrupt and the man of the house commits suicide.Another show, Gangaa, is about a child widow in Banaras, who fights against the odds that prevent her from leading a normal life like other kids. Swaragini, which explores the journey of two sisters, is set in Kolkata. The show Dream Girl shows a girl’s journey from Jodhpur to Mumbai to fulfill her dream of becoming a superstar. So, what makes soapmakers choose their favourite sheher?
READ: ​Roadies reaches Varanasi
Banaras
From Bengalis and Marathis to south or north Indians, you see the entire India in Banaras. It gives a visual texture you rarely find in other cities – Rajan Shahi, producer of Tere Sheher Mein.
Kolkata

The culturally rich city accentuates the show’s production value. We’ve shot at some of the most beautiful places like Prinsep Ghat, Dalhousie and Howrah Bridge – Rashmi Sharma, producer of Swaragini.
Ujjain

Ujjain is known for its ghats and temples. The people are very simple. One feels close to God here – Rashmi Sharma, producer of Bhaghyalakshmi.
Jodhpur

Jodhpur has many garhs and mahals which offer picturesque backdrops. Jaipur has been explored in many TV shows, it’s overexposed. So, we decided to go to Jodhpur – Rizoota, creative director of Dream Girl.
Banaras
Tere Sheher Mein, Mahakumbh, Hum Hain Na, Gangaa and Million Dollar Girl
Rajan Shahi, producer of Tere Sheher Mein, says, “Banaras is one city where you can see all of India’s diversity. Pick any community – from Bengalis and Marathis to south Indians or north Indians – and you will see it in Banaras. All of India is practically there. Also, it’s a very beautiful place. It is so vibrant and has so much colour – the morning, the afternoon and the night have so much vibrancy. It’s a very ‘alive’ city. For a cameraman, it gives a rich visual texture, which you rarely find in other cities. In my show, the characters’ lives as they know it end and they have to start all over again. The father dies in the show and the mother moves her daughters to Banaras, the city where they are originally from. Banaras is that place where you can symbolically die and be reborn.”

Characters from Gangaa
READ: Rakhi Vijan’s self-obsessed look in Gangaa
Sunjoy Waddhwa, producer of Gangaa, explains why they chose Banaras as a filming location. He says, “Firstly, the story demanded it. Secondly, while there are many vidhwa ashrams, the one at Banaras is the most prominent. Moreover, the visual beauty of the ghats, the Ganges and the temples provides the perfect background for the story. Varanasi is also a large cultural and tourist attraction. Most importantly, our character is very much like the river she is named after, which flows with vigour in spite of what is happening around it. Like the river, our character is strong, touches many people and heals them along the way. Another striking resemblance is that the river is always moving and, like Gangaa, changes with time. Varanasi has that small-town feel and is known for its scenic beauty. Moreover, the people of Varanasi have lots of stories to tell.”
Mathura
Tu Mera Hero and Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali

A still from Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali
Fatema Rangila, creative director of Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali, says, “Mathura has ghats and we wanted to explore the land of Krishna. There are a lot of unexplored places in Mathura and the city has vibrant and colourful markets. There is a chunari manortah ritual that the people of the city practise, which we incorporated into the show. In fact, the names of all the characters in the show are the names related to lord Krishna. The male lead’s name is Leeladhar and the female lead’s name is Radha, since the show is a love story.” Even Tu Mera Hero tells the story of a man who is something of a modern-day Krishna with girls falling for his charm. The show will also capture the authentic phoolon wali Holi in one of its upcoming tracks.
Ujjain and Indore
Bhaghyalakshmi
Rashmi Sharma, producer of Bhaghyalakshmi, says, “Our show is about a small town girl from Ujjain, who leaves her home and learns to survive in a big city like Indore. So shooting in Ujjain was very important as it lent that authenticity to the character and the story. Ujjain is known for its ghats and temples. The people from this town are very simple, much like the characters that we depict in our show. The families are also very traditional, which was important for us to capture, to add that credibility to our characters. Another characteristic of this city is that one feels close to God here, which is a feeling you don’t experience in bigger cities.”
Kolkata
Swaragini

A still from Swaragini
Helly Shah, one of the leads of Swaragini, was quoted as saying, “This is my first time in Kolkata. It’s a beautiful city. The food is fabulous. We shot at Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, Prinsep Ghat, Kalighat Mandir, Millennium Park and Dakshineshwar Temple. We even shot on trams.”
Rashmi Sharma, producer of Swaragini, tell us, “Shooting for Swaragini in Kolkata was one of the most fulfilling experiences. The culturally rich city accentuates the production value of the show. We have shot extensively in Kolkata at some of the most beautiful locations like Prinsep Ghat, Dalhousie and Howrah Bridge, among others. Kolkata is warm and inventive at the same time and therefore, offers a perfect backdrop for an intriguing plot with a hidden past for the storyline of our show. The people of Kolkata are extremely friendly and welcoming.”
Jodhpur
Dream Girl
Rizoota, the creative director of Dream Girl, says, “Jodhpur has many garhs and mahals that offer a picturesque backdrop. We’ve explored Jaipur in many of our TV shows and it’s overexposed on the small screen. So we decided to head to Jodhpur. We have captured the way people decorate their houses, the local dialect and the way the people of Jodhpur dress in our story.”
Shimla
Peterson Hill

Sucheta Khanna rides a yak while filming Peterson Hill
Sucheta Khanna, one of the leads of Peterson Hill, tells us, “Peterson Hill is a railway station in Shimla and our show portrays the incidents that happen there. During the first leg of the shoot, we filmed for a week in Shimla and it was so cold. I remember shooting at this place called Kufri and we had to ride a mule to reach it every day. During one of the scenes, I even got to sit on a yak.”
Lucknow
Humsafars and Tum Saath Ho Jabh Apne
Humsafars, which recently went off air, showed a girl’s journey from Lucknow to a big city, to work in a popular fashion house. Another show, Tum Saath Ho Jabh Apne, which also went off air, was set in the city of Nawabs as well.
Bhopal
Shows like Beintehaa and Ek Rishta Aisa Bhi had been set in and shot in Bhopal.
Jaipur
Nisha Aur Uske Cousins is a story of siblings and how they overcome the various obstacles that come their way in Jaipur.
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