Indian television has seen romances galore. It has seen just as many historicals. What it has not seen, however, is a classic romance set in the pre-independence era that captures Indian royalty of the princely states in all its glory and splendour. Marking yet another first across Hindi GECs, Zee TV brings to your television screens Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani a classic saga of love, set in the 1940’s. With its polo matches, imperial balls, the lifestyles of the rich and royal and a stellar star cast, the show is touted as Indian television’s biggest magnum opus of the year. The strikingly attractive Dhrashti Dhami makes a comeback on television as the leading lady Gayatri, a 21 year old daughter of the state’s wealthiest money-lender who, unlike girls of her generation, had learnt to read and write from her brother’s old text-books.
In the city today to promote his upcoming show, the National award winning actor Darshan Jariwala said, “I am really excited to be back on television, especially with a show that is clutter-breaking. The show is set against a magnificent backdrop of the lifestyles, motivations, the insecurities and some deeply-embedded secrets of Indian royalty.. I am excited to play the role of Seth Govind Das who is a very wealthy bania and has a major business in wholesale grains and other trading items. Seth Govind Das is a shrewd and calculative businessman but his biggest priority in life is to get his daughter Gayatri married. With the show's sheer grandeur and opulence, we’re looking forward to what should be the biggest fiction launch of the year”
Talented actor Moon Banerjee who will be portraying the role of Seth Govindas’s wife said, “I am excited to portray the role of Damayanti, who is a homely woman and manages the entire Seth household. Damayanti is just as concerned about the marriage of her daughter who is way past her marriageable age and is unlikely to get a good husband. It’s a challenge to portray a character from an era gone by and I really hope the audiences like our endeavour to bring something different to television.”
Joining Darshan Zariwala and Moon Banerjee is the handsome Siddhant Karnik, who will play the male lead,Rana Indravadan Singh Deo, the intense and brooding prince of the royal family of Amerkot. Once a happy, carefree man, he is now a deeply scarred war hero. The noted Bollywood actor who entertained the audiences with her films through the 80’s, the charming Anita Raj as the refreshing, regal, poised avatar as the Rajmata Priyamvada, the mother of Rana Indravadan Singh. The powerhouse of talent - veteran actor Surekha Sikri and the remarkably talented, actor Akshay anand and Parul Chourdhary will all be seen playing pivotal roles.While all these actors have proved their unmatched acting prowess through several characters they have portrayed over the years, they now come together under one roof to create history on Indian television. With talent like that, one can only expect magic on-screen! Ek Tha Raja and Ek Thi Rani Will premiere on 27th July at 9:30 pm and air every Monday to Friday, only on ZEE TV!