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Mohit Raina On The Saragarhi Battle Series: Don't think there will be any comparison with Akshay Kumar's film
After impressing us with his TV Show Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, Mohit Raina is all geared up for his next show. Titled 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897, the show will air on Discovery Jeet and will see Mohit portray the role of Havildar Ishar Singh.
After impressing us with his TV Show Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, Mohit Raina is all geared up for his next show. Titled 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897, the show will air on Discovery Jeet and will see Mohit portray the role of Havildar Ishar Singh.
21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 is a fiction show inspired by the real-life story of 21 brave soldiers of the 36th Sikh regiment of the British Indian Army who defended an army outpost at Saragarhi in the North-West Frontier Province against an onslaught by over 10,000 Pashtun and Orakzai tribals in September 1897.
In an interview with a leading tabloid, he told what prompted him to get on board. He said, "I went with my gut feeling. The minute they told me the basic premise of the show, I made up my mind to do it and grow a beard. At this time, I had not discussed the script or my remuneration. I felt that after the Trishul [Devon Ke Dev – Mahadev] and the sword [Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat], it would be fitting to pick up the gun next. I have always been fascinated by the uniform and the army."
He added, "I was in the NDA [National Defence Academy] when the Kargil war happened, and I was all set to join the Indian Army. But my family was not keen. In addition to that, I got rejected because of my poor eyesight."
Akshay Kumar is also working on a movie titled Kesari based on the same subject. On this, Mohit said, "I don't think there will be a comparison because they are two different mediums. Dharma Productions' films are mounted on a grand scale; a TV show cannot match it. While the subject remains the same, I'm sure the treatment and interpretations will vary. The film will release after a year or so. Since our show airs in a few weeks, we'll have the advantage of novelty."
The makers chose 21 real-life Sardars for the supporting cast. Were they star-struck? On this, he said, "They aren't trained actors. We broke the ice over makke di roti and sarson da saag. Actors from all over the globe were chosen to play the British rulers. According to my character, I am supposed to only talk to my reporting officer and stay away from his wife. But off-screen, I was not going to stay away from a Russian woman (laughs)."
He was also asked about his experience of shooting in Leh. "When I reached my hotel in Leh, I asked around for the gym. The manager instructed me to take rest and get acclimatised instead. But, I insisted on heading to the gym - I thought I could handle it considering I'm a fitness freak. I went out for a stroll and soon, found myself struggling to breathe. However, we got acclimatised over the next few days. But, we continued carrying oxygen cylinders of all sizes with us throughout the shoot," he concluded and signed o
