Though women in India have made a name in various fields like corporate finance, politics, IT and arts amongst others, injustice towards women is still a ground reality in our country. One such actuality is prevalent in the ‘Bedia’ tribal community in the Bundelkhand region of India. There exists a world bound by centuries of tradition. They are a tribe known for their beautiful ‘Raai dance’. But over the years, this dance form that was originally meant as a reverence to God turned out to be detrimental to a woman’s dignity with the ritual of ‘Sar Dhakaai’. Set against a custom that’s deep rooted in India, Zee TV’s new primetime offering, ‘Phir Subah Hogi’ traces the journey of a young woman from the Bedia tribe and her journey of discovering this harsh reality hidden under song and dance and wanting to break free to lead a dignified life away from this barbarism.
Premiering on Tuesday, 17 April at 9:30 pm, Phir Subah Hogi is the story of Sugni, a young, simple girl born in the Bedia tribe. Young Sugni is clear that she will not follow her mother’s footsteps and if she dances, she will do it only for God. Sugni’s refusal to do the ‘Raai’dance and participate in the ritual of ‘Sar Dhakaai’ shifts the ground beneath her family. Sugni’s journey is special because she made a choice…and what makes her stand apart is that she dares to fulfill her impossible dream…It’s a dream that is impossible because no one in her community has dared to think of independence, dared to think of a relationship which is not need based but love based…Sugni dreams of what every young girl does. To her, love means care and concern and not sharing a bed for a few nights, and a man who is not a just a master or a visitor by choice but a support for a lifetime… Sugni is a free spirited and bold woman of today whose will to survive against all odds will prove to be a beacon of hope and inspiration to many.
Sukesh Motwani, Fiction Programming Head – Zee TV said “Zee TV has always portrayed issues that are socially relevant. Taking our channel’s core sentiment ‘Umeed se Saje Zindagi’ forward, we bring to you a reality which is prevalent and practiced even today. ‘Phir Subah Hogi’ is a story that blows away the clich that life has to stop because of dark customs and traditions. The saga like treatment that has been given to the show will make for a pleasant TV viewing as well as highlight the plight of the women surviving in this community. It’s an inspiring, invigorating and informative way of storytelling that will entertain family audiences. It’s our endeavor to spread awareness about an evil tradition and help build a better society for those women who are victimized under the guise of age old customs and traditions like the ‘Raai Dance’.”
To spread awareness about such practices and sensitize the ‘aam junta’ towards such evil customs, the channel has decided to promote the show heavily online. To engage more and more viewers especially the youth, the channel plans to start a Bloggers outreach program where they will reach out and speak directly to people who can influence the viewers. The influencers could be celebrities, journalists, activists from NGOs. The next initiative is to create social movement via open letters and blogs. The channel also intends to create a viral movement which will aim at creating a call for action for the viewers/ users. The channel will gratify every user who lends support to this cause and help spread awareness about this issue.
The sets of the show have been recreated in the outskirts of Mumbai across a sprawling three acre land. The production values and grand scale with which it has been shot will surely have viewers appreciate the details that the producer has ensured to bring alive this captivating story. Produced by Panglosean Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the show boasts of a huge talented ensemble cast of the who’s who in the television industry. Two veteran actors making a return on the small screen are Varun Badola and Narayani Shashtri. The show will also star Nimay Bali, Ravindra Mankani, Sikander,Jaya Binju, Jyoti Gauba, Garima Srivastav, Anushree Batla, Rajlaxmi and Ankit Arora in central roles. Gulki Joshi plays the lead protagonist, Sugni and the very dashing Anuj Sachdev has been roped in to play the character of Aditya Babu, opposite Gulki.