Doordarshan channel has given us many fabulous shows like Circus, Hum Log, Buniyaad, etc. in the early eighties. But the viewers missed it for many years due to the absence of skilled directors and strong concept serials. However, Saeed Akhtar Mirza has come back after his popular show of that time ‘Nukkad’ and finally launched his new serial on DD titled ‘Yeh Hai India Meri Jaan.’ The show is a great mixture of fiction and reality. It focuses on the livelihood and the routine of the people who are living in the rural areas of India.
The story is about a city girl with modern education and foreign thinking Megha, played by Madhvi Singh. She wanted to be a director and a producer and wanted to start her own TV serial which will emphasise on the beauty and diversities of India. She wanted to capture the tale of each Indian, to record their voices, feel the touch of their hands and to breathe the natural fragrance of the rural houses. Her father ran a TV channel and was against her decision to produce such a TV show. He thought that people have no interest in watching these kinds of shows; rather they watch the usual dramas and stories. She with her five crew members wanted to explore the inner beauty of several states of India such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc.
Director Saeed Mirza met one girl who knew very few about the facts of India, but she was sure that she would travel and cover all its beauty. She was so determined about her thoughts that it made Saeed think about this show. He finally decided to start it and searched for a girl who would play this role correctly. Saeed took that girl to all the beautiful locations of India, shoot there and made the story. Earlier Mirza decided to make the show of 26 episodes, but now he is sure that the show will last longer. However, this show appeared so simple and gave a documentary feel, but the journey of Megha touched people’s heart.
She started her journey from Gujarat, and as she travelled along the dusty roads of it along with Runn of Kutch, we feel the same feeling as a co-passenger. The disappointment, the tiredness, the feeling of rejection by the people is also felt by us as if we are her co-actors. The director travelled the whole journey with only five crew members and one actor as he believed that the show requires a lot of travelling and taking a large crew to all the locations is not possible. He managed the whole shooting in the fluctuating weather. The show was co-directed by Virendra Saini and is written by Swati Das.