I Am Proud to Have Written Two Shows That Brought a Wave of Change, Shaktimaan and Devon Ke Dev Mahadev

By Shantiswaroop Tripathi

‘Shaktimaan’, ‘Devon Ke Dev Mahadev’, ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo’, ‘Mitwa’, ‘Shaka Laka Boom Boom’, ‘Itihas’, ‘Aryamaan’, ‘Philips Top Ten’, ‘Durgesh Nandini’, ‘Rakhi’, ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat’, ‘Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein’, ‘Agnipariksha’, ‘Mata Ki Chowki’, ‘Bhagyawali’, ‘Baalveer’, ‘Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman’, ‘Vighnaharta Shri Ganesh’, ‘Tenali Rama’, ‘Bal Shiv’, ‘Brij Ke Gopal’, and ‘Dharmayoddha Garud’ — what’s common among all these successful television serials is that they were written by Braj Mohan Pandey.
Originally from Jamshedpur, Braj Mohan Pandey has been working in Mumbai since 1994 and has established a strong name in the Indian television industry. Here are the key excerpts from his exclusive conversation with Mayapuri:

When did you decide to turn towards writing?

I am originally from Jamshedpur. Literature was always present in my family. My father was a highly learned storyteller and a writer. My mother was a school principal, and my maternal family in Ranchi owned a newspaper. As they say, a fish doesn’t need to be taught how to swim — I naturally inherited this creative inclination.
From my school days, I was more interested in acting in plays than studying. In college, I began writing plays too. Though I studied under family pressure, my heart was always in the arts. After college, I moved to Delhi since, at that time, people in Jamshedpur viewed Mumbai as a daunting place. Delhi was considered the stepping stone for theater and creative careers, with institutions like NSD and Shri Ram Centre.
While in Delhi, I realized it was more of a learning ground than a professional hub. I learned to speak proper Hindi and perform on stage. My pronunciation improved there. I met noted theater artist Deepak Thakur, who mentored me. I wrote and acted in plays like Hameedabai Ki Koi and Langdi Tang, which received acclaim.
Deepak Thakur advised me to focus more on writing than acting. Soon after, I moved to Mumbai. There, I trained at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan while continuing theater, even performing in Gujarati plays where I was the only Hindi-speaking character. I was fortunate to find great mentors in Mumbai as well.

What kind of struggles did you face after reaching Mumbai?

Initially, I came to Mumbai to become an actor. I completed a nine-month acting course from the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s Bharatiya Natya Academy and continued performing in plays, including Gujarati theater. However, stage plays couldn’t sustain a livelihood.
I did small acting roles in TV serials, but then a friend introduced me to Ashok Patole, a prominent TV writer of that time. He was writing Hasratein for Ajay Sinha. I began assisting him, helping with dialogues and actors’ diction since his mother tongue was Marathi.
Then I wrote a superhero-based serial independently for Vijay Bhope, around 16–17 episodes were filmed but never telecast.

What happened after the Vijay Bhope serial got shelved?

Around that time, Harsh Kohli offered me Nyay Dhish to write. I wrote seven episodes, but it too was never aired.
Then Dinkar Jani, my theater guru, brought me into Shaktimaan. That show changed my life completely — it became a massive success and gave me a strong identity.

Did the success of Shaktimaan go to your head?

Honestly, yes. I was young and inexperienced. With Shaktimaan’s success and the guidance of Mukesh Khanna and Dinkar Jani, I was learning, but the fame did affect me. I had a hunger to explore more, which led me from fantasy and social dramas to mythological shows.

Shaktimaan faced controversies about children imitating the hero and suicide rumors. What’s the truth?

Those were all fake stories. It was later revealed that a company was spreading false news about children committing suicide. PTI even issued an apology.
Shaktimaan never promoted violence — no weapons or fights. He was a superhero who never killed. Later, we found that a gutkha (tobacco) company was using the Shaktimaan name to sell products. When Mukesh Khanna opposed this, they tried to defame the show. We even made a special episode about the harmful effects of gutkha.
Despite the controversy, Shaktimaan ran for eight years successfully. I also acted in Aryamaan, which came afterward.

What did you learn while writing Shaktimaan?

I learned that behind every superhero’s grand acts lie small human pains and struggles. We rooted Shaktimaan deeply in Indian philosophy — yoga, kundalini awakening, and self-realization. That’s why audiences connected with it.Did you research topics like yoga and kundalini?

Yes. My father was a storyteller, and my grandmother was spiritually learned. I grew up hearing such concepts. I also read the Gita and many spiritual texts. My uncle was a scholar who introduced me to many rare books.

After Shaktimaan, you must have received many offers?

God has always been kind to me. While writing Shaktimaan, I also wrote dialogues for Ekta Kapoor’s Itihas and later for Shaka Laka Boom Boom. I co-wrote Aryamaan after Kamlesh Ji left. I even started writing for Indonesian TV in 2001.
Later, I worked with B.A.G. Films, Rashmi Sharma Telefilms, and others. I wrote many mythological shows including Mata Ki Chowki and the highly acclaimed Devon Ke Dev Mahadev. My journey evolved naturally.

Are you now stuck with mythological shows?

Not at all. I enjoy variety. I also wrote Tenali Rama. Outsiders see differences between mythology, fantasy, and social dramas — but as a writer, I see the same core: human emotions, struggles, and relationships.
In Shaktimaan, Gangadhar was an underdog rising against odds — a social metaphor. Whether it’s fantasy or mythological, the essence remains human. Even Ganesh is the story of a child obeying his mother — the same as a social drama about father-son conflict.
So, the settings change, but the human story remains constant.

Devon Ke Dev Mahadev was very successful but also controversial. What’s your take?

Both Shaktimaan and Mahadev were transformative shows. Shaktimaan changed visual storytelling, and Mahadev redefined mythological presentation.
Earlier, religious shows were monotonous — same costumes, same tone. But Anirudh Pathak, the creator, believed in humanizing gods — bridging the gap between divinity and humanity.

That realism caused some controversy, but people ultimately loved it. As I see it, protest reflects life — it means your work has impact. Like Tulsidas faced criticism for writing Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi, meaningful art should stir the water a little.

You also worked on Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo. Whose idea was it?

I joined later, after Kamlesh Kunti left. I wrote about 40–45 episodes. The core concept belonged to Kamlesh Kunti and Shantibhushan, based on Bidesiya by Bhojpuri literary legend Bhikhari Thakur, often called the “Tagore of Bhojpuri literature.”

Earlier, one person wrote the entire show. Now multiple writers handle story, screenplay, dialogues. Why?

Earlier, weekly shows had only 13 episodes, so one writer could manage everything. Now, daily soaps have 28–30 episodes a month — one per day.
With tight schedules, changing locations, actor unavailability, and channel feedback, it’s impossible for one person to handle all aspects. So now teams of writers work together — story, screenplay, dialogues, and a supervisor.
This team system works if everyone shares the same vision. However, dialogue writers and background score composers suffer the most — they often get very little time due to last-minute changes.

Having worked in the industry since 1994, what changes have you seen?

Initially, film directors like Ramanand Sagar and B.R. Chopra dominated television, so it had a cinematic depth. Now TV has become quantity-driven rather than quality-driven.
Earlier, we’d spend a whole week preparing one weekly episode. Now, 5–7 episodes air every week, so creativity is compromised. More channels and competition mean less uniqueness.
Shows like Shaktimaan, Buniyaad, Mahabharat, and Ramayan left a lasting impact — now such iconic storytelling is rare. Production values have improved — sets, costumes, VFX — but writing has become tougher as reading habits decline.

In the 1990s, serials had TRPs of 22–32. Now even getting 1 is tough. Why?

Because the number of TV channels has increased. Viewers now have multiple entertainment options. Earlier, you had to watch a show at its scheduled time. Now, with YouTube and OTT, you can watch anytime — and TRP meters don’t count those views.
Everyone has smartphones and Wi-Fi now — so TV viewing has fragmented.

Which show paid you the least and which paid the most?

My first independent project Shaktimaan became a massive hit, and that set my value. If I charged ₹50,000 for a project, I never worked for ₹48,000. Wherever the pay was low, I simply didn’t work.

Translated By Priyanka Yadav

Read also

• Mahesh Kale Sets the Royal Opera House Aglow with Divine Diwali Melodies
• Gatha Shiv Parivaar Ki: Shrenu Parikh on Blending Divinity with Real Emotions
• Rajani 2.0: Doordarshan to Revive Indian TV’s Golden Era from November 3
• Ravie-Sargun’s Diwali Bash: Jackie Shroff and Ramesh Taurani Among Star Guests