Epic tale to set a breathtaking pace for 2004

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003

Epic tale to set a breathtaking pace for 2004

The breathtaking television epic Mahabharat, a huge hit with audiences in the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan, is to screen in New Zealand next year.

Triangle Television will broadcast the first hour-long episode of the 96-part serial on Saturday January 3 at 8.30am. It will also screen on Thursdays from 8pm, starting January 8.

Mahabharat drew a peak of 5 million viewers when it screened twice weekly on the BBC, and an estimated 75 per cent, of India's television viewing population were regularly glued to their sets for each 45-minute episode.

Directed by eminent Indian film director Baldev Raj (B.R) Chopra, Mahabharat is a stunning adaptation of the one of India's classic Hindu tales, first composed in Sanskrit about five thousand years ago by a Himalayan mystic, Vyasa.

The epic tale is being brought to New Zealand by Auckland-based Mirchee TV which aims to bring entertainment programmes to New Zealand that assist immigrant communities integrate into their new environment.

Mirchee TV director Rakesh Taneja says: "Mahabharat is the type of entertainment television that helps people connect with their roots. It has wide appeal to people from various parts of the world such as India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal."

Triangle Television chief executive officer Jim Blackman says he is thrilled the station is able to bring the magnificent Mahabharat to Auckland viewers.

"It's can't-miss television at its best, and another great way for Triangle to celebrate five years of bringing first-class programmes to Auckland regional viewers." Mahabharat is the story of five heroic, virtuous brothers, the Pandavas, who who are robbed of their kingdom by the Kauravas, their 100 envious cousins who embody the seven deadly sins. The brothers are driven into exile and encounter many hardships, culminating in an apocalyptic war.

The television series follows the Pandavas' extraordinary adventures and spiritual journey, including their encounters with sages, warrior kings, heroines, and a host of celestial beings. Among them is Krishna, a divine incarnation and the pivotal character of Mahabharat.

Because of Krishna's presence in Vyasa's tale, his story is revered as a sacred text.

Chopra received India's National Citizen Award for his television adaptation.

Triangle's screening is a great chance for Aucklanders to experience the compelling drama that made Nitish Bharadwaj, Rupa Ganguly, Punnet Issar and Pankaj Dheer household names in India. For newcomers to Mahabharat, the lavish, realistic production brings to life many fascinating aspects of India's culture, philosophy and mythology.

Triangle Television

Triangle Television operates as a public broadcaster throughout wider Auckland and most of the North Shore and has a potential audience of more than a million people. The station screens a mix of regional-access television with international news and information programmes. The station also screens a daily news briefs programme at 6.55pm featuring Auckland-specific news items. Triangle Television is non-profit making and operates with no funding from NZ on Air.

How to tune in to Triangle Television Triangle Television broadcasts to the Auckland region on UHF channel 41. Newer Television sets tend to tune by frequency in MHz - for these we are on 631.25 MHz.

Most Auckland region homes should receive a clear picture and sound. However, reception is affected in areas situated in valleys or shadowed by physical features such as hills and tall buildings. A UHF aerial may be required to attain a clear picture.

The operating manual for the TV set or video recorder will have tuning instructions specific to your model. This will tell you how to find and store new channels.

If you no longer have the manual... - Find the tuning controls usually located either behind a door or removable panel on the front or the side of the set - Choose a channel not used for another station (e.g. 5 or 6) and move to that channel - It's usually best to tune your TV set manually. Turn of the automatic fine tuning (AFT) if the television has this - Press the preset button if the television has one - The screen may display [VHF] - either switch the band selector to [U] for UHF or press the [Band] button again until UHF appears - Adjust the tuning up/down until a clear picture and sound appear - Press the [Preset] or [Memory] button to save the channel settings - Turn the AFT control back on.

As every model of television and video recorder seems to have different tuning controls, it is difficult to give specific tuning instructions for every television and VCR. Call the manufacturer if you are having problems or visit our website at www.tritv.co.nz .

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