Prithvi Vallabh – (Analysis) An extravagant story of 10th century India by AditiB

Sony TV’s Prithvi Vallabh started from 20th January this year. I wonder why there aren’t any articles about this amazing series? I didn’t know about this series, except for the day I saw its poster and went on to check this one out.

I binge-watched it and came to this conclusion, this series is indeed worth a watch. The performances of every actor and actress carves a niche of its own, and the way the 10th century India has been portrayed, is indeed commendable.

The Story of Prithvi Vallabh traces itself back to 10th century, when the fall of Gurjara Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas of North led to massive turn over in the chiefdoms and kingdoms. The Paramara dynasty took over the North India, while the South was invariably under Chalukyas, Cholas and other dynasties.

This story basically touches upon the lives of Prithvi Vallabh, a Paramara king of Malwa, the uncle of the famous king Bhoj, from whom the city of Bhopal derives it’s name. An efficient ruler, a propagator of peace and a master of warfare, Prithvi Vallabh is valiant and brave.He is said to be the adopted son of Paramara dynasty, though some historians disagree.

Then there is Mrinalvati, the Chalukya Princess of Manyakhet, who wants to exact revenge from the ruling dynasty of Malwa, who were the reason behind the brutal death of her parents. Her character is strong and hard hearted. She is an excellent war strategist and an equally powerful person, as she holds huge authority in the royal court.

Till now, the real reason behind the death of her parents is a mystery. But the storyline seems interesting, though there are chances of it defying historical accuracy.

But for every history buff, this series recreates a time of huge instability in the Indian political scenario, which has largely not been given a scrren adaptation. These kings and their dynasties live unnamed and unknown, and just find a mention in history textbooks. This series tends to fill a sense of pride, although this encircles the historical love story of Prithvi Vallabh and Mrinalvati. Wait for the end, as the real story has a sad and gory end.

The performances are really impressive, the sets not being magnificent, but show every bit of the regal lives of the royals. The action scenes look original enough, and the props are never over-the-top. Back ground music, costumes and stylings are all minimal and perfect. The required chemistry between the leads is very good, both Ashish and Sonarika breathing in life into the characters. The pace of the story is intriguing and interesting, and it has succeeded in keeping my interest intact.

I hope this series goes on in the proper historical path, and doesn’t tread into supernatural worlds, giving away the realistic approach. The weekend timings are great and I hope this helps instill some historical awareness and love for past events in the viewers.

Sony’s recent historical series like Porus and Peshwa Bajirao have grabbed a lot of attention. I hope this story gets its due attention and excels in bringing up the ancient face of India.
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Thanks for reading and do give a thumbs up or a comment and share your views.
AditiB.