(I know like three things about the Raj, and maybe one of them was useful for creating this show.)
1. Comment to this post and I'll assign you the basis of some TV show idea. (Science fiction show, medical drama, criminal procedure, etc...)
2. Create a cast of characters, including the actors who'd play them
3. Add in any actor photos, character bios and show synopsis that you want.
4. Post to your own journal.
From deutscheami: A drama set in British-occupied India.
MAYA : a study of illusions
Maya centers on LALITA (Rani Mukherjee), a Calcutta courtesan in the early nineteenth century. Lalita must manipulate the complicated web of Calcutta, dealing with the British imperialists, the Nawabs who expect her attention and obedience, the artists and lovers who compete for her time . . . Lalita is canny and resilient, and determined to preserve the precious, illusory bits of freedom she has carved out for herself, but now finds her freedom threatened.
The growing resentment against the British presence in Bengal touches Lalita when JAI GHOSHAL (Abhishek Bachchan), a young nationalist and one of her patrons, asks Lalita to help him find information about British troop movements for NASEER KHAN (Anil Kapoor), head of their nationalist cell. They know ROHIT LAHIRI (Saif Ali Khan), a landowner, is also one of Lalita’s patrons. And Rohit knows a great deal about what the British are planning through his patronage of SUSANNAH HOOKS’s (Emma Thompson) school for high caste girls. Susannah is the wife of an executive for the British East India Company, JEREMY HOOK (James Whitby) who has his finger on the pulse of military movements, political developments, and the new initiative to force peasants to grow opium and indigo to enrich British trade.
But Rohit is also the husband of Lalita’s cousin and childhood friend, MINAXI (Tabu). Their lives separated early, and that they should now come together so painfully troubles Lalita. She must navigate the conflicting factions of Calcutta, and the conflicts in her own soul. An expert in the illusions of love, and the truth of beauty, Lalita must choose what in her life is true and what is false.
CHARACTERS: Regular Cast
LALITA - Rani Mukherjee
LOOK AT THAT SMILE. Ignore her Rajasthani clothes...
A courtesan in Calcutta, Lalita is renowned for her warmth, beauty, and polish. Her immense personal charm and keen intellect serve her well in the difficult business in which she has made a space for herself. Politically, she is resentful: of everyone. She knows better than to let this be seen.
Although originally a member of a wealthy kshatriya family, Lalita’s grandfather alienated his family, and her father squandered their money. The early death of her mother resulted in her fostering with Minaxi’s family - more for anxiety over Lalita than love of her father. This resulted in a lasting love between Lalita and Minaxi . . . though now, for obvious reasons, it lives only in memory. Lalita and Minaxi have not met since Minaxi's wedding to Rohit.
MINAXI LAHIRI - Tabu
A reserved introvert, Minaxi has a difficult relationship with her husband, whose ambivalence towards his life translates to ambivalence towards his marriage. Minaxi’s life is one of boredom and quiet desperation with only administrative duties to tend to now that her children are in schools away from home. She has begun, however, to investigate literature, both European and Indian, and is becoming attuned to the early Bengali Renaissance. More disturbingly, she has also begun to hallucinate the presence of her cousin Lalita.
ROHIT LAHIRI - Saif Ali Khan
Ambivalent about the position to which he was born, to the power attached to it, and ambivalent about British interference in that power, Rohit finds his life less than engaging. He dislikes responsibility, but hates forced uselessness - and now he finds that he is essentially useless. In an attempt to find some occupation, he sponsors a school for upper-caste girls, although he does not like Susannah Hook very much. He spends most of his time patronizing poets and musicians, with mixed results. Although Lalita is his lover, he does not trust her fully. He does not know that she is his wife’s cousin.
SUSANNAH HOOK - Emma Thompson
Susannah read A Vindication of the Rights of Women, but only after her marriage to Jeremy. She has a fierce spirit, which is admirable, and a too-secure estimation of herself - which is not. She finds the position of women in India tragic, and the situation of women in Britain despicable. That other people are less quick to draw these conclusions frustrates her. It also hampers her teaching ability somewhat, although for one or two truly gifted students in her school, she is life-alteringly good. Her ferocity disappears somewhat around her husband, of whom she is rather afraid.
JEREMY HOOK - James Whilby
An executive of the East India Company, Hook might kindly be called pragmatic. More accurately, he could be called cold-blooded. He is very good at his job, and can even be charming when the situation calls for it: an awkward but successful dinner with Rohit Lahiri to honor the school is proof of this ability. Hook also possesses the important ability to juggle demanding strains of people - a characteristic he shares with Lalita, although neither of them know it. He sometimes uses his position to shelter British spies. His current project is implementing a plan to grow indigo and opium in Bengal, and sell it cheaply to British buyers.
CHARACTERS: Recurring Cast
NASEER KHAN - Anil Kapoor
JAI GHOSHAL - Abhishek Bachchan
Both Naseer and Jai are active nationalists, attempting to gather information to undermine the British in India. Jai is a sometime-poet, who dedicates poems to Lalita, or brings her new poems from more recognized poets; his tend too much to political allegory to be of use to her. He sees it as Lalita's duty to contribute to nationalism, but also has a genuine affection for her. Naseer does not know Lalita, and tends more towards abstract thinking - sometimes forgetting the frailties and wonders of human beings. He is an idealist, but not a poet. He alternates between gentle, warm sincerity and chilling resolve.
ELIZABETH GOMMERY - Vicky McClure
BERTRAM INGRAM - Laurence Fox
Elizabeth is an adventuress, although obviously she has better sense than to admit this out loud. She is known to the Hooks although unrelated to them; while in India she attracts Jeremy Hook's attention and Susannah Hook's irritation. Elizabeth tends to romanticize India, although she never romanticizes money: she wants a husband with money much more than a husband with a title. Ingram is employed as Hook's secretary, and is as uncomfortable in India as you might expect a man with his coloring to be. He came as a last resort, in reaction to a truly shocking but rather quiet scandal. While in India, he accidentally befriends Jai, placing both of them in a difficult position.
CHARLES-HENRI AUGUSTE - Vincent Cassel
MALIK AHMED - Shreyas Talpade
Charles-Henri is a Frenchman, who left for India to avoid the Revolution, and stayed there to avoid everything after. He lives and works (although what he does, exactly, is up for debate) in Chandannagar and is both an acquaintance of Hook's and a patron of Lalita's. He seems dangerous, but never seems to desire to prove this. Malik Ahmed is a patron of Lalita's and deeply in love with her. She might possibly begin to love him back, but any permanent resolution is currently impossible and this situation results in Malik's developing a rather subdued, grave manner. When they meet, they speak of other people. Malik lacks any connection to the warring factions in Lalita's life, which contributes to their closeness.
WARNING: THIS MEME EATS YOUR LIFE AND MAKES YOU CRY.
2. Create a cast of characters, including the actors who'd play them
3. Add in any actor photos, character bios and show synopsis that you want.
4. Post to your own journal.
From deutscheami: A drama set in British-occupied India.
MAYA : a study of illusions
Maya centers on LALITA (Rani Mukherjee), a Calcutta courtesan in the early nineteenth century. Lalita must manipulate the complicated web of Calcutta, dealing with the British imperialists, the Nawabs who expect her attention and obedience, the artists and lovers who compete for her time . . . Lalita is canny and resilient, and determined to preserve the precious, illusory bits of freedom she has carved out for herself, but now finds her freedom threatened.
The growing resentment against the British presence in Bengal touches Lalita when JAI GHOSHAL (Abhishek Bachchan), a young nationalist and one of her patrons, asks Lalita to help him find information about British troop movements for NASEER KHAN (Anil Kapoor), head of their nationalist cell. They know ROHIT LAHIRI (Saif Ali Khan), a landowner, is also one of Lalita’s patrons. And Rohit knows a great deal about what the British are planning through his patronage of SUSANNAH HOOKS’s (Emma Thompson) school for high caste girls. Susannah is the wife of an executive for the British East India Company, JEREMY HOOK (James Whitby) who has his finger on the pulse of military movements, political developments, and the new initiative to force peasants to grow opium and indigo to enrich British trade.
But Rohit is also the husband of Lalita’s cousin and childhood friend, MINAXI (Tabu). Their lives separated early, and that they should now come together so painfully troubles Lalita. She must navigate the conflicting factions of Calcutta, and the conflicts in her own soul. An expert in the illusions of love, and the truth of beauty, Lalita must choose what in her life is true and what is false.
CHARACTERS: Regular Cast
LALITA - Rani Mukherjee
LOOK AT THAT SMILE. Ignore her Rajasthani clothes...
A courtesan in Calcutta, Lalita is renowned for her warmth, beauty, and polish. Her immense personal charm and keen intellect serve her well in the difficult business in which she has made a space for herself. Politically, she is resentful: of everyone. She knows better than to let this be seen.
Although originally a member of a wealthy kshatriya family, Lalita’s grandfather alienated his family, and her father squandered their money. The early death of her mother resulted in her fostering with Minaxi’s family - more for anxiety over Lalita than love of her father. This resulted in a lasting love between Lalita and Minaxi . . . though now, for obvious reasons, it lives only in memory. Lalita and Minaxi have not met since Minaxi's wedding to Rohit.
MINAXI LAHIRI - Tabu
A reserved introvert, Minaxi has a difficult relationship with her husband, whose ambivalence towards his life translates to ambivalence towards his marriage. Minaxi’s life is one of boredom and quiet desperation with only administrative duties to tend to now that her children are in schools away from home. She has begun, however, to investigate literature, both European and Indian, and is becoming attuned to the early Bengali Renaissance. More disturbingly, she has also begun to hallucinate the presence of her cousin Lalita.
ROHIT LAHIRI - Saif Ali Khan
Ambivalent about the position to which he was born, to the power attached to it, and ambivalent about British interference in that power, Rohit finds his life less than engaging. He dislikes responsibility, but hates forced uselessness - and now he finds that he is essentially useless. In an attempt to find some occupation, he sponsors a school for upper-caste girls, although he does not like Susannah Hook very much. He spends most of his time patronizing poets and musicians, with mixed results. Although Lalita is his lover, he does not trust her fully. He does not know that she is his wife’s cousin.
SUSANNAH HOOK - Emma Thompson
Susannah read A Vindication of the Rights of Women, but only after her marriage to Jeremy. She has a fierce spirit, which is admirable, and a too-secure estimation of herself - which is not. She finds the position of women in India tragic, and the situation of women in Britain despicable. That other people are less quick to draw these conclusions frustrates her. It also hampers her teaching ability somewhat, although for one or two truly gifted students in her school, she is life-alteringly good. Her ferocity disappears somewhat around her husband, of whom she is rather afraid.
JEREMY HOOK - James Whilby
An executive of the East India Company, Hook might kindly be called pragmatic. More accurately, he could be called cold-blooded. He is very good at his job, and can even be charming when the situation calls for it: an awkward but successful dinner with Rohit Lahiri to honor the school is proof of this ability. Hook also possesses the important ability to juggle demanding strains of people - a characteristic he shares with Lalita, although neither of them know it. He sometimes uses his position to shelter British spies. His current project is implementing a plan to grow indigo and opium in Bengal, and sell it cheaply to British buyers.
CHARACTERS: Recurring Cast
NASEER KHAN - Anil Kapoor
JAI GHOSHAL - Abhishek Bachchan
Both Naseer and Jai are active nationalists, attempting to gather information to undermine the British in India. Jai is a sometime-poet, who dedicates poems to Lalita, or brings her new poems from more recognized poets; his tend too much to political allegory to be of use to her. He sees it as Lalita's duty to contribute to nationalism, but also has a genuine affection for her. Naseer does not know Lalita, and tends more towards abstract thinking - sometimes forgetting the frailties and wonders of human beings. He is an idealist, but not a poet. He alternates between gentle, warm sincerity and chilling resolve.
ELIZABETH GOMMERY - Vicky McClure
BERTRAM INGRAM - Laurence Fox
Elizabeth is an adventuress, although obviously she has better sense than to admit this out loud. She is known to the Hooks although unrelated to them; while in India she attracts Jeremy Hook's attention and Susannah Hook's irritation. Elizabeth tends to romanticize India, although she never romanticizes money: she wants a husband with money much more than a husband with a title. Ingram is employed as Hook's secretary, and is as uncomfortable in India as you might expect a man with his coloring to be. He came as a last resort, in reaction to a truly shocking but rather quiet scandal. While in India, he accidentally befriends Jai, placing both of them in a difficult position.
CHARLES-HENRI AUGUSTE - Vincent Cassel
MALIK AHMED - Shreyas Talpade
Charles-Henri is a Frenchman, who left for India to avoid the Revolution, and stayed there to avoid everything after. He lives and works (although what he does, exactly, is up for debate) in Chandannagar and is both an acquaintance of Hook's and a patron of Lalita's. He seems dangerous, but never seems to desire to prove this. Malik Ahmed is a patron of Lalita's and deeply in love with her. She might possibly begin to love him back, but any permanent resolution is currently impossible and this situation results in Malik's developing a rather subdued, grave manner. When they meet, they speak of other people. Malik lacks any connection to the warring factions in Lalita's life, which contributes to their closeness.
WARNING: THIS MEME EATS YOUR LIFE AND MAKES YOU CRY.