Producer duo Mrinal Jha and Abhigyan Jha’s Janani- Ai Ki Kahani, which used to air on Dangal TV, recently went off air. Talking about the show going off air, they say that they were taken by surprise when they got to know.
“We at MAJ Productions focus on making web series-level TV shows and web series that have a wide reach like TV. Even in Janani– AI ki Kahani, it was with the same intention. We received extensions incrementally, starting with one week, then two weeks at a time, until we reached episode 66,” says Mrinal, adding. “Despite the promos running, indicating the show is still on, it went off air. We have no idea why the show went off air, especially since it’s rare for a show with good ratings to close.”
Abhigyan emphasizes that the show aimed to create something distinctive and not run-of-the-mill. “In our 66 episodes, we covered a vast amount of content. The 66 episodes of Janani AI Ki Kahani is equivalent to almost 7 seasons of the show on OTT. Towards the end, we even delved into the ethics of AI, discussing how a robot, once intelligent enough to act on its own, faces ethical dilemmas.”
He adds, “For instance, the fear of AI acting independently is a major concern, as discussed by figures like Elon Musk. In our show, the robot acknowledges the need for its own code of ethics. Just as humans are guided by ethics, not laws, AI too needs a moral compass. The scientist, like a parent to a child, must provide this ethical upbringing to AI. Without proper guidance, AI could go astray. These complex topics were presented in a way that even children could understand, through action-packed sequences like gunfights, laser battles, and drone swarm attacks. Our goal was to make it both entertaining and thought-provoking.”
Meanwhile, talking about their journey, Mrinal says that the concept thrilled her as no one had touched AI in the entertainment space before. “We thought of the concept because Manishji wanted to do something different. He wanted to make a show about AI. Mrinal Jha and I had a story about AI and thought it was brilliant because no one had done a daily show about AI before. When given the opportunity, we presented our story about computers, robots, and AI. Manishji was immediately excited and gave us the green light, so we went ahead with it,” She says.
Abhigyan further elaborates on the relevance of AI as a topic for their show. “AI is a relatively new topic, and while people are aware of it, they’re still getting used to it. It’s considered the future,” he says. “Indian television is generally behind in terms of storytelling. It’s not a criticism of our colleagues, but our TV shows often don’t reflect the modern world.”
However, he points out that topics like AI are already being discussed by today’s kids. “They are familiar with these concepts, and our show resonates with them and their families. So, we’re not ahead of the kids; we’re just keeping up with them!” he says.
Mrinal adds, “Discussions about AI get millions and millions of views. So, I don’t know why there’s a discussion that we are ahead of our time. We are not. This is the first time we are not ahead of our time but rather we are on time. Generally, we end up being ahead and uplifting. This has been declared the year of AI. AI is maturing worldwide. The audience is already familiar with concepts like clones, robots, and AI.”
The show featured Mouli Ganguly, Sumit Kaul, and Mazher Syedd in pivotal roles. The last episode of the show was aired on June 29.
