On a devotional journey

When Mere Sai actors Abeer Soofi and Toral Rasputra visited Delhi’s Sai Baba temple, the fans greeted them with devotion and respect. Sangeeta Yadav speaks to them about their divine experiences on and off the screen

Faith and devotion has immense power and when you get to play a divine character that is loved and worshipped by all, it becomes all the more special for the actors to play it with responsibility and live up to the expectations of the people. They not only do a lot of research of their own to get into the skin of the divine person they are set to portray, but consider themselves blessed  that they are playing such a character. Over the years many have played the divine roles — Mohit Raina played Mahadev, Saurabh Raj Jain played Krishna and now Abeer Soofi plays Sai Baba.

“It is Sai Baba’s journey from a young boy who became spiritual through his teachings. Be it going to Shirdi or visiting fans in Delhi’s Sai Baba temple at Lodhi Road, we are greeted as if we are divine forces. People come and touch our feet and ask for our blessings. We realise that portraying such an important character comes with great responsibility. Life turns upside down as we do our best to do justice to the role. We too become spiritual and go through a shift in our behaviour and attitude,” Abeer Soofi tells you. He and Toral Rasputra are on Mere Sai Ki Yatra. The duo are visiting Shirdi temples across India to promote their show.

Rasputra, who became famous for playing Anandi in Balika Badhu and plays Baija Maa in Mere Sai..., tells you that there is a great difference  between essaying a fictional character and a devotional one.

“It was a shock when people touched my feet. In the 10 years of my career, which gave me an identity as Anandi, I never thought that playing a role in a devotional show would have such a big impact on the audience. It not only helped me to connect with my fans but also the followers of Sai Baba and his philosophy. Through this show, I get treated as if I’m doing a great contribution to the divine forces by connecting the lives of people through telling Sai Baba’s story. People need to understand that we are just portraying a character,” Rasputra says.

Looking at the large following that Sai Baba has, it was evident that the show too would have a huge audience — be it his followers or those who are watching the show for curiosity sake.

“I was not a follower of Sai Baba but my curiosity made me connect to the journey that he took and made him a spiritual leader. Having said that, the show’s purpose is not to preach and increase Sai Baba’s following. The purpose is to send a message that connects all viewers. Devotion is something that comes from the heart and builds a strong connection. This is what made me connect to the show at an intellectual and now at a devotional level,” Rasputra explains.

The makers call it a fictional show since they have taken the creative liberty to narrate the journey in a concise format, they are also ensuring that the story doesn’t lose its originality and stays true to facts. “The makers have ensured that the show is thoroughly researched and only authentic stories of Sai are presented in an engaging screenplay format. To make sure that the story we are narrating is correct, the members of the Sai Sansthan Trust have been taken on board. They give the content and once our scriptwriting team makes it into an episode, it goes back to them for approval so that there are no factual errors are shown,” Rasputra says.

This year marks the 100-year completion of Sai Baba taking samadhi in Shirdi. In last 100 years, his following has multiplied exponentially, and his message and teaching have brought solace to millions of his followers.

In the upcoming episode of Mere Sai..., which gained popularity in a short span of time, the show will showcase one of the most famous Sai’s chamatkaar of ‘jal say jal uthe diye’ with the message of ‘honest efforts yielding positive results’. The show will have a  maha saptah starting from January 15 to January 19, 2018.  In line with Thursday being observed as a Sai day, the channel has a special Sai vaar every Thursday.