About the making of Sai baba serial from Starplus Sai baba tere hazaro haath From the maker of Ramayan and Jai Ganga Maiya, comes a new offering - Sai Baba ! Shirdi Ka Sai Baba, Maharashtra’s greatest saint, has never put down any of his teachings in writing, as he was interested in awakening the people through 'Bhakti' and 'Shraddha'. His countless devotees, from India and all over the world, look upon him as their guru, saint, saviour, an incarnation of the super power who manifested himself to human form to redeem mankind from destruction.Following the astounding success of Ramayan, Dr. Ramanand Sagar has taken up the daunting task of telling the story of this great saint. The project has taken four years of painstaking research and is supported with extensive research material gathered from volumes of eye-witness accounts Sai Baba's life story.The series tells the story of the son of a Brahmin, who was given away to a fakir at the age of 5. It is believed that approximately 11 years Sai Baba was seen under a neem tree at Shirdi. He was soon recognised as the young son of the Brahmin who was given away to the fakir as a young child. Shot in a specially recreated sets in the Sagar Studios at Baroda, after four painstaking years of research, the set represents the small and simple town of Shirdi, the home of Baba between 1849 and 1918. All mythology, be it Indian or foreign inevitably has been repeated with its share of deja vu and familiarity. Long before Dr. Ramanand Sagar’s epoch – making serial, Ramayan, made its debut on television as the first mythological on the small screen in 1987, several films had been made and exhibited with established actors enacting the roles of Shri Ram and Ma Sita. Yet it is Sagar Saheb’s Ramayan that has earned mass respect and veneration. The same can be said of Dr. Ramanand Sagar’s Shri Krishna, Jai Ganga Maiya and Jai Mahalakshmi which have had repeat telecasts on various channels after their run on Doordarshan. It is no exaggeration if we claim that two of our serials, Ramayan and Shri Krishna have created history in TRP rankings and revenue earnings and enhanced the reach of DD as a mass communication medium. Dr. Ramanand Sagar has now ventured to recreate the life and times of the universally revered saint, Sai Baba, with his characteristic zeal and devotion. The narrative artistry that will mark this venture, too, has the added advantage of the support of extensive research material gathered from volumes of eye-witness accounts Sai Baba’s life story. Sai Baba’s story has been narrated by men and women who lived in his times and shared experiences with him. His countless devotees in India and all over the world, therefore, look up to him as a guru, a saint, a saviour and an incarnation of that supreme power which manifests itself in human form when the hour of need arrives to redeem mankind from mortal sins. While popular legend invariably revolves around alleged persons and events with or without a determinable basis of fact, the story or legend of Sai Baba has the basis of fact and collective belief inspired by his divine powers, witnessed by men and women who shared those wonderful experiences. Dr. Ramanand Sagar, hailed as a modern Rishi and the Valmiki of the electronic medium, following the astounding success of Ramayan, has taken up the daunting task of telling the story of Sai Baba as yet another mission in his life. As per popular belief Sai Baba was born between 1839 - 1842 AD at Pathni in Marathwada in the Nizam's dominion at the age of eleven Sai Baba appeared under a neem tree at Shirdi and he was recognized as the boy who left the poor Brahmin's home as a child. The inspiring life of the saint is recreated by Dr. Sagar with intensity and realism, sensitivity and authenticity, shooting on real locations and on a massive set erected at great cost at Sagar Film City, Baroda, for the purpose. The set represents Shirdi of the period between 1849 and 1918 when Sai Baba drew devotees to him and inspired their faith in him and his belief in the oneness of all religions and faith. Four years of painstaking research and the collective enthusiasm and work of artisans and hundreds of workers have produced an authentic Shirdi at Sagar Film City - Baroda for the filming. The actors, including the lead actor, Mukul Nag, who plays Sai Baba, have been selected after months of audition and screen tests with researched make-up and costumes for the first time in television history. Dubbing voices have been tested and styled to suit the characters, their social background and their geographical milieu. The study of the period has, therefore, been detailed and exhaustive. Sai Baba did not put down anything in writing. It is doubtful whether he consciously wanted to teach. He certainly sought to bring about an awakening. The many miracles he performed, the diseases he cured, the gift of love he gave to his followers were all part of the awakening he brought about. Through the serial, Dr. Ramanand Sagar, the master story teller, intends to spread Baba's social and spiritual messages with a judicious blend of entertainment.