Shiv Sagar, the creative director and producer at Sagar World Multimedia, which has released its newest mythological show Kaamdhenu Gaumata on Star Bharat, comes from a family of great storytellers. His father is Prem Sagar, and his grandfather is the legendary Ramanand Sagar, whose 1987 show Ramayan still takes the top spot in the mythological shows in India. Shiv is popularly known for his modern yet rooted approach to devotional storytelling and shared that the depth and intensity have increased over the years.
Talking about his journey, he said, “My family has been in the industry for 74 years. I’ve been in the industry for 16 years—I started in 2008. Shani (the personification of the planet Saturn in Hindu Itihaas) brought me into the film industry. Growing up, I had no interest in the film line. I studied hotel management at Les Roches in Switzerland and ran our 50-room family hotel for five years after returning to India.”
“From a young age, I had a deep curiosity about the occult and mysticism, and I was a voracious reader of all kinds of world literature. The atmosphere at home was very creative—we grew up on TV and film sets and even worked as junior artists when required. When the show Mahima Shani Dev Ki was being made by Sagar Arts for NDTV Imagine, which was headed by Sameer Nair at the time, I jumped on the bandwagon due to my personal interest in Jyotish. Since then, this is my 11th show, and I’ve never looked back,” he added.
He has produced shows like Mahima Shani Dev Ki on NDTV Imagine and Jai Jai Jai Bajrang Bali on Sahara. His student short film, The End, which he shot while studying at NYFA (New York Film Academy), won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award and the New Zealand Short Film Festival Award. He has directed a 3D movie, Aarasuri Maa Ambe, for the Gujarat Government, which plays at the Amba Temple in Gujarat, in which Amitabh Bachchan ji did the voice-over. He has written the screenplay and produced an 11-episode limited series, Mahima Vaishno Devi Ki, for Doordarshan; Kahani Vikram Aur Betal Ki on Colors TV, where he was also the creative producer; Jai Jag Janani Maa Durga on Colors TV, also as a creative producer; and Narayan Narayan on Big Magic—a lighthearted show on Narad Muni. His last show was Kakabhushundi Ramayan—Anasuni Kathayein, and it is in the pipeline for a third season. He was the creative director and producer.
Shiv believes these shows have been a turning point in his career and said, “I definitely feel that I have developed much more creatively, and it’s a slow process. Right from learning the ropes of scripting and directing from my dad, Shri Prem Sagar ji, on my first show, Mahima Shani Dev Ki, to now, I can independently write, produce, and direct television shows, short films, etc. I feel that the judgment and sense of cinema have definitely expanded, and my confidence has grown in my hidden talents and abilities as a writer and creative director.”
He shared that his journey has been slow and steady. “I keep watching a lot of cinema and OTT content and keep trying to push my boundaries as a creative person. I have developed an alternative career as a hotelier and run a 20-acre boutique farm-stay in Karjat, called Tooth Mountain Farms, so having my feet in two boats has been a bit of a challenge, but I enjoy the stability of hospitality and the creativity and adrenaline rush of filmmaking,” Shiv concluded.
