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RSTV Grand Structures
Grand Structures is a documentary feature series which telecast on Rajya Sabha TV (now merged

as Sansad TV) between the span of March 2019 to August 2021. Filmed extensively at the exclusive locations and enriched with the interviews of historians and experts the series is often cited as an example of a top-class production feature on Indian television.

Series Overview
Charting the cultural and art history of the subcontinent, the series Grand Structures showcased the history of India's grand architectural marvels. The series also investigated and put forth the personalities, vision and thought process of those behind the foundation and the construction of these architectural marvels, the building blocks whose stories inspires till date. Produced after meticulous and deep research the producers interviewed eminent historians on the architects and the people involved in the process of drawing these amazing monuments and massive structure and also in the process telling the story of how they have showcased and stood guardian to an all-encompassing idea of India.

List of Episodes
Spanning 10 episodes, the series also included the story behind the infamous Cellular Jail of Port Blair whose construction was a telling tale of a colonial subjugation of great Indian freedom fighters.

The series covered the stories behind the following grand marvels of India:

Rashtrapati Bhavan: The opening episode 'Inside Rashtrapati Bhavan' charts a historic journey into the residence of the President of the Union of India. Ever since the Independence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has stood as a robust conscious keeper of the nation as well as a grand symbol of world’s largest democracy. Beside the history of its coming into being, the feature will also give a glimpse of what is life inside one of world’s grand structure like never before. The narrative of the feature is amalgam of rich visuals of some never seen extremely ornate spaces and interviews with historians and important office bearers of the institution itself.

The Red Fort, Delhi: Featuring Delhi’s magnificent Red Fort through the eras of its glorious history, architecture, its tryst with the 1857 Indian uprising, the take-over by the British and subsequent changes they brought in there and the story of INA trails.

Parliament House: Showcasing the glorious history of India’s iconic Old Parliament House building. The feature documentary tells the story of the Parliament of India through eras from its conception to a temple of democracy. Besides an ornate space with its grand design, layout and architecture, the Parliament is also a grand edifice representing every Indian citizen in its two chambers – Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. It is also a great repository of history and ceremonies with its spaces like Central Hall, portraits, and larger than life monoliths of the founder fathers of India.

Humayun's Tomb: Featuring the glorious story of historic Humayun's Tomb and its grand design, layout and the architecture. A story of a largest ever mausoleum built in Delhi, it is also a story of an emperor, his travails and how his tomb was to inspire a greater school of art and culture in the subcontinent.

Amba Vilas Palace, Mysuru: Commonly called Mysore Palace, the grand edifice is a landmark depicting the history and journey of a city, which is also a cultural capital of Karnataka. The episode charted the beauty, glory and magnificence of the palace, a home, through the voices of its royal guardian, a historian and a connoisseur, as the palace opened its doors for photography for the first time ever.

Sri Harimandir Sahib: The glorious history of the holy Sri Harimandir Sahib. The shrine located in Amritsar, Punjab is one of the most revered site in India. It is not only a central religious place of the Sikh faith but also a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. The feature documentary is a narrative of its history, the grand architecture of Sri Harimandir Sahib and how over the years it has evolved as significant cultural icon of our country.

Akshardham Mandir: The feature documentary talks about the holy temple in terms of the life, journey and teachings of Lord Swaminarayan. At the same time it highlights the historical and cultural significance of Akshardham Mandir for every Indian.

Cellular Jail: Chronicling the history of India’s unforgettable freedom memorial – the Cellular Jail. The infamous prison across the high seas on Port Blair of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was built by the British to imprison the freedom fighters, revolutionaries and great intellectuals of India. A place of immense torture and hardships, the historical structure also houses the stories of several unsung freedom fighters as they kept the flame burning of our struggle for Independence.

Bandra-Worli Sea Link: The amazing story of Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea Link. A bridge on the Arabian Sea is considered one of engineering and architectural marvels of 21st century India. The freeway which has immensely eased the north-south traffic movement in Mumbai is also a landmark achievement in the urban transformation aimed at making roads in India less congested and more commuter-friendly.

Taj Mahal: This Grand Structures episode, which was the last one of the season showcasedone of the iconic wonders of the world – Taj Mahal. This hour-long feature documentary explores the story of the grandest ever structure defining power and beauty. An incredible accomplishment of its time besides the story of skills and artistry beyond imagination, the edifice is today an iconic representation of India’s past and her rich cultural journey.

Selected Historians/Officers Interviewed

 * 1) Shashank Sinha, Author & Historian
 * 2) Dr. Amita Paliwal, Associate Professor, Jesus & Mary College, Delhi University
 * 3) Prof. (late) Sunil Kumar, Head of Department, History, Delhi University
 * 4) Prof. Najaf Haider, Jawaharlal Nehru University
 * 5) Prof. Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Co- author, ‘Making of the Capital’
 * 6) Dr. Catherine B Asher, Department of Art History, University of Minnesota
 * 7) Rana Safvi, Historian & Author
 * 8) Swapna Liddle. Historian & Author
 * 9) Sanjay Kothari, Secretary to the President of India (former)
 * 10) Maj. Gen CP Cariappa, Military Secretary to the President of India (former)
 * 11) Prof. NS Rangaraju, Former Faculty, History, University of Mysore
 * 12) Francis Xavier, Historian & Educationist, Port Blair
 * 13) Rasheeda Iqbal, Assistant Director, Art & Culture, Andaman Islands
 * 14) Mukhteshwar Lall, Founder, Kalapani Museum, Port Blair
 * 15) Ratish Nanda, Conservation Architect, Aga Khan Trust for Culture
 * 16) Dr. Meenakshi Khanna, Associate Professor, History Deptt., IP College for Women, Delhi Univ.
 * 17) Iftakhar Nadime Khan, Author, Black Taj Mahal: The Emperor's Missing Tomb
 * 18) HH Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, Titular Queen, Amba Vilas Palace, Mysore
 * 19) Dr. Roop Singh, Chief Secretary, SGPC
 * 20) Prof. Rawal Singh Aulakh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
 * 21) Dr. SS Bhatti, Sikh Historian & Author
 * 22) Nishit Acharya & Jayesh Mandanka, Volunteer, BAPS Akshardham
 * 23) Snehlata Shrivastava, former Secretary General, Lok Sabha
 * 24) Dr. Karan Singh, Former Parliamentarian
 * 25) Swapan Das Gupta, ex-MP, Rajya Sabha
 * 26) Desh Deepak Verma, former Secretary General, Rajya Sabha

Production
Conceived, Produced and Directed by Rajat Kain & Eman Hasan, the series was a continuation of their collaboration including the series Talking History, a documentary series on the history of marvelous Indian cities.