Produced by Smita Thackeray's Rahul Productions, the serial has a big-league star cast. Khel features Dilip Tahil - his first venture on the small screen, Nirmal Pandey, the Bollywood 'bad-shah' who makes a comeback to the small screen, Moon Moon Sen, Mrinal Kulkarni and Priya Tendulkar as the main star cast.
It is the assurance of a quality production which will be maintained throughout the serial's telecast duration and the chances of the serial abruptly going off air being remote that prompted him to sign onto the project, Tahil said at a press brief in south Mumbai's Hotel Taj yesterday. Khel in the only serial that Tahil is presently acting in.
The fast-paced emotional family drama has a high society setting and is the story of Deven Oberoi (Dilip Tahil) a businessmen absolutely focused on earning money and his plans for setting up a lavish casino. In the mad quest for fortune and fame his personal life takes a backseat which affects his family at this point his former lover Lilavati (Priya Tendulkar) and illegitimate daughter (Mrinal Kulkarni). The star cast Dilip Tahil, Mrinal Kulkarni, Nitesh Pandey with three other cast took-on stage and by way of saying and acting out a dialogue from the script gave an idea about the characters they are playing.
Khel also marks Rahul Productions' first foray into making television serials. Says Swati Thanawala, executive producer, it was the success of Haseena Maan Jayegi that prompted them to look at the television medium. "The story line was good and has a range of emotions and interesting moments hence apt for a serial, a three hour movie wouldn't have justified it," said Smita Thackeray.
Made on a relatively high budget, courtesy the high profile star cast which mounts up to a huge investment for each episode. Nevertheless, both the production house and the channel are optimistic about the serial. Before going into production a thorough groundwork for nearly a year over the scripting had been done, informs Thanawala. "We have treaded carefully over the storyline and star cast and we are looking at a long-term telecast," she added.
