Kahani..., which will commence airing on 20 January in the 9:30 pm slot currently held by another Balaji soap Kutumb, is much larger and far more lavish than any serial currently airing on television, according to a Balaji spokesperson.

Kahani... is said to be Balaji creative inspiration Ektaa Kapoor's dream project and some industry sources even claim it to be a Devdas on television. What carpers call director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ode to the lavish set, Devdas is the most expensive Indian film ever made and cost producer Bharat Shah a cool Rs 500 million.

The main protagonist of the story is Tara, played by Tina Parekh of Khichdi fame and staring opposite her is Manav Gohil playing Dhruv. The other cast members include Saibalal, Shama Despande, Sumukhi Pendse, Urvashi Dholakia, Manoramaji and Rupa Sengupta.

In true Balaji tradition, it is a story about a rich joint family with many parallel story lines running alongside the central plot. The main one being the love story of the patriarch's son and a girl from a not so well-to-do family. The twist in the tale is that the male lead has a split personality.

Both Balaji and Sony are tight-lipped about the costs involved in the making of the 'most lavish' and 'extravagant' show on Indian television.