Maharakshak: Devi

Maharakshak: Devi is a 2015 Indian children's television series that blends superhero fantasy with Hindu mythology. The show centers on Gauri, a teenage girl living in modern Mumbai who is revealed to be the reincarnation of the goddess Devi/Durga. Raised and trained by her guru, Brihaspati—who discovered her as an infant floating in a river—Gauri spends her first 17 years preparing to battle a series of asuras (demons) active in the contemporary world, including Bhasmasura, Kumbhakarna, Mahishasura, Jalandhara, Raktabīja, and Sumbha and Nisumbha. These demons serve their own guru, Shukracharya. Gauri is aided by a group of companions and advisors: Brihaspati, Tiger, Parijaat, Inspector Narayan, and Krishna.

The cast includes Umang Jain as Gauri/Devi/Durga, Rohit Bakshi as Brihaspati/Professor Jayant, Indraneil Sengupta as Shukracharya/Virat Mittal, Karan Suchak as Inspector Narayan/Narada, Shresth Kumar as Krishna, Sahil Uppal as Tiger, Ankit Gera as Bhasma/Bhasmasura, Varun Kapoor as Mahish/Mahishasura, Rushiraj Pawar as Parijaat, Nikita Sharma as Vedika, Kamalika Guha Thakurta as Meena, Ujjwal Gauraha as Jalandhar, and Tarun Khanna as Raktabija.

The series was developed as part of Zee TV's Maharakshak superhero franchise, launched in 2014 with the three-month serial *Maharakshak: Aryan*. *Maharakshak: Devi* followed in 2015 as the second installment, also running for three months. (The network originally planned three series, but only two have been released.) The show was conceived to highlight female empowerment. Umang Jain was cast in the dual roles of Gauri and Devi partly because of her background as a dancer and her brown belt in martial arts. Jain said she was drawn to the role because it was challenging.