MUMBAI: Dr Ramanand Sagar, creator of the mega mythological serials Ramayan and Shri Krishna, is planning to weave his magic again. This time it will be around female goddess Durga.Sagar will make an official announcement of his new venture, Jai Maa Durga, tomorrow night during the grande finale of the Indian Telly Awards 2004, the annual high point of the television industry's events calendar. Sagar will be honoured with the Lifetime Contribution to Indian Television Award 2004 on the night.

Jai Maa Durga will comprise a total of 52 one-hour episodes. "It will be produced, written and directed by Ramanand Sagar," says Sagar Arts marketing director Prem Sagar.Currently. Sagar's show Sankshipt Ramayan is airing on Star Plus. "He was interested to make three sequels - Ramayan, Shri Krishna and Jai Maa Durga. The project was originally planned years back with Hema Malini as the star cast. But Sagar has the habit of taking up a single project at a time. We had Shri Krishna running for years. So we didn't get into doing Jai Maa Durga. It was then that Malini did Jai Mata Di. We will have new faces acting in the show," says Prem Sagar.

Can the 87-year-old Sagar still touch audiences with his new epic serial? "Sankshipt Ramayan is doing well. He is a master in mythologies. There is no reason why he shouldn't succeed this time as well," says Prem Sagar.