Page 37 - Seniorstoday January 2023 Issue
P. 37
Spotlight
Ramanand Sagar:
From Movie Mogul to TV Czar
Prem Sagar calls his father a ‘maharishi,’ but he definitely was a television
pioneer, writes Deepa Gahlot
On January 25, 1987, Ramayan started today’s standards, garish sets and costumes
its telecast on Doordarshan and broke all inspired by calendar images and Amar
viewership records. Mythologicals that had Chitra Katha comics, the serial followed the
once been a cinema staple had fallen out of story the way it is imprinted in the minds
fashion by then, and nobody expected that a of Indians, with no attempt to veer from the
TV serial would tap into the religiosity that folkloric element, or reinterpret it to suit a
has always been part of Hindu culture, seen modern sensibility. It didn’t matter to viewers
in the way festivals are celebrated and rituals then, and does not matter now, even after
followed. When it was telecast at 9 am on more sophisticated serials beam on satellite
Sunday mornings, people would bathe and television and OTT platforms. Every time
garland their TV sets before sitting down to the serial has been re-telecast, it has got a
watch, with reverence. It was reported that huge number of viewers, reportedly more
streets used to deserted and shops remained than Game Of Thrones. Ramayan ran for just
shut till the episode ended; no functions were 78 episodes, but its impact and recall value
scheduled at that time, and in one incident, is such that even today, as Arun Govil who
perhaps apocryphal, a bride held up her played Lord Ram, said in an interview, people
wedding till the show ended, because she did touch his feet, like they used to do when the
not want to miss an episode. show was running. Deepika Chikhlia who had
Created, written and directed by Ramanand played Sita and Arvind ‘Raavan’ Trivedi had
Sagar, Ramayan became the most watched won assembly elections from constituencies in
serial in the world. Primitive technology by Gujarat riding on the popularity of Ramayan.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #43 | JANUARY 2023 37
