Indian epic television series
Ramayan (also known as Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan) is an Indian Hindi-language epic television series based on ancient Indian Sanskrit Epic Ramayana. The show was created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar.[1] It originally aired between 1987 and 1988 on DD National and it was narrated by Ashok Kumar and the director Ramanand Sagar. The music was composed by Ravindra Jain. During its run, the show became most watched television series in the world,[2] and it is the most watched mythological serial in the world, it had a viewership of 82 percent.[3] The repeat telecast was aired on 20 different channels in 17 countries on all the five continents at different times. The success of the series was documented well by the media. According to BBC, the serial has been viewed by over 650 million viewers.[4] Each episode of the series reportedly earned DD National ₹40 lakh.[5]
The show is primarily based on Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.[6] Other sources used were: Tamil Kamb Ramayan, Marathi Bhavarath Ramayan, Bengali Krutivas Ramayan, Telugu Shri Rangnath Ramayan, Kannada Ramchandra Charit Puranam, Malayalam Adhyatma Ramayan, Urdu Ramayan by Chakbast. Ramayan was the most expensive TV show produced during at the time with a budget of ₹9 lakhs per episode.[7]
When the series was telecast every Sunday morning, BBC recalled, "streets would be deserted, shops would be closed and people would bathe and garland their TV sets before the serial began."[8] The series was re-aired during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown and broke several viewership records globally; the show became the most watched TV show in the world with 77 million viewership on 16 April 2020.[9][10][11][12][13]
Premise
Adapted and based on the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, the series follows the journey of Ram who goes to an exile of 14 years along with Sita and Lakshman.
Lord Vishnu decides to incarnate on earth as Ram, the son of King Dashrath and Queen Kaushalya of Ayodhya to kill Ravan, the evil king of Lanka and establish dharma whereas Goddess Lakshmi would incarnate as his wife Sita. In Ayodhya, a childless Dashrath conducts a yagna for children and as a result, his three wives gives birth to 4 sons. Kaushalya to Ram, Kaikeyi to Bharat and Sumitra to Lakshman and Shatrughan. The 4 boys grow up to be excellent warriors under Guru Vashista's training. Lord Ram is an ideal and perfect son and brother and is a role model to his three younger brothers and always respects his parents and their affection towards him.
After the brothers return after completing their education, Rishi Vishvamitra arrives at Ayodhya for help as his yagna is disturbed by some demons and asks Dashrath to send Ram to him to kill those demons. Dashrath reluctantly agrees and Lakshman also accompanies Ram. Shri Ram succeeds in killing Taraka and her son Subahu and also protects the yagnas. Rishi Vishvamitra later teaches him about many things required for future.
Later, he takes the two brothers to Mithila to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva's bow at the swayamvar of Princess Sita. Rishi Vishvamitra tells them about the birth of Sita from earth. On their way Ram frees Ahalya of her curse by her husband Rishi Gautama.
Episodes
Episode 1 – Birth and childhood of Lord Ram
Episode 2 – Ram going to Gurukul
Episode 3 – Continuing Gurukul
Episode 4 – Vishwamitra comes to Ayodhya and Ram kills Taraka Rakshasi
Episode 5 – Ganga Redemption of Ahilya
Episode 6 – Ram meets Sita
Episode 7 – Sita's Swayamvara
Episode 8 – Sita's Swayamvara and Parashuram
Episode 9 – Marriage Preparations
Episode 10 – Ram and Sita's Marriage
Episode 11 – Sita's arrival at Ayodhya
Episode 12 – Discussion on Dasharatha's heir
Episode 13 – Manthra poisons Kaikeyi's mind
Episode 14 – Kaikeyi Demands Her Boons from Dasharatha
Episode 15 – Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman preparing for the Journey to the Forest
Episode 16 – Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman leave Ayodhya
Episode 17 – Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman meet Nishadraj Guha
Episode 18 – Bharadwaja's Ashram
Episode 19 – Valmiki's Ashram and Chitrakoot
Episode 20 – King Dasharath's Death and story of Shravan Kumar
Episode 21 – Bharath Returns to Ayodhya
Episode 22 – Bharath rejects to become King
Episode 23 – Bharat vows to bring back Shri Ram
Episode 24 – Reunion of Ram and Bharat
Episode 25 – Bharath returns to Ayodhya with Shri Ram's sandals
Episode 26 – Shri Ram's sandals installed on the throne of Ayodhya
Episode 27 – Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman meet Sage Atri & Mother Anusuya
Episode 28 – Shri Ram vows to destroy demons, meets Sage Agastya
Episode 29 – First meeting with Jatayu.
Episode 30 – Shurpanaka Encounter
Episode 31 – Sita Kidnap Plan by Raavan
Episode 32 – Sita Haran and Ravana kills Jatayu
Episode 33 – Shri Ram & Lakshman meet wounded Jatayu
Episode 34 – Shri Ram & Lakshman encounter Kabandh and reach Shabari's ashram
Episode 35 – Hanuman meets Shri Ram
Episode 36 – Friendship between Shri Ram & Sugriv
Episode 37 – Sugriv tells Shri Ram about Bali
Episode 38 – Shri Ram kills Bali
Episode 39 – Sugriv becomes king
Episode 40 – Sugriv and Angad come to Shri Ram for his blessings
Episode 41 – Lakshman enters Kishikindha in a fury
Episode 42 – Search for Sita begins
Episode 43 – Jambubant reminds Hanuman of his dormant strength. Hanuman flies to Lanka
Episode 44 – Hanuman meets Sita in Ashok Vatika
Episode 45 – Hanuman ravages Ashok Vatika and kills Akshay Kumara
Episode 46 – Hanuman meets Ravana and Lanka Dahan
Episode 47 – Hanuman takes leave of Sita
Episode 48 – Hanuman returns and tells Shri Ram about Sita
Episode 49 – Vibhishana is expelled from Lanka
Episode 50 – Vibhishana meets Shri Ram
Episode 51 – Sukh meets Sugriv
Episode 52 – Ram Setu bandhan
Episode 53 – The construction of the bridge is completed
Episode 54 – Shri Ram's arrow fells Ravan's crown
Episode 55 – Ravana and Sugriv duel against each other
Episode 56 – Shri Ram sends Angad as an peace ambassador to Ravan's court
Episode 57 – Angad's challenge
Episode 58 – Mandodari appeals to Ravan to listen to the advice of his elders
Episode 59 – Battle Starts
Episode 60 – Ravan comes to the battlefield
Episode 61 – Kumbhakaran is woken up
Episode 62 – Kumbhakaran vadh
Episode 63 – Devantak, Narantak, Trishira and other warriors are killed
Episode 64 – Lakshman fights and kills Atikaya
Episode 65 – Shri Ram & Lakshman are bound by Indrajit's Nagapasha
Episode 66 – Garuda frees Shri Ram and Lakshman from Nagapasha
Episode 67 – Lakshman get injured by Indrajit's 'shakti' weapon.
Episode 68 – Hanuman brings Sushen Vaidya
Episode 69 – Hanuman brings Sanjeevani mountain from Himalayas and Lakshman is cured
Episode 70 – Indrajit goes to perform a tantrik yajna
Episode 71 – Indrajit Vadh
Episode 72 – Ravana enters battlefield and fights Shri Ram
Episode 73 – Ravan attacks Shri Ram
Episode 74 – Indra sends his chariot for Shri Ram
Episode 75 – Ravan vadh and end of battle
Episode 76 – Sita Agni-pariksha
Episode 77 – Shri Ram heads for Ayodhya
Episode 78 – The coronation of Shri Ram
Production
Ramayan was regarded as the most expensive TV show produced during the time with a budget ₹9 lakhs per episode.[7]
Development
Writing for the Indian Express upon completion of the airing of the series' final episode, former bureaucrat S. S. Gill wrote that it was during his tenure as the secretary with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in September 1985 that he contacted Ramanand Sagar in association with the project.
Gill added that in a letter to Sagar, he had written about the Ramayana as a subject for the television series was ideal in that it was "a repository of moral and social values" and that its message was "secular and universal".
He added that he had noted in the letter that Sagar's "real challenge would lie in seeing the epic "with the eyes of a modern man and relating its message to the spiritual and emotional needs of our age".
Gill added that he also wrote a similar letter to B. R. Chopra over the production of the series Mahabharat based on another epic of the same name, and mentioned that both he and Sagar accepted to his suggestions and constituted panels of experts and scholars to conceptualize the production.[22]
The series was initially conceptualized to run for 52 episodes of 45 minutes each. But, owing to popular demand it had to be extended thrice, eventually ending after 78 episodes.[23]
Initially, Both Ramayan and Mahabharat was planned to air together, but later it was decided to air Ramayan first which was followed by Mahabharat after its end.[24]
Casting
I remember I had given an audition for Ram and I failed initially. I don’t know what happened. The photoshoot happened with the look and make-up but I wasn’t looking like Lord Ram... Then we thought of adding a smile and then everything got sorted.
Govil expressed his desire to play Rama and appeared for a screen test. Initially, he was considered to be inappropriate for the role. He then appeared for the screen test again wearing a smile on his face and got finalized for the role.[14] Since Govil's collaboration with Debashree Roy in Kanak Mishra's Jiyo To Aise Jiyo (1981) was adulated, the actress was approached to play Sita but due to her hectic schedule in Bengali cinema, she failed to appear for the screen test.[26]
Several other famous actresses were approached as well but all of them backed off due to the prevalent premonition that playing the role of Lady Sita would blemish their romantic appeal resulting doom to their on-screen career. Deepika Chikhalia was then summoned to appear for the screen test. She had to undergo rigorous screen tests and was finalized then.[27]
Sanjay Jog was originally approached for the role of Lakshmana but he refused since he was unable to give bulk dates. Sagar then urged him to play Bharata since the role would not require bulk dates. The role of Lakshmana then went to Sunil Lahiri.[28]
Arvind Trivedi went to audition for the role of a boatman where Ramanand Sagar chose him as Ravan.[29] However, when Trivedi rejected the offer, Paresh Rawal convinced him for playing the role.[30] Vijay Kavish played three roles in the series which were Shiva, Valmiki and Mayasura.[20]
Reception and legacy
After just few episodes had been released, the show received widespread critical acclaim for Ramanand Sagar's writing and direction as well as its casting and Ravindra Jain's music.
D. K. Bose, the media director of Hindustan Thompson Associates, remarked, "The unique thing about the Ramayana was its consistency. Other programs like Buniyaad and even Hum Log did achieve viewership of around 80 percent and more, on occasion. In the case of Ramayana, that figure had been maintained almost from the beginning."
He added, “Starting at around 50 percent the 80 percent figure was reached within a few months and never went down. The viewership was more than 50 percent even in the predominantly non-Hindi speaking southern Indian States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The show's popularity spanned across religions and people of the Islam faith watched in high numbers as well. It was common among people threatening to burn down the local electricity board headquarters during a power outage.[5]"
The success of the series was documented well by the media. Soutik Biswas of BBC recalled that when the series was telecast every Sunday morning, "streets would be deserted, shops would be closed and people would bathe and garland their TV sets before the serial began."[8]
Writing for the Telegraph, William Dalrymple noted, "In villages across south Asia, hundreds of people would gather around a single set to watch the gods and demons play out their destinies. In the noisiest and most bustling cities, trains, buses and cars came to a sudden halt, and a strange hush fell over the bazaars. In Delhi, government meetings had to be rescheduled after the entire cabinet failed to turn up for an urgent briefing."[41]
Political
Regarding initial apprehensions about the series being aired by a government-owned broadcaster, it's hitherto producer Sharad Dutt said that "a lot of people within the channel's office weren't supportive of the idea, to begin with. But it had no motivation with what was going on politically. The Congress was in power and it had no agenda of the sort.".[42] Sharma noted that the political clout the series held could be adjudged by the fact that Sagar and Arun Govil (who played Rama) "were repeatedly courted by both the Congress and the BJP to campaign for them", and that Deepika Chikhalia (Sita) and Arvind Trivedi (Ravana) went on to become members of parliament.[42]
Arvind Rajagopal in his book Politics After Television: Hindu Nationalism and the Reshaping of the Public in India (2000) wrote that with the series, the government "violated a decades-old taboo on religious partisanship, and Hindu nationalists made the most of the opportunity." It confirmed to the idea of Hindu awakening and the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party capitalizing on this.[43]"
Manik Sharma of Hindustan Times voiced similar views in that the series "played in the backdrop of a Hindutva shift in Indian politics, under the aegis of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its political outfit, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the media and cultural commentators struggled to consider Sagar's epic one way or the other, there were some who saw it as a catalyst, even if unintended, to the turmoil that the movement resulted in."[42]
The series was re-telecast from 28 March 2020 with one hour episode during the morning and one hour episode during the night during the lockdown of 21 days due to coronavirus on DD National.[44][45]
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