Ramayan is an epic tale that showcases the victory of good over evil. Since the mythological aspect of this tale keeps the audience hooked over the years it has been told and retold multiple times in various forms like books, radio, television, films, and animation. In fact, most recently, a Bollywood feature-length film Adipurush starring Prabhas is all set to release.
So, as Navratri is being celebrated now till October 5 i.e Dussehra, the occasion that marks the victory of the lord Ram over the demon king Ravana, let’s review some depictions of Ramayan on TV over the years.
‘Ramayan’ (1987 TV series)
This Ramayan series from the 80s was created, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The epic show was aired on Doordarshan and was mostly based on Valmiki’s Ramayan and Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas. Back then, it became so popular that during that time entire neighborhoods would gather in front of the TV to watch it.
‘Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama’
This animated film, created in the 90s, was co-produced by Japan and India. The movie was co-directed by the father of Indian animation the late Ram Mohan, and Japanese creators Yugo Sako and Koichi Sasaki. The film was not released on a large scale initially but later was released for TV on Cartoon Network.
Jai Hanuman (1997 TV series)
Jai Hanuman is a 1997 Indian television series based on the life of Hanuman, an avatar of Shiva. This was made in Hindi and it was directed by Sanjay Khan. The series was initially shown on the state-run DD National and was later shown on Sony Entertainment Television in 2008.
‘Ramayan’ (2002 TV series)
After Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, this series was another television adaptation of the epic and was bankrolled and directed by Baldev Raj Chopra and Ravi Chopra. Each episode began with a title song sung by Vinod Rathod and ended with a doha or couplet sung by Manoj Mishra and written by Maya Govind. It was supposed to air on Zee TV.
Raavan (2006 TV series)
Raavan is an Indian mythological drama series aired on Zee TV from 18 November 2006 to 16 November 2008, based on the life of the primary antagonist of the epic Ramayana, Ravana. This show traces the life and journey of Dashanan and reveals the unknown facts about his life, the situations, and the characters that changed him for the worse.
‘Ramayan’ (2008 TV series)
Ramayan 2008, aired on Imagine T.V., was indeed one of the best mythological shows we have till date. It was a reboot of the 1987 Ramayan television series and therefore starred now real-life couple Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee in the roles of Ram and Sita. NDTV Imagine’s Ramayan was directed by Anand Sagar, the son of the legend Ramanand Sagar.
‘Siya Ke Ram’ (2015)
The show ‘Siya Ke Ram’ features Madirakshi Mundle and Ashish Sharma playing Goddess Sita and Lord Rama. It premiered on Star Plus on November 16, 2015, and ended on November 4, 2016. The main story followed the tale from Sita’s perspective.
