Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar has said that following ‘popular demand’, 80s television serial Ramayana will be re-telecast from Saturday, March 28 on DD National. He also said that two episodes will be aired in a day, one from 9 am to 10 am and the other in the evening from 9 pm to 10pm. This announcement came in the wake of a nationwide 21-day lockdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Happy to announce that on public demand, we are starting retelecast of ‘Ramayana’ from tomorrow, Saturday March 28 in DD National, One episode in morning 9 am to 10 am, another in the evening 9 pm to 10 pm.@narendramodi
@PIBIndia@DDNational— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) March 27, 2020
Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana aired during 1987-1988 and starred Arun Govil as Ram, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, Deepika Chikhalia as Sita, Arvind Trivedi as Raavan and late Dara Singh as Hanuman.
It broke the viewership record for any Indian television series during the 80s. It even entered the Limca Book of Records as the ‘Most Watched Religious Series’. The television show is also believed to have helped the Ramjanmabhoomi movement and marked a flashpoint in Indian politics.
It is unclear how the I&B Ministry or Doordarshan assessed this ‘popular demand’ or how people communicated this demand, following the lockdown.
I want to see Buniyad, Hum log and Rajni @DDNational please telecast these too
— Rana Safvi رعنا राना (@iamrana) March 27, 2020
(1986) Ramanand Sagar directing a scene for his TV show #Ramayan
To be telecast from tomorrow, Saturday March 28 on Doordarshan, One episode, morning 9am and evening 9pm pic.twitter.com/4S8uQ7o2b1
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) March 27, 2020
# Ramayana BJP Govt revives Ramayana on Doordarshan from March 28. Opium for the locked down masses–we can’t protect your livelihood but we can help you forget your woes.https://t.co/I83ZY1Wq1Z pic.twitter.com/JAyXFEYWW4
— The Hoot (@The_Hoot) March 27, 2020
