BY SACNILK

The rebroadcast of some of the famous 80s and 90s shows on tv has been gaining massive Television Rating Point (TRP). Ramayan, which was the most popular show in the late 80s, its rebroadcast on Doordarshan National (DD National) has broken all the records of the viewership in the history of the entertainment shows. ## The show becomes the most-watched entertainment show in the world with 77 M (7.7 Crore) viewership on the 16th of April 2020. Amid the nationwide lockdown, Doordarshan is rebroadcasting some of its famous shows to keep the people entertained during the home quarantine. ## WORLD RECORD!!Rebroadcast of #Ramayana on #Doordarshan smashes viewership records worldwide, the show becomes most watched entertainment show in the world with 7.7 crore viewers on 16th of April pic.twitter.com/hCVSggyqIE— Doordarshan National (@DDNational) April 30, 2020 ## Along with Ramayan, the channel also rebroadcasting the Mahabharat, Chanakya, Buniyaad, and the popular child show Shaktiman. ## Not only DD National but all the other channels are rebroadcasting its popular shows as the shooting of the current shows has been stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic and the extended lockdown. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who is best known for his role of Ravan in Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan", has joined Twitter. His debut on the microblogging site comes after his former "Ramayan" co-stars Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhila made their Twitter accounts.## The actors are back in the limelight after Doordarshan started the re-run of the mythological show amid the coronavirus lockdown.## With Arvind's Twitter debut, fans got excited and showered him with love and praise. They even started trending #RavanonTwitter.## "Due to my kids and because of your unconditional love, I have joined Twitter. This is my original ID. Whoever retweets my tweet with #RaavanOnTwitter on April 18, I will follow them without second thoughts. Jai Shri Ram. Om Namah Shivaay," Arvind tweeted.## Apart from thanking fans for their love, Arvind also urged people to stay at home.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Veteran Gujarati actor Arvind Trivedi, who became a household name all over India playing Raavan in Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan", got emotional while watching the re-run of the popular mythological serial.## In a video circulating on social media, Trivedi, who is in his eighties now, is seen watching the 'Sita Apaharan' (Kidnapping of Sita) episode with great attention. The video has gone viral on the internet.## In the video, Trivedi folds his hands in the end. The scene got him very emotional, as per a report by timesofindia.indiatimes.com.## Amid the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, the popular mythological series is being re-telecast on Doordarshan.## "Ramayan" aired in 1987-1988, and is created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The show was a television adaptation of the Indian Hindu epic of the same name.## The show was a game-changer for Indian television, hooking the nation to the show. Sunday mornings were never the same for families in India after the first episode of "Ramayan" aired on television. The impact was such that the actors associated with the show, continue to live under the shadow of their characters, with people remembering them for the roles they played in the show, which narrated the life story of Lord Ram and Sita.## The role of Ram was played by Arun Govil, Sita played by Deepika Chikhalia, Lakshman was played by Sunil Lahiri, and Hanuman by late Dara Singh. It also featured Sanjay Jog, late Vijay Arora, Sameer Rajda, late Mulraj Rajda, and late Lalita Pawar.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) With Ramanand Sagar's popular eighties mythological serial "Ramayan" back on Doordarshan, the Indian audience has got a chance to revisit the epic story all over again. The show has set off social media discussion, too.## The discussion over the past 24 hours or so has taken a gender-based turn with some viewers calling queen Kaikeyi a b**ch and hurling abuses at her maid Manthara. As the badmouthing continued, these two characters incidentally kept trending on Twitter.## There has been a debate centered on the feminism quotient in the show, too. While some users felt "Ramayan" did not mete out fair treatment to its female characters, others felt the storyline champions women's empowerment.## Hailing the storyline as an instance of women's empowerment, a viewer tweeted: "We were so progressive even 7000 yrs back, it's amazing. Sita was a very intelligent & warrior woman. Kaikeyi wasn't only a warrior, she was Saarthi of King Dashrath in Devasur Sangram, which was not at all an easy task. True women empowerment. #Ramayan"## Another viewer shared: "Seeing Ramayan today, I am reminded of first female drivers were from India. Kaikeyi and Satyabhama."## Still, others reminded that Kaikeyi was no pushover as a character. "Ramayana and equality. Guys, remember that Kaikeyi was the first woman in combat," a user tweeted.## However, not everyone feels that the story upholds "women's empowerment", and not everyone shared kind words for the antagonist Kaikeyi.## A viewer opined: "Kaikeyi was a class A b**ch, wasn't she? Asking for her son to be crowned king was alright, but sending Ram to exile was evil at a whole new level. Don't bash me, I won't take it back!"## Another viewer expressed: "Kaikeyi was the most unfortunate character in the entire epic. The poor lady loved Ram more than her own son, went to battle for her King, was also probably the most intelligent of the Queens & yet, in 1 moment of clouded thinking, she ruined it for everyone. What a beautiful lesson!"## Still, another said: "A woman can make or destroy a home. Perfect example - Kaikeyi"## While one viewer declared that Kaikeyi was a pseudo-feminist, several others protested.## "Kaikeyi was the first pseudo-feminist. #Ramayan" opined the viewer.## "Kaikeyi is a good example that a woman can ruin a man's life even without Pseudo feminism. #Ramayana #Ayodhyakaand" said the viewer.## A social media user made an interesting observation saying "Ramayan" would have had a different perspective altogether if it was penned from the viewpoint of any of the female characters.## The tweet reads: "Have you ever not wondered how the story would have unfolded in its own different indifferent manner if the pen was given to Kaikeyi or Manthara, to Urmila or Kaushalya, to Surpnakha or Mandodari?"## It has just been a few days since Doordarshan started airing "Ramayan", and one thing is clear: more than three decades later, the show has lost none of its power to remain a talking point, any which way.## For more and latest news about Social Media, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 30 (IANS) A snapshot of Arun Govil watching "Ramayan" on television with his grandchildren has gone viral on social media. In the picture, the veteran actor play Ram in the popular eighties serial, is seen catching up the show all over again at home.## While "Ramayan" is being retelecast on Doordarshan along with several other popular serials of that era -- like "Mahabharat", "Byomkesh Bakshi" and "Circus" -- the audience is having a rush of nostalgia, as these shows dominated television in Doordarshan era of Indian television.## Talking about why it is important to watch the eighties tele-epic once again, Arun Govil recently told IANS: "The new generation will get a chance to watch it. They will get to understand the morals, teachings and values of Ramayan. If they will watch it with the family, they can interact also. If they have queries then their family members of the older generation can explain things. It is a family show. How relationships should be...has been shown in the show. Positivity is there. Right now there is a lockdown, you can't go anywhere. So watching it will be a good way to use the time."## "Ramayan" is an Indian historical-drama epic television series, which aired during 1987-1988. The serial was created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar.## The show also featured Deepika Chikalia as Sita, Arvind Trivedi as Raavan and Dara Singh as Hanuman.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) Gujarati veteran actor Arvind Trivedi became a household name all over India playing Raavan in Ramanand Sagar's mythological serial of the eighties, "Ramayan", which has been revived on Doordarshan in the wake of the nationwide lockdown.## Now, over three decades later, Trivedi is 81 and largely restricted to staying at home. The Hindi website aajtak.intoday.in reports how watching the show is giving Trivedi immense joy all over again, and letting him re-live sheer nostalgia.## Ramayan, whic originally ran on Doordarshan every Sunday, from January 25, 1987 to July 31, 1988 is currently one of several popular shows of the past that Doordarshan has revived in an effort to keep people occupies during the days of lockdown. The show airs every day at 9am and 9pm.## BR Chopra's "Mahabharat", the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Circus", and "Byomkesh Bakshi" that has Rajit Kapoor playing the titular detective are other popular shows that are currently being re-telecast.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) Prasar Bharti is in talks to work out a deal with the rights holders of the epic teleserial "Ramayan" and "Mahabharat", to re-telecast these shows once again during the 21-day nationwide lockdown by popular demand.## Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar conveyed as much on Twitter in response to a tweet by Akhilesh Sharma, the political editor at NDTV India.## "Yes, we are working on the same with the Rights Holders. I Will update shortly. Stay tuned," Shekhar wrote on his official Twitter handle, @shashidigital on Wednesday.## With India coming to a standstill owing to the national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, many on social media have written how these shows were hugely popular at one time. People also noted how life on Sunday mornings would come to a standstill when these serials were telecast on Doordarshan National.## "Dear @narendramodi Ji @PrakashJavdekar Ji Please consider asking DD, and advising other channels, to telecast Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana and B R Chopra's Mahabharata daily. Perhaps two episodes a day each. They acted as magnets in quarantining people back then. They still can," tweeted a user identified as @pranasutra, reports the print.in.## Others said that these mythological shows would help reduce stress at a time when normal life had become paralyzed owing to the lockdown.## Some suggested back-to-back telecasts of the serials, to enable a binge-watching sort of mood.## Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan" starred Arun Govil as Ram and Deepika Chikhalia as Sita, with Arvind Trivedi playing Raavan and Dara Singh essaying Hanuman. The series originally ran from 25 January 1987 to 31 July 1988.## BR Chopra's "Mahabharat" featured Nitish Bhardwaj as Krishna and Roopa Ganguly as Draupadi, with Gajendra Chauhan, Praveen Kumar, Arjun, Sameer Chitre and Sanjeev Chitre as the Pandavas, and Punit Issar playing Duryodhana. The show ran originally from 2 October 1988 to 24 June 1990.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) The 'Ramcharitmanas' is undoubtedly one of the greatest lyrical compositions in Hindi literature. Writing in the 16th century, Tulsidas chose to pen verses in Awadhi rather than Sanskrit, thus breaking with the literary tradition, and, importantly, making Lord Ram more relatable to the lay person.## Pavan K. Varma, author of the best-selling "Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker", has selected some of the most evocative stanzas from Ramcharitmanas, offering a succinct commentary for each that capture the very core of the original in "The Greatest Ode to Lord Ram: Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas; Selections & Commentaries," published by Westland.## While centering the philosophical aspect of the Ramcharitmanas -- the immutability of the soul over the merely corporeal; the transience of worldly pleasures; and the placing of wisdom above knowledge -- the book describes a devoted son, a loving sibling, a committed lover, an ideal ruler and also a human, almost bereft of divinity. Indeed, Ram is a god and a man; he is comprehensible.## "Tulsidas' seminal work employs a unique poetic linguistic tool that unravels even the most profound concepts with utmost simplicity, blending philosophy with breathtaking verse. Varma's compelling new selection and commentary achieve this effect by combining the aesthetics, romance, and imagery of the original work with the unadulterated spirituality that sparkles through the conduct of a great god," the publisher said in a statement.## Pavan K. Varma is a writer-diplomat and now in politics, where he was till recently an MP in the Rajya Sabha. He was an earlier advisor to the Chief Minister of Bihar, in the rank of a Cabinet minister.## He was Ambassador to several countries, and also Director of the Nehru Centre in London, official spokesperson of the MEA, and Press Secretary to the President of India. Author of over a dozen successful books, Pavan K. Varma was conferred an honorary doctoral degree for his contribution to the fields of diplomacy, literature, culture, and aesthetics by the University of Indianapolis in 2005.## He was also conferred the Druk Thuksey, Bhutan's highest civilian award, by the King of Bhutan in 2012. In 2018, on the instructions of the Shankaracharya of Sringeri, Varma was conferred an honorary doctorate by Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Late filmmaker Ramanand Sagar would have been 102 if he was around. His life has now been documented in the form of a book unveiled by his son, cinematographer Prem Sagar.## Ramanand Sagar is best known as the maker of the popular mythological show of the eighties, "Ramayan", which ran on Doordarshan from January 1987 to July 1988. The book, in the form of a memoir, captures Ramanand Sagar's life and times from 1949 when he first made his mark as a writer in Raj Kapoor's "Barsaat" to the time he created "Ramayan" for national television.## Aptly titled "An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar, From Barsaat To Ramayan", the book was unveiled on Sony TV's "The Kapil Sharma Show".## Presenting a copy of the book to actor-comedian Kapil Sharma, Prem Sagar recalled how Indian television changed forever after the first episode of "Ramayan" was aired on January 25, 1987. He remembered how the show became a national obsession within weeks.## Ramanand Sagar started his Bollywood career as a clapper boy in the 1936 silent movie "Raiders Of The Rail Road" and went to become a successful writer, director, and producer. The book reveals several hitherto unknown facts about his life.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Actor Arun Govil, who became a national icon in the eighties playing Ram in the eighties serial 'Ramayan', recalled there was a time when the cast of the series was approached for sensuous photoshoots! ## "While we were shooting for 'Ramayan', a lot of renowned magazines approached me and the other cast members to do sensuous photoshoots for them. They were so desperate that they were ready to pay hefty amounts of money for it. But none of us accepted their offers and we believed that our audiences' look up to and rest their faith in us. We could never take the chance of breaking their trust for money," said Arun. ## He opened up about this and working on Ramanand Sagar's hit TV serial of the eighties during "The Kapil Sharma Show". The actor was joined by his "Ramayan" co-stars Deepika Chikhalia, Sunil Lahri along with producer Subhash Sagar. ## The episode will be aired this weekend on Sony Entertainment Television. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.