Ramanand Sagar's magnum opus Ramayan is once again doing what it did almost three decades ago – capturing the imagination of the masses. The TV serial on Doordarshan, which is being retelecast on the national TV channel on public demand during 21-day COVID-19 lockdown in the country, was first aired in 1987.
According to data from Broadcast Audience Research Council, India, the first four episodes of Ramayan garnered 93.3 million viewers. The data also says that the mythological series got 51 million viewers on Sunday (the first weekend of telecast) - the highest ever figure for the Hindi GEC (general entertainment channel) genre since 2015.
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The cult TV series has had its share of critics and admirers. While some have criticised the move as the Union government's ploy to forward the Hindutva agenda, others have argued that Ramayan actually promotes equality, tolerance and women empowerment.
The retelecast of TV series like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Circus and Byomkesh Bakshi has sparked off a wave of nostalgia, with people taking to social media to share their memories, feelings and observations. It has also led to some hilarious good-natured memes, especially around Ramayan.
Recently, after the mythological series started airing on March 28, Twitterati pointed out an actor who appears in multiple roles throughout the series. From a demon and a sage to a villager and a monkey, he seemed to have essayed it all! Thanks to social media, his images went viral, and people started digging up his pics from other TV shows by Sagar, like Krishna and Alif Laila.
Things, however, took a pleasant turn a couple of days ago, when a Twitter user (@zaigam_zaigam3) put a post, identifying the actor as his father Aslam Khan. “A very proud moment for me right now and thanks for airing the #RamayanOnDDNational as my father Sir Aslam Khan has been a part of a major supporting role. A very thanks to all the #Ramayan team @SagarRamN @TheArunGovil @DipikaChikhalia @LahriSunil @imArvindTrivedi @DDNational,” he wrote.
A very proud moment for me right now and thanks for airing the #RamayanOnDDNational as my father Sir Aslam Khan has been a part of a major supporting role.
— Zaigam (@zaigam_zaigam3) April 5, 2020
A very thanks to all the #Ramayan team @SagarRamN @TheArunGovil @DipikaChikhalia @LahriSunil @imArvindTrivedi @DDNational pic.twitter.com/MJYrZO5bBG
Several users praised Khan's versatility, while others expressed happiness that they finally got to know the identity of the actor.
Directed by Sagar, Ramayan featured Arun Govil as Ram, Deepika Chikhalia as Sita and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman. The show also featured late Dara Singh as Hanuman and Arvind Trivedi as Ravan. The show was originally telecast from January 25, 1987, to July 31, 1988.
