Ramayan, a legendary show on StarPlus, is currently entertaining viewers. Written, produced, and directed by Ramanand Sagar, the show first aired in 1987 and has since gained a cult following. The talented cast includes Arun Govil as Lord Rama, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Goddess Sita, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, Lalita Pawar as Manthara, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana, and Dara Singh as Hanuman. Interestingly, few know that Ramanand Sagar was destined to bring this mythological saga to life on television.
There is an interesting story that has been shared by Ramanand Sagar’s son Prem Sagar in the book that he has written on his father’s life – An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar: From Barsaat to Ramayan. In 1942, when Ramanand was 25 years old a Kashmiri mystic, Pandit Nityanandji had predicted that Ramanand Sagar would retell Ramayan. In 1976, noted film producer, Mr Mohla, on observing Ramanand’s astrological chart, had said that Ramanand Sagar would cause a spiritual awakening globally through the medium of cinema. Going forward, Ramanand Sagar ensured that this vision turned into reality and the rest is history!
Ramayan created waves across the world with its soulful narrative. The divine tale of how good triumphs over evil gladdened hearts of every viewer. Streets would be deserted on Sunday mornings as people stayed glued to their television sets as Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan described the tale of Lord Ram in vivid detail.