OLD SHOWS STRIKE A NEW CHORD!
As the Ramayan re-run top TRPs and classic shows return to TV, we look at what’s making them audience favourites all over again
Back in the day, when TV shows such as Ramayan, Mahabharat or Shaktimaan had their original runs, they were the talk of the town. Now, history seems to be repeating itself. Many of these classic TV shows have hit the airwaves again and people are clearly lapping them up. For instance, the re-run of Ramayan on Doordarshan got the highest ever rating for a Hindi GEC show since 2015, when BARC started measuring TV audiences.
Not just Ramayan, thanks to the high demand, other shows such as Mahabharat, Shaktimaan, Circus, Byomkesh Bakshi, Shrimaan Shrimati, Buniyad, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Chanakya and Alif Laila too are back. So, what’s driving this demand? “Now, people have a lot of free time, which is also stress-free as far as regular work is concerned. Plus, there’s a nostalgia attached to these shows, as it reminds all of their carefree days,” says TV producer Shashi Mittal of Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai and Karn Sangini fame.
For trade analyst Taran Adarsh, old shows “will always be very entertaining and engrossing”. “Plus, they impart great teachings too. Now, thanks to these re-runs, our young generation can also watch them,” he says. Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar has a simple, straightforward reason: “Due to the lockdown, there is no new content or episodes. So, reruns have to fill those slots. And today, viewers also don’t have many choices.”
For the shows’ actors/ makers, the “relevance” of their work stands intact even now. “The content that came during the ’80s and ’90s is better than any saas-bahu serials… our show has always been educative. Shaktimaan And is relevant that’s why even today,” says its actor-producer Mukesh Khanna. Adds actor Rajit Kapur of Byomkesh Bakshi fame: “People who’ve watched the show 20 years ago are now showing it to their children. It’s pure, clean and wholesome entertainment. What appeals to people is that it’s simple to understand and, sometimes, simple is more effective.”