TV TOWERS OVER LOCKDOWN BLUES
From airing original web series to re-telecasting Ramayan and Mahabharat, the small screen is here for the big rescue
In times of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many are stuck at home with nothing to do. And television is going all out to help people stay indoors. Some channels are airing popular old shows, others plan to showcase a mix of original OTT shows and old popular serials.
Zee TV amped up its prime time — 9pm to 11pm — with brand new content and, from March 25, began airing three series — Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat (KTBM), Baarish and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain—produced by Ekta Kapoor for her OTT platform Alt Balaji. Zee TV’s business head Aparna Bhosle says, “We’re also reintroducing classics like Kasamh Se and Brahmrakshas.”
Moreover, after an intense appeal on social media, Union minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted that “on public demand”, two episodes of the mega popular shows, Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan (1987) and BR Chopra’s Mahabharat (1988) would be aired on DD National daily.
Deepika Chikhalia, who played Sita in Ramayan, feels the show has been an integral part of our culture and people appreciate it even today. Chikhalia admits as the show is 33 years old, it will seem slow and urges people to have patience with it. She says, “There are people who loved watching the show which became a sensation in the late ’80s, so they’ll definitely tune in. There is a lot to take away from Ramayan.”
Prem Sagar, who’s the son of the show’s late director, says that even though Ramayan aired on different channels, this will be the show’s second telecast on DD since 1988. “The story of the Ramayan is eternal and has been passed down over generations. He (Ramanand Sagar) was born to make the show and only after reading 14 versions of the epic, did he write the show,” he shares.
And while Hotstar’s original series Hostages will air on Star Plus along with other web shows, the entire revamping will also give fresh content for viewers who haven’t seen them online. With two of his web shows being aired on two different channels, actor Ronit Roy thinks it is a great idea to air web shows on channels. He says, “There is a huge section of the audience that doesn’t watch web shows. And now with the lockdown, they have an opportunity to catch up. It is a great idea as most TV shows don’t have a bank of episodes, while OTT platforms have a lot of shows to keep people glued to their screens. It’s a wonderful idea to utilise what they have.”
On learning about the mega shows, actor Neena Gupta says her 1998 show, Saans, should be aired once again as well. And who knows, maybe this re-telecast of popular shows on DD might start a whole new trend, apart from driving away your lockdown blues.