Why Ramanand Sagar did not allow BBC to run 'Ramayan'
What's the story
Ramanand Sagar's epic television rendition of Ramayan captured the attention of crores of Indians when it made a comeback on TV, just like it did during its original telecast three decades ago.
Interestingly, such was the popularity of the mythological mega-series that British public broadcaster BBC had wanted to buy its rights and run it, but Sagar refused the offer.
Intrigued? Well, here's why.
Details
BBC's plan to buy 'Ramayan' rights went south
In a recent interview with Swarajya magazine, Sagar's son and biographer, Prem Sagar explained that the Western media did not understand the ideals of Ramayan.
He said that for them, the show was merely a costume drama.
Prem informed the publication that BBC wanted to buy rights to telecast Ramayan for its Asian viewers, but the plan went south.
Details
BBC wanted Arun Govil dressed, paraded through their studios
Prem told the publication that he, Sagar Sr., Arun Govil (who played Ram) and Arvind Trivedi (who played Ravan) went to BBC's Liverpool studios for an interview before signing the contract.
But BBC wanted Arun Govil dressed as Shri Ram in full costume and crown and paraded through their studios, so that they could film him, he added.
This was unacceptable to Sagar.
Quote
Prem said that they 'refused their bat'
Prem said, "My father and I realized it was a calculated attempt to break the image of Shri Ram as divine, worshipped in every grain of soil in India."
"We refused their bait," he added.
"There was a major battle of telephones being exchanged between London and Birmingham and finally they didn't sign the contract," Prem further informed.
Rerun
'Ramayan' garnered a huge viewership during its rerun
Ramayan, which originally aired on Doordarshan during 1987-1988, was the first among many shows to be re-telecast on TV during the ongoing lockdown period.
During the rerun, the show received a tremendous response and garnered a huge viewership. In fact, right in its first week, the show attracted a whopping 17 crore viewers.
The show is now being re-telecast on Star Plus.