New Ramayan fails to attract viewers

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New Ramayan fails to attract viewers

The Ramayan series that has made a comeback on NDTV Imagine fails to recreate the magic of its predecessor. There are huge ostentatious sets, but something seems to be missing, perhaps it is the love and the warmth that the one by Ramanand Sagar had.

CJ: Devesh

Thu, Jan 31, 2008 11:05:37 IST

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12962
Comments:
38

Rate:

3.41 / 44 votes

Ramayan TV Programmes

I CAN vividly remember twenty years back when I was still a youngster…every Sunday morning, things used to come to a standstill! At the ground floor of our building, the joint family had an Onida black and white TV. This was where the entire society used to assemble to enjoy a hearty breakfast and watch the Ramayan series on the TV. The mornings used to begin with a satsang (spiritual discussion) followed by the show, which used to be aired on Doordarshan at about 9am in the mornings. Those were the times that one feels nostalgic about…the pakodas early in the morning and almost the entire families of the society sitting together.

The children used to clap with fervour every time Hanuman, their favourite, used to come on screen. My grandfather, who was in his seventies, used to shed some tears occasionally. But, the entire experience was that of warmth and we have to owe it to Ramanand Sagar. Arun Govil’s face had an unmatched serenity even when he was playing the toughest character of screen. Sita, played by Deepika, had warmth and tenderness written all over her face. The best casting move was to have Dara Singh played the character of Hanuman. There could not have been a more realistic person playing this part.

It is believed that many top-notch actors had auditioned for the role of Ram, but all were rejected. And it was Arun Govil who was the lucky one to have been chosen to play this role. A role that gave him such a status that he enjoyed heaps of admiration everywhere he went. It was a role that got him the respect of all the viewers.

The actors in the new series of Ramayan seemed to have been picked straight from the ‘K’ serials and thus, have all the features that the villains and vamps would have with them. The tranquility and the charm seem to be missing. Yes, there are huge sets packed with designer clothes and loads of jewellery. But the acting prowess of the lead pair has to be doubted. The acting seems to be mechanical and lacks the emotional punch. Thus, NDTV’s effort to recreate the effort of Ramayan has not left the viewers impressed. In this era of remakes, the really bad ones seem to vilify the originals. And the originals were so dear to most of us.

The production house of the new series is Sagar Arts, and is aired from Monday to Thursday at 9:30pm. I have religiously caught every episode of this series ever since this channel took off ten days back. But I can feel the interest of my wife and my mother disappearing already. And they too are switching back to the ‘K’ serials. I had hoped that this show would bring a change in their lives and at least let me have a more peaceful dinner after a day of work at the office. But Sagar Arts and NDTV Imagine have let me down. Maybe it is to with my love for the earlier version. But I can see the Television Rating Points (TRP) of this show dipping in the near future. Either the show does not evoke the same respect and love or maybe I miss the pakodas too much.

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Posted comments (38)

	hi debina,how are you?Are you still single now?really i am serious for you debina.9e5ob
	\| 13 January 2010 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse

	i really love this ramayan .gurmeet an awesome dude. arun govil older look and graceless. i hate arun. i love gurmeet. deepika is nice and debina is ok. this is the only mistake in new ramayan.
	\| 22 August 2009 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse

HI, I THINK THAT SAYING (OLDER AND GRACELESS), TO ARUN GOVIL IS NOT A PROPER . BECAUSE HE IS A GREAT RAM IN THAT TIME(1986). AND HE IS SELECTED BY GREAT AND LATE RAMANAND SAGAR. , WHICH IS TODAY ALSO PEOPLE REMEMBER IT . I THINK U SEE ONLY LOOK , BUT ORIGINAL IS ORIGINAL . AND ABOUT SITA IS SITA IN ORIGINAL ONE(1986). AND NOW A DAY'S ACTOR AND ACTRESS ARE GOOD IN EVERY STAGE OF ACTING. OK BYEEEE

SUNIL | 01 August 2010