We all remember the time; when we used the phrase ‘I am Sherlocked,’ just to describe a TV show called Sherlock, adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel. We were and even are so much into it that we can’t get it out of our heads. Talking of which, in India, there were times when many TV shows ruled our hearts. I am not saying the present day shows are not great but back in the late 80’s to Y2K, there were some stunning shows which were broadcast on Doordarshan which were successful in stealing our hearts. Yes, the same national channel Doordarshan which we barely watch these days unless it’s showing live cricket.

The list is very big so here are the top 6 shows that made our life and time. The list goes as this:



Ramayana:

This family drama ran from January, 1987 to July 1988. Religious shows always have had an impact on Indian society and this particular TV shows would render everyone hooked to the TV as soon as we heard its title song. This creation by Ramanand Sagar was one of the gems on national television in the late 80’s which was followed by a sequel called Luv Kush, related to the story of children of Lord Rama. People loved the show so much that in many areas, people were seen putting garlands and tilak on the TV to express their gratitude to the gods. Arun Govil, the lead star who played Lord Rama, found himself out of roles as wherever he went, people bowed down to touch his feet. Very few know that he also played the role of Vikramaditya in Vikram Aur Betal.

Buniyaad

:

Another family drama which was directed by Ramesh Sippy and Jyoti Sarup was highly praised because of its content. It was based on the India-Pakistan partition in 1947 and the course of events that haunted the lives of the people who were separated from their families or forced to settle in an alien land. This TV show was first aired 27 years ago on Doordarshan and then again re-aired on DD Metro in the early 2000s. According to latest information, this TV show will be re-aired on Doordarshan from July 25th, 2014. The show made Alok Nath famous as the quintessential father of all joint families, a role he espoused even later in life with much aplomb. “Lajoji” became a famous character-figure across all middle-class homes. The everyday struggles of this family as they try to stabilize their home after partition was well received by the population which had its own share of such personal stories.

Captain Vyom



It was most likely to be the first Indian Science fiction to be broadcast on Doordarshan. There were Star Trek and Spiderman as well but this TV show was 100% Indian. This Science Fiction TV series had captured many hearts in its 24 minutes of an episode. This TV series came with a gripping and intriguing plot and a remarkable background theme music that made it more interesting. For a sci-fi series, it features quite a stunning list of models and new-age actors like Milind Soman, Nethra Raghuraman, Dino Morea, Madhu Sapre, Achint Kaur, Rahul Bose, Ken Philips. Aired on Sunday mornings, it would bring the whole family together, enthralling them with special effects.

chanakya



We Indians always have an enigmatic fascination with ancient history especially when ours is a rich culture loaded with tales of heroism and intellect, wars and religion, philosophy and mystique. In this genre, Chanakya was originally broadcast on DD National from 1991 to 1992. It was divided in three parts when broadcast on TV though it was a 47 part epic. From the rise of Vishnugupta in the kingdom of Magadha to the attack led by Alexander in North Western India and then to the dethroning of Nanda rule from Magadha leading to the crowning of Chandragupta as the new king of Magadha, the series showed it all. This TV series had millions of viewers and it is still hailed as a milestone on Indian Television. It was even broadcast in other countries as well and won five Uptron awards. It was highly acclaimed not only because of its political controversies but also because of its grandeur, casting and authenticity. Apart from communicating the rich, intellectual history of Chanakya era to modern-day people, it also became famous for its authentic sanskritised hindi which many modern-world people might find difficult to follow!



Surabhi: Another Indian Television giant is this cultural magazine TV series. It ran for nine long years from 1993 to 2001 and even found its way to the Limca Book of Records by becoming the first Indian TV series to get 1.4 million letters in a week and that too in the era when mobile phones and internet were not present at all. This show was mainly broadcast on Doordarshan but later it was shifted to Star Plus on Sunday mornings. Ranging over nine seasons with blazing 415 episodes, this TV program had everything. The most interesting feature was the weekly quiz competition opened for viewer’s participation that led to such massive success.



Suraag, the clue: If you have loved mysteries and detective thrillers then you have watched this TV series at any cost. This detective thriller starring Sudesh Berry in the lead was broadcast on Monday at 10:00 PM on DD National. The duo of Inspector Bharat and his assistant inspector Shirvastav was no less than Sherlock and Watson in solving crimes and mysteries. It was aired in the late 90’s and continued for a few years especially due to the tremendous praise it received from the masses. After this TV series ended, another similar TV series appeared on the screen known as CID Officers with the same cast and aired at the same time. Another interesting feature of this TV series was the title track used in it which was a modified Indian version of ‘Smoke on the water’ composed by the popular British band Deep Purple. This TV series was a complete package for the Indian masses that have always enjoyed a little thrill back then.

The list would have got bigger and bigger if all the popular TV series were mentioned that was once broadcast on Doordarshan. Development may have brought us to new heights which we could only dream of in the past but despite the skyscrapers and an upgraded lifestyle, we like to remain connected to our roots. Any given day, a look at Doordarshan will take us into our dreamy past.Despite advent of satellite TV in the 70’s and cable in the beginning of the 1990’s, Doordarshan remains the first stop for an understanding of the world by the majority of the Indian mass population. Despite being a government channel, the quality of its programming had paled many of its new-age competitors. Some of the TV series telecasted over Doordarshan remain the best over the ages.

- See more at: http://www.theindianrepublic.com/quirky-corner/6-best-programs-aired-doordarshan-90s-100040604.html#sthash.XJYcFCAz.dpuf

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