One of Indian television’s early trysts with detective shows was DD’s Karamchand, which began to air in 1985. The show also went on to inspire two remakes, one called Kahaniyaan Vikram aur Betaal Ki, produced by Sagar himself on Colors, and another in 2019, Vikram Betaal ki Rahasya Gatha, on Zee’s &TV. The story also inspired many children’s books, translations and now even podcasts on platforms like Saavn and Hubhopper. Actors like Dara Singh, Arvind Trivedi and Deepika Chikhalia, all part of the Ramayan cast, also made appearances on the show.
The show starred Arun Govil (best known for portraying Ram in Ramayan) as Vikramaditya and Sajjan as Betaal.ĭespite the pre-CGI special effects and the odd time slot of 4 pm, the love-hate dynamic between the protagonists was loved by all and the show’s rating skyrocketed. As it would so happen, the king would answer correctly most times, hence the cycle of catching and releasing Betaal kept continuing over a cycle of 24 times. The condition was that if he answered the question incorrectly, Betaal would remain in captivity, if the king knew the correct answer and did not say it, his head would burst into a thousand pieces, and if he answered correctly, Betaal would be set free. But his task proved to be difficult as Betaal would mount Vikramaditya’s back, telling a long and winding story that ended with a dilemma or riddle. Written like a story with a story, the narrative followed the legendary king, Vikramaditya, who promised a tantrik that he would capture Vetala (Betaal), a celestial spirit pishacha, akin to a vampire, hanging from a tree. Vikram Aur Betaalĭirected by Prem Sagar, Vikram Aur Betaal was created in 1985 as an adaptation of the popular mythological Sanskrit text Betaal Pachisi (or Vetala Panchavimshati).
Here’s a throwback to some of the shows that are not currently on a rerun, but deserve to be. In fact, there are many such shows that may not have been chosen for a return, but went on to become cult classics, inspire remakes and remain favourites to this day. No matter the difference in ages or interests among different family members, Doordarshan time was family time, when everyone gathered together to watch the family-friendly shows DD was known for. The move to bring back the beloved classics during the lockdown marks a return to the glory days of the Doordarshan era, a time of large families staying in at home and spending quality time with each other - a lot like the current quarantine period.
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Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown on 24 March, now extended until 3 May, to curb the spread of coronavirus, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the return of Doordarshan’s classic shows Ramayan and Mahabharat, as well as series like Shaktimaan, Chanakya, Jungle Book, Circus and Byomkesh Bakshi.