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New Delhi: Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, which was Sunday morning appointment viewing nationwide in 1987-1988, is returning to Doordarshan. On Friday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted to say that Ramayan will now air on DD National twice a day starting Saturday (March 28). Earlier this week, as India prepared for a 21-day lockdown against the Coronavirus, Twitter was flooded with messages asking for reruns of Ramayan and B R Chopra’s Mahabharat, which was telecast after Ramayan ended in 1988. “Happy to announce that on public demand, we are starting re-telecast of Ramayan from tomorrow, Saturday March 28 on DD National. One episode in morning 9 am to 10 am, another in the evening 9 pm to 10 pm,” Mr Javadekar wrote in his tweet. Ramayan, which made stars out of Arun Govil, Deepika Chikhalia and Sunil Lahri, known to fans as Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman, clocked 33 years of the show this year.
Here’s the tweet that will make fans of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan very happy.
Happy to announce that on public demand, we are starting retelecast of 'Ramayana' from tomorrow, Saturday March 28 in DD National, One episode in morning 9 am to 10 am, another in the evening 9 pm to 10 pm.@narendramodi
@PIBIndia@DDNational— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) March 27, 2020
Ramayan and Mahabharat were top trends on Twitter this week. Social media exploded again after Mr Javadekar’s announcement, with other rerun demands:
Last apple eaten. No fruits now. Veggies enough to last 2 days.
For everything else there is the 'Ramayan'— LEENA (@kunfaaya) March 27, 2020
Awesome decision to re-telecast #Ramayan . At the same time also re-telecast #Shaktiman , Junior Jee in afternoon for kids.
— Shubham Khandelwal (@shubhamspdf) March 27, 2020
We are excited to watch #Ramayan again… Finally we have got something to do at home… #PrakashJavdekar ji, Kindly re-telecast #JaiGangaMaiya also…. #Ramayan
— Shreya Varivar (@SVarivar) March 27, 2020
I request Malgudi days too, I think it's in English so that even south Indians can also stick to the tv
And remove all YouTube videos for some days
#Ramayan— Millennial (@Blmillennial) March 27, 2020
The cast of Ramayan made an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show earlier this month and photos of the onscreen Ram, Sita and Lakshman’s reunion after decades sent the Internet into a tizzy. On Kapil’s show, the Ramayan actors made several ROFL revelations. Arun Govil, now 71, confessed that there was point of time when he felt “itchy by just seeing the costumes.” Deepika Chikhalia, 54, revealed that she was always greeted with folded hands even off screen. Arun Govil also said that the cast members were offered huge amounts of money for racy photoshoots by magazines and that they rejected them, reported news agency IANS.
Written, produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar, the ensemble cast of the show included actors such as Dara Singh, who played Hanuman, Lalita Pawar was cast as Manthara, Vijay Arora played Indrajit, and Arvind Trivedi played Ravana.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a national lockdown for 21 days and said no one must leave their homes in that timeframe. The coronavirus has infected over 529,000 worldwide. India has over 700 positive cases of the virus so far.
