'Ramayan' fans claim scenes were edited; DD clarifies
As the rerun of Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan came to its conclusion a few days ago, fans did not seem satisfied. Many ardent lovers of the epic show took to Twitter, claiming that various pivotal segments were missing from the final episodes, that was telecast on Doordarshan. However, Prasar Bharati's CEO has now issued a clarification in this regard. Here are more details.
As the final episodes aired on TV, fans complained that segments such as one featuring Ravana and his brother Ahiravan were not shown. However, the CEO of Prasar Bharati (the state-owned broadcasting agency which comprises Doordarshan and All India Radio), Shashi Shekhar clarified that they did not edit any of the episodes. He added that the mentioned segments were not part of original production.
In a tweet posted on Saturday, Shekhar explained that every nuance of epics like Ramayana cannot be fit into a single television script. "The beauty of our epics are the many stories, side-stories and interpretations. Not every nuance can possibly make it into a single television script but perhaps leaves the door open for future productions (sic)," he wrote.
The beauty of our epics are the many stories, side-stories and interpretations. Not every nuance can possibly make it into a single television script but perhaps leaves the door open for future productions https://t.co/od8HaoBANs
— Shashi Shekhar (@shashidigital) April 18, 2020
The re-telecast of Ramayan started last month soon after the nationwide lockdown was imposed to tackle COVID-19. Replicating its popularity from the late 1980s, the mega-series garnered record-breaking viewership on Doordarshan. In fact, in its first weekend, the show recorded a whopping 17 crore viewers. The show stars Arun Govil as Lord Ram, Dipika Chikhlia as Goddess Sita, and Dara Singh as Lord Hanuman.
Doordarshan has now started airing a follow-up show titled Uttar Ramayan. Also directed and produced by Ramanand Sagar, the show follows the happenings after Lord Ram's coronation and the lives of his twin sons Luv and Kush. It airs at 9 pm every day.
