Raghubir Yadav recalls Doordarshan days amid TV's 'worsening' situation
What's the story
Veteran actor Raghubir Yadav, who recently starred in the web series Hunkkaar - The Roar, has spoken about his early days in television. His breakout role was in the 1989 Doordarshan show Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, he reflected on the work culture during that era and how it has changed over time.
Career beginnings
'I realized that there was a lot to do...'
Yadav, who is now known as Pradhan ji from the long-running web series Panchayat, started his career after graduating from the National School of Drama (NSD).
He then joined a Repertory Company and made his film debut with Massey Sahib (1986).
His big break came when he was offered Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne.
"I realized that there was a lot to do for an actor while playing this character," he said about accepting the role.
Work culture
'There were only 26 episodes of 'Mungerilal' but...'
Yadav reminisced about the old Doordarshan days, saying, "Everyone was working sincerely on the show. I enjoy working sincerely and this is also my weakness."
"In those days, there was a lot of hard work put in in every department."
"There were only 26 episodes of Mungerilal, but people still remember the show."
"The reason for this is that everyone used to work unitedly as a team. Director, writer, and others used to work together."
Industry changes
'People started factories of TV shows'
Yadav lamented the decline in television's quality after the advent of daily soaps.
"Later, a lot of channels came in," he said. "People started factories of TV shows. The whole situation started worsening."
"They started factories and started selling products. There was no proper culture. I have seen all of that."
Despite these changes, Yadav has remained committed to his craft, saying he only takes on roles that he has "never done before. It should challenge me."