Amidst the coronavirus lockdown, people are engaging in all kinds of entertainment means and resorting to making videos for popular platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook. With the entire nation put under lockdown and we being spoilt for choice when everything seems less, Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar has responded to people's demand for a re-telecast of Mahabharat and Ramayan.
A report stated that the public service broadcaster was working with "rights holders" to air the mythological series on Doordarshan.
Akhilesh Sharma, political editor for NDTV India, while responding to Shekhar's tweet, said that, "Sure we're engaged on the identical with the Rights Holders. Will replace shortly. Keep tuned."
A majority of people are forced to stay indoors in order to fight the virus. Finding ways and means to kill time; many Twitter users have written how the Ramayan and Mahabharat had earlier "acted as magnets that quarantined people" and that it still can.
Ramayan was first aired in 1987 on Sundays and Mahabharat was first aired in 1988 on Doordarshan and both had acted as a binding force for the entire nation. Customers once again significantly demanded the re-telecast of movie director Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan on Doordarshan.
Prasar Bharti likely to telecast Ramayan and Mahabharat after ‘public demand’
— RJ Vijdan Kashmir (@mirchivijdan) March 25, 2020
Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar has said the public service broadcaster was 'working' with 'rights holders' to air the mythological series.
The epic binding series
Ramayan, an epic series that revolves around Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman, was written by Valmiki and was first composed in Sanskrit.
Mahabharat, based mostly on Sage Vyasa's epic, narrates the battle for "sovereignty" between two teams of cousins, the Kauravas and Pandavas.
Both the tales are very close to every Indian's heart as at the time when television was just a box showing very few serials and programs, Ramayan and Mahabharat gave meaning to the concept of television and then there was no looking back.
Mohandas Pai, Padma Shri Awardee, and current Chairman of Manipal Global Education, urged the Prime Minister, and Prakash Javdekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to start the two programs on Doordarshan as 'It will assist in cutting back stress.'
A senior Prasar Bharati official, on the condition of anonymity, said that some formalities are pending and the details on airing the two series will be finalized once everything is in place.
