Ramayan, the Ramanand Sagar classic, has set the world record for becoming the highest viewed entertainment program globally. The last episode of the TV Show had aired on April 18th.
Re-telcast of Ramayan
Soon after PM Narendra Modi announced the lockdown in the country, DD National decided to re-telecast its classic ‘Ramayan’, three decades after it first made its presence felt on TV. Written, directed, and produced by Ramanand Sagar, the 1987-show had gained cult status among the viewers for showcasing the Hindu Epic in the most unadulterated way.
Initially, there was a certain section that felt the re-telecast of Ramayan was a part of the BJP Government’s strategy to highlight ‘Hindutva’ in the country. Nonetheless, after the broadcast started, the show produced huge numbers, proving that people were indeed enjoying the show.
Ramayan beats Game of Thrones
On 16th April, Ramayan garnered 7.7 crore viewers, which is way higher than the current world record by Game of Thrones, the final episode of which had been viewed by 1.93 crore fans globally. DD National, on its Twitter account, announced the same and also thanked the audience for their unanimous support.
Rebroadcast of #Ramayana on #Doordarshan smashes viewership records worldwide, the show becomes most watched entertainment show in the world with 7.7 crore viewers on 16th of April pic.twitter.com/edmfMGMDj9
— DD India (@DDIndialive) April 30, 2020
A couple of other shows have been lined up as a replacement to the epic show. With the lockdown extended, there is more scope for the vintage shows and it needs to be seen if any of these programs could come close to Ramayan in terms of viewership.
