The divine connect

Does the sudden spurt of mythologicals on the small-screen mean that channels are turning to the Almighty to help them?

In the late eighties and nineties,a mythological was a sureshot formula for success on the small screen. There used to be at least half-a-dozen mythological serials aired across different channels and at one point,there were multiple serials on the same deity being aired simultaneously!

Who can forget the very first Ramayan produced by Ramanand Sagar? Aired on Sunday mornings,the serial had become a holy ritual for most of us I dont think I missed a single episode,never mind the fake-looking arrows or the tacky special effects. What mattered was the epic content and along with my family,I sat glued to the screen. Even shopkeepers opened shops only after watching the divine serial. Ditto with B.R. Chopras Mahabharat.

The success of these two epic serials opened the door for more Gods,which India has no dearth of and what followed were Om Namah Shivay,Shri Krishna and Jai Hanuman among others. Not only did the mythos have a instant connect with the viewers,thanks to their subjects,but they had the potential to earn crores for the producers through re-runs and telecasts in other countries too. In fact,when Zee started its tryst with mythos it chose the tried-and-tested Ramayan and Mahabharat. The serials however,were not as popular as the earlier ones. But Zee continued its mythological journey with Jai Santoshi Maa,Jap Tap Vrat and Jai Ganesh. In fact when Zee was airing Jai Ganesh and Sony was showcasing Shri Ganesh,each claiming it was the most authentic!

The trend,however,petered out at the turn of the last century. In 2008,a new channel Imagine TV got itself launched with a remake of Ramayan,this one produced by Ramanand Sagars sons. For the first time,a mythological,which till then was considered a weekend property was brought in the daily primetime slot and it worked big-time. Three years later,the channel,which has slipped from its position among the top five entertainment channels and tried everything from marriage to past-regression is playing its mytho card with Dwarkadheesh Shri Bhagwan Krishna. Though it is early days,I can safely say that for the first time after Nitish Bharadwajs unforgettable Krishna Mahabharat theres a Krishna who looks good,has a mischievous smile and dimples too. Whether this Krishna will turn the fortunes of the channel remains to be seen.

But yes,theres a sudden spurt in mythos on the telly. Having dished out enough and more of reality shows and the same old tiring family dramas,channels have turned to Gods to bail them out. Apart from Dwarkadheesh,theres Jai Jai Jai Bajrangbali on SaharaOne the channel has been struggling to get back in the reckoning for long and Babosa Mere Bhagwan on Sony its fortunes have recently changed,but need to sustain. Whats more,I have heard that even the numero uno channel Star Plus is planning to air a mythological based on Lord Shiva,soon. Hey bhagwan!

chaya.unnikrishnanexpressindia.com