If Bollywood has faced competition from another industry in India, it is without a doubt the television industry. The small screen has produced many successes, and several major actors have started their careers with the small screen itself.

It wasn’t just the stars that are remembered after hearing the word TV, but also the evergreen shows that changed the face of soap operas. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that bringing in these soap operas has been the key to improving the strength of the small screen.

On World Television Day, here are a few shows that made waves at the time and continue to entertain audiences as before, if not more.

Buzz log

On July 7, 1984, the country’s first Doordarshan series “Hum Log” was released. He focused on the problems encountered in the daily life of a middle class Indian family and the escape from their dreams. Millions of people have gone gaga over it.

According to a report, this series has been watched by over 80% of the Indian population. The fact that television was not accessible to everyone at that time led to an increase in television sales in the 1980s. Such was the popularity of the series.

Buniyaad

Ramesh Sippy and Jyoti, who left an indelible mark with the film ‘Sholay’, produced the series ‘Buniyaad’. Its story was written by Manohar Shyam Joshi, in which the India-Pakistan partition was shown.

‘Buniyaad’, which aired in the mid-1980s, created a new wave of enthusiasm among audiences. It first aired in 1986.

The popularity of this series was such that many private channels obtained the broadcast rights to the show after several years of its original broadcast.

‘Ramayana’

“Ramayana” has carved out a place for itself in Indian television history that can never be replaced by any other series to date. Last year, during the lockdown when filming and TV shows were halted, it was Ramayana, among other series, who kept audiences entertained. Young people and adults alike enjoyed the mythological series from the comfort of their own homes. Many believed the show gave them positivity and strength to fight the lockdown blues.

The popularity of this series directed by Ramanand Sagar can be measured by the fact that at the time of its airing, people were sitting with flowers and a tray of aarti in their hands as they could see its main characters as real people. Ram, Sita, Lakshmana. and Hanuman.

‘Chandrakanta’

This series from the 90s was one of the most anticipated series of the time. This soap opera was broadcast on Doordarshan from 1994 to 1996. Based on the novel by Devkinandan Khatri, the soap opera was produced by Neerja Guleri, while it was directed by Sunil Agnihotri.

Artists like Shikha Swaroop, Shahbaz Khan, Mukesh Khanna, Irrfan Khan and Pankaj Dheer have gained popularity while working in this series.

‘Chitrahar’

Such was Chitrahar’s infatuation that it was the talk of the town. The series, which began in the 1960s, reached its peak in the 1970s.

New and old songs from movies were shown there. It was the longest series in Indian television history.

The craze for ‘Chitrahar’ was not only in India, but it was also very popular abroad. The anchoring of Tarana Raja was also appreciated by the public.

‘Mahabharata’

‘Mahabharata’, first broadcast in 1988, has taken an irreplaceable place in the hearts of the public. Seeing the characters of Shri Krishna, Bhishma, Bhima, Kunti, Draupadi and Shri Krishna, the whole country could not help but be glued to their television screens. It became the most popular soap opera in Indian television history.

The popularity of producer BR Chopra and director Ravi Chopra ‘Mahabharata’ was such that from the start of the show, the streets of cities, towns and subway settlements were drowned in silence.

“Malgudi Days”

‘Malgudi Days’ reminds the grandparents and the village. This soap opera released in 1986 was broadcast in a small village called ‘Malgudi’.

It featured 54 TV episodes and was based on short stories by famous author RK Narayan.

Its leader Balkar Swami also received many applause from children to elders. Seeing this series, it seemed like everything that was happening was in our house or in our locality.

Why is World Television Day celebrated?

It was in 1996 that the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe November 21 as World Television Day. It plays an important role in communication and globalization. World Television Day is celebrated every year on November 21 to underline its importance.