Dramas / DD National
DD National · 1987
Ramanand Sagar's retelling of the Ramayana, mainly from Valmiki's epic and Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, with other regional versions as sources. It follows Ram from his childhood in Ayodhya through exile with Sita and Lakshman, Sita's abduction by Ravana and the war to bring her back. Ashok Kumar and Sagar narrate, and Ravindra Jain composed the music.
It ran from 25 January 1987 to 31 July 1988, 78 episodes in all.
All-time blockbusters
During its run it became the most watched television series in the world, with a viewership of 82 percent. The BBC reported that it had been seen by over 650 million viewers, and each episode reportedly earned DD National ₹40 lakh. The BBC recalled that on Sunday mornings “streets would be deserted, shops would be closed” as it aired. Its repeat during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown broke viewership records again.
At ₹9 lakh an episode it was the most expensive Indian television show made up to that time. Repeats have aired on 20 channels in 17 countries. Arun Govil's Ram and Deepika Chikhalia's Sita became so closely identified with their roles that the actors were treated as the characters for years afterwards. Sagar drew on many tellings besides Valmiki and Tulsidas, among them the Tamil Kamba Ramayanam, the Marathi Bhavartha Ramayana, the Bengali Krittivasi Ramayan, the Telugu Ranganatha Ramayanam, the Kannada Ramachandra Charita Purana, the Malayalam Adhyatma Ramayanam and Chakbast's Urdu Ramayan. That breadth is part of why the serial felt familiar to audiences across the country.
Slot not confirmed
DD National · Started 25 January 1987 · Last episode 31 July 1988 · 78 episodes.
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Arun Govil | Ram |
| Deepika Chikhalia | Sita |
| Sunil Lahri | Lakshman |
| Arvind Trivedi | Ravana |
| Dara Singh | Hanuman |
| Sanjay Jog | Bharat |
| Bal Dhuri | Dasharatha |
| Jayshree Gadkar | Kausalya |
| Padma Khanna | Kaikeyi |
Last checked 22 October 2026.