Ramayan, also known as Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, is an iconic Indian Hindi-language epic television series that originally aired on DD National between 1987 and 1988. Created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar, the series is based on the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana. The show was narrated by the legendary Ashok Kumar and Ramanand Sagar himself, with music composed by Ravindra Jain.

During its initial run, Ramayan became the most-watched television series in the world, boasting an incredible 82% viewership. Its success extended far beyond India, with repeat broadcasts aired on 20 different channels across 17 countries on all five continents. According to the BBC, the series has been viewed by over 650 million people globally. Each episode earned DD National a revenue of ₹40 lakh, making it a highly profitable production.

The series primarily draws from Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, while also incorporating elements from various regional versions of the Ramayan, including Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Urdu adaptations. With a budget of ₹9 lakhs per episode, it was the most expensive TV show produced in India at the time.

The cultural impact of Ramayan was profound. On Sundays, when the series was aired, streets would empty, shops would close, and people would perform rituals such as bathing and garlanding their television sets in reverence before the show began. The series was re-aired during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, where it once again captured global attention, setting a new record with 77 million viewers on 16 April 2020, making it the most-watched TV show in the world at that time.

Dataset Summary:

Show Title: Ramayan (Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan)

Language: Hindi

Genre: Epic, Mythological, Television Series

Country: India

Original Air Dates: 1987-1988

Channel: DD National

Creator, Writer, Director: Ramanand Sagar

Narrators: Ashok Kumar, Ramanand Sagar

Music Composer: Ravindra Jain

Viewership:

82% viewership during the original run

Over 650 million viewers globally

Record-breaking 77 million viewers on 16 April 2020 during the re-airing in 2020

Budget: ₹9 lakhs per episode

Revenue per Episode: ₹40 lakh earned by DD National

Global Reach: Aired in 17 countries across 20 channels

Source Material:

Primary Sources: Valmiki's Ramayan, Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas

Other Sources: Tamil Kamb Ramayan, Marathi Bhavarath Ramayan, Bengali Krutivas Ramayan, Telugu Shri Rangnath Ramayan, Kannada Ramchandra Charit Puranam, Malayalam Adhyatma Ramayan, Urdu Ramayan by Chakbast.

Cultural Impact:

Streets would be deserted and shops closed during airing.

People would bathe and garland their TV sets before watching.

Re-airing Impact: Broke several viewership records during the 2020 lockdown.

Data Statistics:

Total Unique Values: 78 episodes Unique Rating Categories: 10 Total Data Coverage: Episodes aired from January 25, 1987, to July 31, 1988 Percentage of Data Available: 96% of episodes have summaries. Example Summary: "The saga of Ramayan Gods' Prayers to Lord Vishnu King Dashrath's yagna invoking blessings for a son Birth and childhood of Shri Ram."