Self-isolation: Five Hindu mythological shows to watch in UK

With an increasing number of viewers turning to mythological shows as a way of comfort during these testing times, BizAsiaLive.com brings readers five popular mythological shows that can be accessed by UK viewers.

Ramayan
Where: Netflix
There have been various versions of ‘Ramayan’ but the 1987 Ramanand Sagar directorial remains the most popular. While viewers in India can re-watch the show on Doordarshan, rights in the UK have not been renewed by any broadcaster in the UK. Previously, the likes of BBC and Star India had access to the show but now UK. This series stars Arun Govil as Ram/Vishnu, Deepika Chikhalia as Sita/Lakshmi, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana and Dara Singh as Hanuman. All 78 episodes of the show are available to view on Netflix.

Mahabharat
Where: Pen Bhakti channel on YouTube
Again, a show that has been made by various production houses, the BR Chopra version of the iconic series, remains the most memorable. The 1988 series, produced by BR Chopra, consisted of 94 episodes, which aired in the UK on BBC. The show is being re-shown on Doordarshan during the coronavirus crisis but it has not been picked up any UK broadcaster. It features Nitish Bharadwaj as Dwarkadheesh Bhagwan Shri Krishna, Gajendra Chauhan as Chakravarti Samrat Hastinapur Naresh Kuntiputra Dharamraj Yudhishthir, Praveen Kumar as Gadadhari Kuntiputra Bhim, Arjun as Gandivadhari Kuntiputra Arjuna, Sameer Chitre as Madrinandan Nakul, Sanjeev Chitre as Madrinandan Sahadeva and Roopa Ganguly as Samragni Yagyaseni Draupadi. The whole series is available free on YouTube via Pen Bhakti’s channel.

Radhakrishn
Where: Star Plus/Star Bharat
The Star Bharat show based on Radha Krishan, is being re-telecast on Star Plus, which is produced by Swastik Productions. It stars Sumedh Mudgalkar and Mallika Singh. The show launched in October 2018 and has been a staple of Star Bharat’s schedule. It now continues its popularity reaching to a wider audience on Star Plus, with a ratings lead consistently on the channel.

Mere Sai
Where: Sony TV
Sony Entertainment Television launched ‘Mere Sai’ in 2017 and has been one of the most successful mythological shows on the channel. The series based on Sai Baba, stars Tushar Dalvi, Abeer Soofi, Toral Rasputra and Kishori Godbole, continues to perform strongly during the coronavirus crisis. The show is helmed by Aparna Padgaonkar.

Siya Ke Ram
Where: Star Plus (THE RE-RUN OF THIS SHOW HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED ON 13TH APRIL 2020)
Star Plus attempted to recreate Ramayan but from Sita’s perspective, which proved a huge success during its first run in 2015. The show is being re-run on Star Plus UK daily at 19:00. It stars Ashish Sharma and Madirakshi Mundle, as the leads Ram and Sita respectively. While initial figures for the show have been lukewarm, it is expected to grow as the story picks up.