''Ramayan'' is a
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...
TV series that was aired on
Zee TV
Zee TV (stylised as ZEE TV) is a Hindi general entertainment pay television
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription bus ...
in 2001. It is a television adaptation of the ancient Indian epic of
the same name, and is primarily based on
Valmiki
Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, ) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic ''Ramayana'', dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attributi ...
's ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages e ...
,''
Tulsidas
Tulsidas (; born Rambola Dubey; also known as Goswami Tulsidas; c.1511pp. 23–34.–1623) was a Ramanandi Vaishnava Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. He wrote several popular works in Sanskrit and Awadhi, but ...
'
''Ramcharitramanas'' ,
Kalidasa's ''
Raghuvaṃśa'' and
Kambar's Kambh Ramayana . It was produced and directed by
Baldev Raj Chopra and
Ravi Chopra.
The scripting for the series was done by Ram Govind and Research was done by Satish Bhatnagar,
Hasan Kamal and Shafiq Ansari. Dharam Chopra was the Director of Photography.
Each episode started with a title song sung by
Vinod Rathod
Vinod Rathod (born 12 September 1962) is an Indian playback singer who primarily sings in Bollywood films. Rathod is the son of late classical musician, Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod.
Music career
His career started when Usha Khanna after listen ...
and ended with a doha or couplet sung by Manoj Mishra and written by Maya Govind.
Premise

The show starts with Introduction of King Dashrath followed by his grave for not having a son. Guru Vashisht suggests him to go to rishi shringi. King Dashrath goes in search for rishi Shringi, After many hardships, he convinces Rishi Shring for Santati Yagya. After completion of the yagya, King Dashrath has four sons, Ram, Bharat, Laxman and Shatrughan. It covers several scenes from the Maharishi Valmiki's Ramayana. Scenes of Ram going to gurukul and coming back are shown. Sita's swayamwar and Ram-Sita Marriage is also shown here. Along with them , the brothers of Ram - Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughn married the sister and cousins of Sita - Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutakirti respectively.
The brides were welcomed in Ayodhya.
Soon afterward Dasharath desired to crown Ram as the king of Ayodhya. Manthara poisoned Kaikeyi's mind against Dasharath's idea.
Recalling that Dasharath had once promised to grant kaikeyi any two boons that she asked of him, she demanded that Ram should be exiled to the forest for fourteen years and that Bharat should be crowned ruler instead. Although heartbroken, Dasharath is compelled to keep his word. Reluctantly, he asks Ram to leave for the forest. Ram happily accepts the exile and leaves for the forest. Ram reluctantly accepts the company of his wife, Sita, and his younger brother, Lakshman. When Bharat learns that his mother is responsible for Ram's exile, he follows Ram and begs him to return with him to Ayodhya. However, Ram refuses, bound by his duty to carry out his father's promise. Bharat decides instead to bring back to the palace Rama's paduka and places them on the throne as a gesture that Ram is the true king. He decided to spend an ascetic life like Ram and Lakshman staying in Nandigram at the outskirts of Ayodhya till the end of exile. Upon his insistence , Shatrughn ruled as his proxy over Ayodhya throughout the fourteen-year exile. Ram, Sita, and Lakshman wandered in the forests, combating evil wherever they encounter it. They gained the blessings of numerous wise men and sages along the way. Thirteen years into the exile, Ravan, the King of Lanka, abducts Sita. In their search of her, Ram and Lakshman meet Hanuman, Sugriv, Jamvanta, and the Vanar Sena. When they reach Lanka, Rama battles Ravan and ultimately kills him, signifying triumph of good over evil. Lord Ram returns back to Ayodhya and is declared the King of Ayodhya. The series end with coronation of Lord Ram.
Episodes
There were total of 48 episodes which were aired every Sunday at 9AM.
Episode guide
Baal Kaand (Episode 1 to Episode 5)
*Episode 1-King Dashrath's Early life. Dasharatha asks Guru Vashisht for help in performing a yagna (sacrifice) to obtain children. Lord Shri Vishnu asks Goddess Lakshmi to incarnate with him.
*Episode 2- Completion of Santati Yagya. Ravan's Introduction, King Janak asks lord Shiva for a child.
*Episode 3- Lord Shri Vishnu is born as Ram. King Dashrath is blessed with three more sons.
*Episode 4- Guru Vashishth is called for the naming ceremony of the King Dashrath's four sons. The four children leave for Ashram.
*Episode 5- Goddess Lakshmi is born as Sita.
Ayodhya Kaand (Episode 6 to Episode 20)
*Episode 6- Sage Vishwamitra's sacrifices are being disturbed by Taraka, a yaksha demoness
*Episode 7- King Dashrath is eagerly waiting for Lord Ram to come back.
*Episode 8- Taraka Vadh, Ahilya udhaar
*Episode 9- Janak invites Sage Vishwamitra to Sita's swayamvara. Vishwamitra brings Ram and Lakshman along.
*Episode 10- Ram and Sita meet in a flower meadow and are smitten. Sita prays to Goddess Gauri. Gauri promises Sita that Ram will be her husband.
*Episode 11- Ravan goes to the swayamvara and fails to lift the bow. Shri Ram lifts shiv dhnush, Jaimala Happens
*Episode 12- Parshuram is aware of the bow being moved and comes to confront Ram. He is appeased by Lakshman who explains Ram respects Lord Shiva. Wedding preparations begin.
*Episode 13- Janak sends his minister to ayodhya, Baarat comes to mithila, Sage Vishwamitra proposes that Sita's three sisters marry Ram's three brothers.
*Episode 14- Ram and Sita Vivah
*Episode 15- Baarat comes back to Ayodhya
*Episode 16- Dasharatha wants to retire and crown Ram king. Ram thinks Bharat would be a better choice.
*Episode 17- Bharat is summoned to visit Keikeyi's parents, who are ill. The court decides Ram should be king.
*Episode 18- Manthara urges Keikeyi to use her two unfulfilled boons to prevent Ram's coronation.
*Episode 19- Keikeyi asks Dasharatha to fulfill her two boons by (1) crowning Bharat and (2) sending Ram into exile for 14 years. Dasharatha is devastated.
*Episode 20 Ram says as a dutiful son he must help his father keep his promises. Ram asks Keikeyi to bless him
Aaranya Kaand (Episode 21 to Episode 31)
*Episode 21- Laxman and Sita resolves to accompany Ram into exile. Dasharatha never wants to see Keikeyi again.
*Episode 22- Dasharatha dies of grief. Bharat and Shatrughan arrive home and are devastated to hear of their brothers' exile and their father's death. Bharat refuses the crown and decides to bring Ram back.
*Episode 23- Shri Ram blesses Kevat and Nishadraaj.
*Episode 24- Keikeyi mourns. Shri Ram, Devi Sita and Lakshman visit Sage Bhardwaj at Prayag, the confluence of the three sacred rivers: Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati.
*Episode 25- Devi Sita's father Janak hears all the news, including that Bharat has gone after Ram and taken the army. Janak heads after them.
*Episode 26- Shri Ram, Devi Sita and Lakshman visit Sage Valmiki, who is writing Ram's life story, in Chitrakoot. Ram- Bharat milaap.
*Episode 27- Bharat tells Shri Ram that Dasharatha has died. But Shri Ram insists on keeping his father's promise and refuses to return. Bharat promises to rule as regent only and takes Ram's charan paaduka to place on the throne.
*Episode 28- The demi-god vulture Jatayu directs Shri Ram to a dwelling place at Panchavati. Ravan's sister Surpanakha visits her brothers Khar, Dhushan and Trishira who live in a nearby forest. Ram kills some rakshasa demons when he finds them harassing some sages. Curious about this powerful human, Surpanakha visits Panchavati and is smitten with Ram.
*Episode 29- A jealous Surpanakha attacks Devi Sita and an angry Lakshman cuts off Surpanakha's nose. Surpanakha returns with her brothers Khar, Dhushan and Trishira and Ram and Lakshman kill all three. Surpanakha tells Ravan who vows revenge and is furious and decides to attack Ram. Ravan asks the magical rakshasa Maricha to help.
*Episode 30- Maricha turns into a golden deer and lures Ram far away, trying to catch it for Devi Sita. Maricha then calls for help and Sita, hearing, sends Lakshman. Devi Sita is now alone and Ravan abducts her, killing Jatayu. As Ravan flies through the air, Devi Sita throw down her jewellery.
*Episode 31- At Ravan's island kingdom, Lanka, Devi Sita is kept prisoner by Trijata and other demons in a grove. Surpanakha is thrilled, but Ravan's mother and others warn Ravan this will cause trouble. Ram and Lakshman search for Devi Sita.
Kishkindha kaand (Episode 32 to Episode 35)
*Episode 32- Ram meets Sugreev, a prince of the Vanar kingdom, and Hanuman, a powerful vanar who is the son of the Wind God Vayu, find Devi Sita's jewellery and show it to Ram.
*Episode 33- Sugreev tells his story: he left his brother king Bali who was fighting an asura in a cave, truly thinking that Bali was dead, and took the throne as regent until Bali's son Angad grew up. However, Bali was not dead, and returned angry, beating up Sugreev.
*Episode 34-Ram kills Bali for his wrong actions. Sughriv is now the king. A grateful Sugreev orders his army to find Devi Sita.
*Episode 35- Sughriv's Vanar sena goes in all directions searching for Devi Sita. Angad, Hanuman and Jambavantha meet Jatayu's brother Sampaati, who tells them Devi Sita is across the sea in Lanka.
Sunderkaand (Episode 36 to Episode 41)
*Episode 36- Hanuman flies over the ocean and locates Devi Sita. He also meets the youngest brother of Ravan, Vibhishan, and learns that Vibhishan is also a Ram Bhakt.
*Episode 37- Ravan gives Devi Sita a deadline: marry him in one month or she will be forced. Lord Hanuman talks to devi Sita and shows the ring given by lord Ram.
*Episode 38- Lord Hanuman goes to Ashok Vatika, Ravan's youngest son Akshaykumar attacks Hanuman and is killed. Meghnad takes Hanuman prisoner. Ravan sets Hanuman's tail on fire. Hanuman burns the city of Lanka to the ground.
*Episode 39- Hanuman tells Ram about Ravan's deadline. Ram, Lakshman and Sugreev's army reach the seashore. Vibhishan advises Ravan to return Devi Sita, and Ravan kicks Vibhishan out. Vibhishan joins Ram and tells him how to cross the sea.
*Episode 40- Shri Ram setu Nirmaan. Vanar sena, along with shri Ram and Laxman, Reach Lanka. Shri Ram sends Angad to Ravan's court as a messenger.
*Episode 41- Angad successfully stands up to Ravan but Ravan will not make peace. The war begins.
Lanka Kaand (Episode 42 to Episode 47)
*Episode 42- Prahast, Ravan’s son withdraws his participation in the battle, much to Ravan’s dismay. Meghnad kills Laxman with a celestial weapon. Lord Hanuman goes in search of snajeevni booti.
*Episode 43- Laxman is cured and resumes the war. Ravan wakes up his second brother Kumbhkaran, and tells about the conflict with Ram. Kumbhkaran advices Ravan to go for peace.
*Episode 44- Kumbhkaran goes in the battle ground, talks to his brother Vibhishan and wages a war with lord Ram. Kumbhkaran is killed, Ravan is Sad.
*Episode 45- Meghnad prays to Lord Shiva for a boon, but does not receive it as Hanuman interrupts him. Lakshman and Meghnad wage a war against each other. Meghnad is killed. Ram treats Meghnad's body with honour and returns it to Lanka.
*Episode 46- Last day of the great war. Ram And Ravan fight face to face. Shri Ram Shoots arrow on Ravan's head, but he regrows his head. Vibhishan tells about the boon Ravan had received from lord Brahma. Ram kills Ravan, Vibhishan is crowned As the King of Lanka.
*Episode 47- Shri Ram meets devi sita and asks her for Agnipariksha. 14 years of exile are over and Shri Ram goes to Nandigram and meets his Brother Bharat.
Uttar Kaand (Episode 48- final episode)
*Episode 48- Shri Ram comes back to Ayodhya, meets everyone and is crowned as the King of Ayodhya.
Production
*The series was produced by B.R Chopra and directed by Ravi Chopra. The executive producer for the series was Bharat Ratan.
Re-run
*Ramayan was re-telecast on Zee TV and DD National in the year 2008 from 28 July 2008 to 20 August 2009.
Music
*Raj Kamal was the music Director.
*
Vinod Rathod
Vinod Rathod (born 12 September 1962) is an Indian playback singer who primarily sings in Bollywood films. Rathod is the son of late classical musician, Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod.
Music career
His career started when Usha Khanna after listen ...
sang the title song of the series.
*Monoj Mishra sang the doha (end song) or the
couplet for this series as well as for
Vishnu Puran (TV series)
*
Vinod Rathod
Vinod Rathod (born 12 September 1962) is an Indian playback singer who primarily sings in Bollywood films. Rathod is the son of late classical musician, Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod.
Music career
His career started when Usha Khanna after listen ...
sang seven songs in the episodes of Ram-Sita Vivah (episode 13 and 14)
*The songs were mainly taken from Shri
Ramcharitmanas
''Ramcharitmanas'' ( deva, श्रीरामचरितमानस, Rāmacaritamānasa), is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, based on the '' Ramayana'', and composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas (c. 1532–1623). T ...
by Sage
Valmiki
Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, ) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic ''Ramayana'', dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attributi ...
.
*Maya Govind composed the couplets for each episode.
Casting
*
Nitish Bharadwaj played Bhagwan
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...
as well as
Ram.
*
Smriti Irani
Smriti Zubin Irani (''née'' Malhotra; born 23 March 1976) is an Indian politician and a former television actress and producer. She is a Minister in Union Cabinet of India since May 2019 currently administrating the Ministries of Women and ...
played Devi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
as well as
Sita
Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, '' Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi ...
.
* Kinshuk Vaidya was cast as Child
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
.
*
Sudhir Dalvi played
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp ...
dev in this series.
*
Samar Jai Singh was replaced by Yashodhan Rana to play Bhagwan
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
.
*
Samar Jai Singh played
Meghnad for the series.
Cast
*
Nitish Bhardwaj as
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
, reincarnation of Lord Vishnu
*
Smriti Irani
Smriti Zubin Irani (''née'' Malhotra; born 23 March 1976) is an Indian politician and a former television actress and producer. She is a Minister in Union Cabinet of India since May 2019 currently administrating the Ministries of Women and ...
as
Sita
Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, '' Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi ...
, reincarnation of Goddess Lakshmi
*
Surendra Pal
Surendrapal Singh (born 25 September 1953) is an Indian film and television character actor who works in Hindi films and TV series. He is best known for his roles of Dronacharya in '' Mahabharat'', Amatya Rakshas in '' Chanakya'', Tamraj Kil ...
as
Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. ...
, King of Lanka
*
Deepak Jethi as
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and ...
, devotee of Lord Rama
*Bijay Anand as
Lakshmana
Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...
, third brother of Lord Rama
*Ayush Pandey as
Bharata, second brother of Lord Rama
*Amit Pachori as
Shatrughna
''Shatrughna'' ( sa, text=शत्रुघ्न, translit=śatrughna, lit=killer of enemies) is a prince of Ayodhya, King of Madhupura and Vidisha, and a brother of Prince Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is also known as ''Ripudama ...
, youngest brother of Lord Rama
*Ashwini as
Urmila
Urmila () is a princess featured in the Ramayana. She is the younger sister of Sita, and the wife of Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama.
Legend
Urmila is the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and Queen Sunayana, and the younger sister ...
, Lakshman's wife, Sita's sister
*Rajani Chandra as
Mandavi
Mandavi () is the eldest daughter of King Kushadhwaja and Queen Chandrabhaga in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is the wife of Bharata, a younger brother of Rama.
Legend
Princess Mandavi has a younger sister, Shrutakirti. Mandavi is married to ...
, Bharat's wife, Shrutakirti's sister
*
Malini Kapoor
Malini Kapoor is an Indian television and theatre actress.
Television
* Yeh Hawayein as Resham
*''Jai Mahabharat'' as Ambalika
*''Ramayan'' as Shrutakirti
*'' Ssshhhh...Koi Hai''
*'' Sssshhh... Phir Koi Hai'' as Chandrika (episode – Satawan ...
/ Arti Puri as
Shrutakirti, Shatrughan's wife, Mandavi's sister
*
Gajendra Chauhan
Gajendra Singh Chauhan known professionally as Gajendra Chauhan, is a former television actor known for his work on Indian television, especially his portrayal of Yudhishthira in the historical television series ''Mahabharat'' (1988–90). He h ...
as
Dasharatha
Dasharatha ( Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of the Kosala kingdom and a scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. He ruled from this capital at Ayodhya. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. He ...
, Ram, Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrughan's father
*
Beena Banerjee
Beena Banerjee (born 19 February 1943), also known as Beena or Bina, is an Indian actress in Bengali and Hindi films and television.
Biography
Beena Banerjee was born as Beena Batabyal on 19 February 1943, the daughter of film actor Pradee ...
as
Kaushalya
Kausalya () is the senior queen-consort of Kosala in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. She is the mother of Rama, the titular hero of the epic, and the senior wife of Dasharatha, who ruled Kosala from its capital of Ayodhya.
In some later acco ...
, Lord Rama's mother
*Jyoti Joshi as
Sumitra
Sumitra ( sa, सुमित्रा, IAST: Sumitrā) is a princess of Kashi in Hindu mythology. The wise Sumitra is the third queen consort of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala, who ruled from Ayodhya. She is the mother of the twins Lakshmana ...
, Lakshman and Shatrughan's mother
*
Dolly Minhas as
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of ...
, Bharat's mother
*Tina Ghai as
Manthara
''Manthara'' ( sa, मन्थरा; lit: "humpbacked") in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' convinced Queen Kaikeyi that the throne of maharaja belonged to her son Bharata and that her step-son—crown-prince Rama (the hero of the ''Ramayana'')� ...
, Kaikeyi's maid
*Pradeep Sharma as
Janaka, Sita and Urmila's father
*
Shalini Kapoor Sagar as Sunaina, Sita and Urmila's mother
*Raman Khatri as
Kushadhwaja, Mandavi and Shrutakirti's father
*Rakesh Vidwa as Shatanand, Devi Ahilya's son, King Janak's guru
*A.K. Agnihotri as Janak's minister
*Rajita Kocchar as
Kaikesi
''Ramayana'' is one of the two major Sanskrit ancient epics (''Itihasa''s) of Hindu literature. It was composed by sage Valmiki. This is a list of important characters that appear in the epic.
A
Agastya
Agastya was a son of sage Pulas ...
, Ravan's mother
*Ramesh Goyal as
Maricha, Ravan's maternal uncle
*Shashi Sharma as
Mandodari
Mandodari ( sa, मंदोदरी, , lit. "soft-bellied";) was the queen consort of Ravana, the king of Lanka, according to the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. The ''Ramayana'' describes Mandodari as beautiful, pious, and righteous. She is extol ...
, Ravan's wife
*Rahul Solapurkar as
Kumbhakarna, Ravan's brother
*Sandeep Mohan as
Vibhishana
Vibhishana () is the younger brother of Ravana, the King of Lanka, in the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. Though a rakshasa himself, Vibhishana turned his back on Ravana, and defected to Rama's side, owing to his dharma. After Rama defeated R ...
, Ravan's brother
*
Dharmesh Tiwari as
Vasishtha, Lord Rama's guru
*Bhakti Nirula as
Arundhati, Vasishth's wife
*Rammohan Sharma as Sumantra, Dasrath's minister
*Rahul Sood as
Prahasta, Ravan's youngest son
*
Samar Jai Singh as
Indrajit
Meghanada (), also referred to by his epithet Indrajita , according to Hindu texts, was the crown prince of Lanka, who conquered Indraloka (Heaven). He is regarded as one of the greatest warriors in Hindu texts. He is a major character menti ...
, Ravan's eldest son
*
Deepshikha Nagpal as
Sulochana, Indrajit's wife
*Praphulla Pandey as
Aksha
*Yashodhan Rana as Bhagwan
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
*Sheetal Bedi as Devi
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi ...
, Bhagwan
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
's wife
*Kinshuk Vaidya as Child
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
*
Sudhir Dalvi as
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp ...
dev
*Kishore Puri as Devraj
Indra
*Sunil Nagar as
Varuna
Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, suc ...
dev
*Sanjay Swaraj as Maharishi
Gautama Maharishi
Gautama Maharishi ( sa, महर्षिः गौतम, ), was a sage in Hinduism, who is also mentioned in Jainism and Buddhism. Gautama is mentioned in the Yajurveda, Ramayana, and Gaṇeśa Pūrana and is known for cursing his wife Aha ...
, Devi
Ahilya
In Hinduism, Ahalyā ( sa, अहल्या, IAST: Ahalyā) also known as Ahilya, is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi. Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra (the king of gods), cursed by her husband for infidelity, ...
's husband
*Shankar Nagre as
Ahiravana, Ravan's brother
*Sagar Salunkhe as
Parashurama
Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the '' Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appea ...
*Suhas Khandke as
Vasuki
Vasuki ( IAST: ) is the second king of the nagas in Hinduism. He is described as having a gem called ''Nagamani'' (serpent's ornament) on his head. Adishesha, the first king of the serpents and the mount of Narayana, is his elder brother, an ...
, father of Sulochana
*Javed Khan as
Vishwamitra
Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mantr ...
, Ram and Lakshman's guru
*Mona Parekh as
Rumā, Sugriv's wife
*Manish Garg as Vishvabandhu, Ayodhya's royal poet
Ramayan (2002 TV series) & Vishnu Puran (2000 TV series)
Actors who played same characters in both series
*Nitish Bharadwaj played Ram and Vishnu in both the series.
*Ayush Pandey played Bharat in both the Series.
*Pradeep Sharma played Janak in both the series.
*Javed Khan played Vishwamitra in both the series.
*Dolly Minas played Kaikeyi in both the series.
*Tina Ghai played Manthara in both the series.
*Shashi Sharma played Mandodari in both the series.
*Sudhir Dalvi played Brahma in both the series.
*Rajita Kocchar played
Kaikesi
''Ramayana'' is one of the two major Sanskrit ancient epics (''Itihasa''s) of Hindu literature. It was composed by sage Valmiki. This is a list of important characters that appear in the epic.
A
Agastya
Agastya was a son of sage Pulas ...
in both the series.
Actors who changed their roles
*
Samar Jai Singh played Shiva in Vishnupuran and Meghnad in Ramayan.
*
Surendra Pal
Surendrapal Singh (born 25 September 1953) is an Indian film and television character actor who works in Hindi films and TV series. He is best known for his roles of Dronacharya in '' Mahabharat'', Amatya Rakshas in '' Chanakya'', Tamraj Kil ...
played Shukracharya in Vishnupuran and Ravan in Ramayan.
*
Dharmesh Tiwari played Sumant in Vishnupuran and Vashishth in Ramayan.
*Amit Pachori played Laxman in Vishnupuran and Shatrughan in Ramayan.
*Sagar Salunkhe played Vishwamitra in Vishnupuran and Parshuram in Ramayan.
*Bijay Anand played young meghnad in Vishnupuran and Laxman in Ramayan.
*Sandeep Mohan played Indra in Vishnupuran and Vibhishan in Ramayan.
*
Deepak Jethi played Kaalketu in Vishnupuran and Hanuman in Ramayan.
Reception
Even though Ramayan did not prove to be as successful as
Mahabharat (1988 TV series) but it did become popular. Within a year, B.R Films had released 48 episodes of the series. In May 2003, it was consistently in Zee's top ten ratings. Although its a forgotten serial of the old era, It was one of the most watched tv serial during 2002-2003.
While working on the sets of Ramayan, In an interview, said Ravi Chopra "Because of the phenomenal success of ''Mahabharata''," , "The expectations from our ''Ramayana'' are very high. We have once again Nitish Bharadwaj playing the main role of Ram and Smriti Malhotra-Irani is Sita. We have better technology today and better facilities than when we made our first epic. I have depended mainly on the original ''Valmiki Ramayana'' and the ''Ramcharit-Manas'' of Tulsidas. At the very outset, I am planning to outline the value of ''Maryada'', which is an entirely Indian concept and is epitomised by Ram, who is called ''Maryada Purushottam.'' Nitish Bharadwaj, who also contributes to the script with his inputs of research on the character of Ram, will define ''Maryada,'' a value which sets out the civilised limits and self-imposed controls of behaviour for people who want to live enlightened lives. Such explanations will enrich the narrative immeasurably.
"My sets are designed with great attention to detail. The costume team works closely with us. We have used references from sculptures, frescoes, temple carvings and manuscripts while designing of ambience, which is rich and ornate. Ram Govind is doing the script. We normally get the script of ten episodes ready and plan the look and feel of the serial. In mythologicals, casting and dialogues have to be perfect. The success of our ''Mahabharata'' was mainly due to excellence in these two areas. Rahi Masoom Raza wrote brilliant dialogues which linked eternal values from the epic to modern living and the result was almost electric. Even in ''Ramayana'', the effort is to apply modern yardsticks to old values and to justify why characters took particular actions though they may seem incorrect in the present day context.
"Today, television is a game of numbers. Everything rests on how much money a serial makes and what TRPs it gets. The making of ''Ramayana'' is an opportunity to combine beauty, glamour, values, beautiful language, beautiful relationships, memorable visuals and of course stories which touch every heart. ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'' are fountains of eternal wisdom and immortal values. The narratives and the characters who play them out run in the blood of every Indian. Epics give a special fragrance to the Indian soil. They give all religions in India their soul and our culture is rich and scintillating because of them. Stories can be retold on television in every decade without losing any freshness. I’m fortunate to do this!"
References
External links
Watch Ramayana*{{IMDb title, 0389673
Zee TV original programming
2001 Indian television series debuts
Television series based on the Ramayana