Television shows: Hindi- Urdu
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
A history of TV series in India
Readers (especially those connected with the series mentioned) might want to add details, especially dates, by sending them as messages to the Facebook page, Indpaedia.com.
All information used will be duly acknowledged.
Top TV shows
The 1960s
Television was restricted to Delhi.
Doordrshan tortured audiences with dreary versions of Rabindranath Tagore’s Kshudhita Pashan and Chokher Bali
Chitrahaar: Chitrahaar is a Bollywood songs television program on DD National, most widely watched in the [1960s, 70s and beyond—till around 1991, when MTV made it irrelevant]. The word literally means 'a garland of pictures'. It airs for half an hour every Friday on prime-time where the videos of the latest songs in Hindi film (Bollywood) music are televised.
Mirror of the World, had snippets from around the world hosted by TV superstar Kabir Bedi. Together these two ingredients made Mirror the biggest English-language hit on Indian television.
The 1970s
Pakistan TV had all Punjabis and Jammuites living close to the border riveted. To counter the attraction of PTV, Doordarshan opened centres (kendras) in Jalandhar and Srinagar. Bombay, too, got a Kendra.
Youth Forum, hosted by India’s second English-language superstar, Deepak Vohra, was the biggest hit, after the Sunday film and Chitrahaar.
The 1980s
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ushered in a mini-liberalisation of Doordarshan: which was now in colour and accepted advertisements, as well as sponsored programmes. Suddenly DD became watchable, at least for about 90 minutes a day.
Hum Log was India's first [modern-style] soap opera, which dwelled upon the trials and tribulations of a middle-class family. First televised on July 07, 1984 on Doordarshan, the show created a history of sorts by becoming one of the most loved teleserials in pre-cable TV era.
Buniyaad: Buniyaad dealt with the predicaments of post-partition India and its aftermath. The show started airing in 1986 on Doordarshan and enjoyed a successful run on cable TV channels.
Trishna: Trishna was the Indian version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which aired on Doordarshan in 1985. The show starred Tarun Dhanrajgir and Sangeeta Handa in lead roles.
Nukkad: Kundan Shah and Saeed Akhtar Mirza's Nukkad was a popular TV show, which aired on Doordarshan during 1986-87. Nukkad portrayed the daily struggles and aspirations of lower-middle class denominator that lived around Nukkad.
Ramayan: Ramanand Sagar helmed the great Hindu epic Ramayan, which aired on Doordarshan from 1987 to 1988. Such was the popularity of this mythological serial that people left their daily chores and get glued to their TV sets.
Bharat Ek Khoj: (1989) Written, produced and directed by Shyam Benegal, Bharat Ek Khoj was an Indian historical drama based on the book The Discovery of India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The serial dwelled upon five thousand year old history of India till its independence in 1947.
Vikram Aur Betaal: Vikram Aur Betaal was a children's television programme that was based on Baital Pachisi, a collection of tales about the semi-legendary King Vikram (identified as Vikramāditya) and the Vetala, a vampire-like being. The show starred Arun Govil and Sajjan Kumar.
Prannoy Roy became India’s third English-language superstar with his news capsule The News Today . After the privatisation of TV TNT, produced by NDTV, spun into a TV channel and then several TV channels.
TNT’s Hindi counterpart Aaj Tak was equally popular and grew into the channel of the same name.
Circus: Directed by Aziz Mirza, in Circus, Shah Rukh Khan played the son of a circus owner, who comes from USA and is compelled to take control of the dwindling fortunes of circus.
Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne: A TV comedy serial directed by Prakash Jha, Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne was a show about a small time clerk who had a habit of day dreaming.
Byomkesh Bakshi Actor Rajat Kapoor's most popular stints his portrayal of Byomkesh Bakshi in a television series of the same name based on the character created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay and directed by Basu Chatterjee. The TV serial revolved around solving the mystries solved by the Bengali detective.
Karamchand India's first ever on-screen detective 'Karamchand' and his secretary 'Kitty' was the most popular jodi in the 80's. Pankaj Kapur played the lead role that has given him iconic fame.
Malgudi Days R.K. Narayan's most cherished work 'Malgudi Days' was made on screen by actor and director, Shankar Nag. We still remember innocent Swami, the lead character from the series and his cute tactics. No one from present generation child star has managed to reach that height, set by darling, little 'Swami'.
Mr. Yogi: Mr. Yogi was a popular Hindi sitcom, which ran on Doordarshan in the 80s. Starring Mohan Gokhale as Yogesh Ishwarlal Patel aka Y.I. Patel alias Mr. Yogi, an MBA student from American, the story revolved around Mr. Yogi's hunt for the perfect bride.
Wagle Ki Duniya: The series was set around everyday struggles, of nervous sales clerk, Srinivas Wagle, who lived with prudence of a middle class person of the time.
Udaan: Written, directed and starring Kavita Choudhary, Udaan was a popular TV serial, which ran on Doordarshan from 1989-91. Focusing on women empowerment, the show was one of its kinds, portraying the trials and tribulations of a woman aspiring to become an IPS officer.
Rajani: Basu Chatterjee's Rajani was a popular serial which aired on Doordarshan during the mid-80s. The serial had Priya Tendulkar as the main protagonist, a housewife, who championed the cause of justice and fought against corruption and prevalent social evils of Indian society.
Mirza Ghalib: The series was aired on Doordarshan National in 1988. The lead actor was Naseeruddin Shah who played the role of Mirza Ghalib, the famous classical Urdu and Persian poet from Mughal Empire during British colonial rule.
Flop Show: Flop Show was first aired on Doordarshan in 1989. The show was written and directed by satirical humourist Jaspal Bhatti, who also played himself as the main character.
Fauji: Fauji was the debut TV serial of now Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh played Abhimanyu Rai, a young, bright and naughty trainee at the commando school. SRK is best remembered for his charm and exuberance that made him a household name.
The Jungle Book: An animated adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's original collection of stories, The Jungle Book was aired in 1989 on Doordarshan. Mowgli, the feral child served as the main character of the series. [Indpaedia has not mentioned other dubbed serials like He man. however, because the Jungle Book is set in India, its Hindi-Urdu version was seen by Indian children as an Indian serial.]
Didi's Comedy Show: Didi's Comedy Show was a 1989 German comedy television show starring Dieter Hallervorden that ran for 10 episodes. It was quite popular in India as a comedy show on the national television Doordarshan in the 1980s.
Param Veer Chakra was an Indian serial portraying the real life of Param Vir Chakra gallantry award winners, India's highest military honour. The serial was directed by Chetan Anand and aired on Doordarshan channel in 1980's.
The 1990s
Alif Laila: Ramanand Sagar's Alif Laila was based on the folk takes from Arabian Nights and One Thousand and One Nights and had two hundred plus episodes, which were first televised on Doordarshan.
Potli Baba Ki was one of the popular children's TV series which had a relevant social message. Eminent writer Gulzar wrote the series aired in 1991.
The Sword of Tipu Sultan: The Sword of Tipu Sultan was a historical drama based on a novel by Bhagwan Gidwani, portraying the life and times of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore. The Sword of Tipu Sultan ran from 1990 to 1991. Apparently, a major fire broke on the sets of The Sword of Tipu Sultan in 1990, which burnt down its sets in Premier Studio, while claiming 62 lives. Lead actor Sanjay Khan suffered major burns and spent almost a year in hospital.
Mahabharat: BR Chopra helmed the great Hindu epic Mahabharat, a 94-episode Hindi serial that ran from 1988 to 1990. BR Chopra's Mahabharat was one of the most loved TV serials based on Hindu mythology.
Dekh Bhai Dekh: Dekh Bhai Dekh was one of the most popular comedy Hindi sitcom created, developed, edited, directed and line produced by Aanand Mahendroo, produced by Jaya Bachchan, starring, Shekhar Suman, Navin Nischol, Farida Jalal, Bhavana Balsavar, Deven Bhojani, Sushma Seth, Vishal Singh, Nattasha Singh lead roles. It premiered on Doordarshan's metro channel, (DD2) on 6 May 1993 until 1997.
Kashish: Sudesh Beri and Malvika Tiwari played the lead roles in a short 6 episodes series Kashish, which struck a chord with the die-hard romantics of the 90's.
Surabhi: The show was a popular Indian cultural magazine show hosted by Renuka Shahane and Siddharth Kak, which ran from 1993 to 2001. It was telecast on Doordarshan.
Shanti: Shanti - Ek Aurat Ki Kahani is an Indian television series that aired on DD National in 1994. The series stars Mandira Bedi as Shanti in the main lead. The show is one of the first Indian television drama series, has received a considerable cult status and is considered a classic.
Hip Hip Hurray: Based on the lives of 12th grade students, Hip Hip Hurray was first aired on Zee TV channel in 1998. After the success of the first season, producers decided to bring in its sequel in 2001.
Swabhimaan: Swaabhimaan was an Indian afternoon soap opera aired in 1995, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, and scripted by Shobha De and Vinod Ranganath.
Chandrakanta: Chandrakanta was an Indian fantasy television series partly based on Devaki Nandan Khatri's novel of the same name. It was originally telecast on Doordarshan's DD National between 1994 and 1996. Shikha Swaroop played played the role of Princess Chandrakanta.
Shrimaan Shrimati: Shrimaan Shrimati was a popular sitcom that first aired on Doordarshan in 1995. It starred Jatin Kanakia, Rakesh Bedi, Reema Lagoo and Archana Puran Singh in the lead roles. It became quite popular due to the good storylines and excellent comic performances from all the lead actors.
Suraag - The Clue: The detective-crime drama series that aired on DD National in the late 90s, Suraag - The Clue had Sudesh Berry playing CID Inspector Bharat. This series involved tackling of one case every episode.
Zee Horror Show is a TV series presented by Ramsay Brothers on Zee TV in the period 1993-1998.
Aahat was an Indian thriller/horror TV series that aired on Sony. The series premiered in 1996 to 16 November 2010.
Shaktimaan is a fictional Indian superhero TV series that had forayed in the Indian Market in 1997. The show was produced by Mukesh Khann and directed by Dinkar Jani.
Hum Paanch One of the initial presentations from Television Industry's queen Ekta Kapoor's Balaji House was 'Hum Paanch'. The story for five different natured sisters was the highlight of every evening for the TV viewers.
Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi: Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi was one of the most popular sitcoms on Doordarshan, which included celebrated names like Shafi Inamdar, Swaroop Sampat, Rakesh Bedi and Satish Shah along with a bunch of multi-talented actors.
Tu Tu Mein Mein: Tu Tu Mein Mein was an Indian television comedyseries which first premiered on Doordarshan's DD Metro Channel, and ended in 1995.
Farmaan was a hit television show directed by Lekh Tandon in the early 90s. Main Characters in this TV serial: Kawaljit Sigh as Aazar Nawab & Deepika Deshpande as Aiman
Junoon: Junoon was a trend setting TV serial which appeared on Doordarshan in the mid 90s.
Just Mohabbat: Telling the life of a student at a hostel in Dehradun, Just Mohabbat became an instant hit with the youngsters. The series was directed by Tony and Deeya Singh.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Produced by Ekta Kapoor, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi ruled the TRP ratings for eight years. It shot Smriti Irani, who played the lead role, to fame and made her a known name in every household.
Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka is a Hindi language Indian soap opera that aired on Sony TV. It was the first Hindi fiction series to reach 1000 episodes and is one of the longest television serials ever made in Indian television.
Yes Boss is an Indian comedy-series that aired on SAB TV channel every weekday at different times, from Thursday to Sunday. It was one of the longest running comedy sitcoms, in production for just over Ten years.
Aap Beeti was directed by Ravi Chopra. It was a horror serial, Aap Beeti is being pegged as a serial about "man's encounter with spirits".
Akbar The Great this serial has been produced and directed by Akbar Khan, a well established motion picture producer, director and leading film actor.
Stone Boy: The story of a poor boy who gets cursed by fairies, Stone Boy was an Indo-Mauritius children's television series of 10 episodes. It was run during the 1990s on Doordarshan.
Strong women characters
Much before films, Indian Television was the first to showcase strong women characters through shows like Shanti and Tara, led by female actors. Back in the 90s, many soaps portrayed women who were bold and outspoken about their choices and needs. On this Women's day, here's looking back at some of the strong women characters of the 90s:
Shanti: Led by Mandira Bedi, the show was about an aspiring journalist who would not take no for an answer. While writing biography of two friends from Bollywood's biggest production house, Shanti discovers their dark past including the fact that one of them could be her father.
Tara: Navneet Nishan carried the title role on her shoulders, and played the character of Tara. The show centered around her trials and tribulations as an urban woman, who tried to strike a balance between her work and personal life. The series also showed the lives of her three other friends, Kanchan, Arzoo and Sheena.
Saans: An extra-marital affair on celluloid is something that many are still not comfortable to watch. But back in the day, Neena Gupta, played the part of Priya, whose husband finds companionship in another woman after many years of their marriage. The show traces the journey of Priya, who rises to the challenges of the day and chooses to build her own identity.
Kora Kagaz: The story of the show centered around Pooja, who had the courage to stand on her feet in spite of being abandoned by her newly married husband. The lead role was essayed by Renuka Shahane. And it was a hit in no time. It was progressive as it dealt with the challenges that Pooja puts up as a woman, demanding her rights.
Swabhimaan: Swaabhimaan unfolds the story of an attractive woman, Svetlana, who finds herself in a battle where there are no real winners. Kitu Gidwani, played a mistress on the show, whose tycoon patron Keshav Malhotra (Naasir Abdulah) dies leaving her to cope with the ugly aftermath of the tragedy.
2000-10
Office Office this series starrs Bollywood film actor Pankaj Kapoor in the role of Mussadilal. The series has won the 'Best Comedy' award at the 'RAPA Awards' in 2001 and 2002.
Ulta Pulta was a popular TV series by Jaspal Bhatti. What attracted audience to his shows was his gift of inducing humour to highlight everyday issues of the middle class in India.
Tehreer...Munshi Premchand Ki, Doordarshan brings to you the stories from the legendary Hindi writer and the jewel in the crown of Hindi literature - Munshi Premchand. This series directed by none other than Gulzar will leave you asking for more. The first 12 episodes in the series "Tehreer..." are form the most famous novel penned by the master storyteller - Godaan.
Zabaan Sambhal Ke: The comedy show featured actors Pankaj Kapoor, Viju Khote, Shobha Khote and Tom Alter. It is the Indian version of the British sitcom Mind Your Language (1977).
Padosan: It was a hugely popular comic show in which the lead character, played by Jatin Kanakia, had frequent conversation with cupboards and sofas in his house.
Rangoli: Rangoli is an Indian music television series aired on DD National every Sunday morning. During its first few seasons, the show was hosted by Bollywood actress Hema Malini . As of 2012, the show is hosted by television actress Shweta Tiwari.
Aankhen was a 104 episode Indian television drama series premiered on DD National in 2001. It was directed by Amrit Sagar and Shakti Sagar and produced by Jyoti Sagar.
Shree Krishna was an Indian television series created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. It is an adaptation of the stories of the life of Krishna.
The Great Maratha: Directed by Sanjay Khan, The Great Maratha was an Indian historical drama based on the life of Mahadaji Shinde.
Khichdi: Produced by UTV Software Communications, Khichdi is considered to be one of the finest examples of true situation comedy in India.
Tehkikaat: Tehkikaat was detective-thriller starring Vijay Anand as Sam D'Silva and Saurabh Shukla as Gopichand, who uncovered murder and mysteries.
Neem Ka Ped: Written by Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza and directed by Gurbir Singh Grewal, Neem Ka Ped was the story of a bonded labourer Budhai Ram, played by Pankaj Kapoor, who portrayed the plight of a landless labourer in pre and post independent India.
Rani Laxmibai: Rani Laxmibai was a historical drama based on the life and times of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, who was one of the key figures of the revolt of 1857. The serial was telecast on Doordarshan.
The Longest running TV series
Longest running TV shows we cannot have enough of
Bigg Boss went on air in 2006 and got popular with every season. Half of its credit goes to the celebrity host Salman Khan who has fan following in millions. After playing a devil as well as an angel in 2013-14, Salman Khan will now be seen as a pilot in the 8th season. The show is an interesting one as dozens of cameras capture each and every activity of the celebrity participants, without any mercy for privacy. The house inmates are supposed to cook and clean all by themselves besides adjusting with diverse personalities in the house.
Balika Vadhu The one of its kind show based on child marriages in Rajasthan, 'Balika Vadhu' is on air since 2008. It became popular due to its sensitive theme addressed by some wonderful performances put up by actors like Avika Gor and Surekha Sikri. After highlighting the issue of child marriage, the show also touched issues like widow remarriage, second marriage, marriage of a rape victim besides addressing girl education and outdated rituals. 'Balika Vadhu' is still being watched by a large audience and it continues to address social issues along with a message at the end of every episode.
Roadies The one of its kind adventure reality show is criticised by the Indian parents for its content and attitude of its hosts. The hosts of the show Raghu Ram and Rajiv Laxman are followed by millions of youth although they are not short of many haters. Going stronger even a decade after its creation, 'Roadies' is hosted by its first winner Rannvijay Singh. Thousands of aspirants come to try their luck in its countrywide auditions in several cities. Loaded with never seen before adventure activities mixed with inner politics, the show has its own pros and cons. However, that doesn’t dither from its popularity among the youth.
F.I.R. Comedy show based on funny situations in a police station, 'F.I.R.' is on air since 2006. Leading actress Kavita Kaushik has carved a niche of her own in the TV industry and is now popularly known as Chandramukhi Chautala. The show is based on one of its kind concept which still doesn't fail to entertain the audiences. Aamir Ali as Chief Inspector Bajrang Pandey and Kiku Sharda as Constable Mulayam Singh Gulgule also play a prominent role in making the show a success. 'F.I.R.' is loved across all age groups and continues to serve fresh and entertaining content to the viewers.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Comedy show is an evergreen comedy show which is still one of the favourite family shows in several households across India. It boasts of its fixed audience and due to its positive family theme, it continues to be one of the most loved shows in India. The show revolves around a few families which hail from different regions but live together in the Gokuldham society. Main characters Daya and Jethalal are very popular for their unique characteristics and are even imitated by their fans for their dialogue delivery.
C.I.D. is running since 1998 and the sixteen year-old show is still one of the favourites in the crime show category. The 'C.I.D.' characters are identified with their screen names throughout the country and their one-liners and specific traits are very popular among its viewers. Like ACP Pradyuman’s dialogues like ‘Daya Darwaza Tod Do’ and ‘Kuchh to gadbad hai’, 'C.I.D.' is also popular for its characters like Daya, Abhijeet, Fredericks, Dr. Salunkhe and Dr. Tarika who have a huge fan following. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that there are hundreds of C.I.D. jokes popular among the viewers.
