The most expensive and biggest TV show on air today has sets costing Rs 100 crore but is fighting a ratings battle against the Indian Premier League
The adaptation of Ramayana is a sensitive subject in India. The epic has been associated with people’s religious sentiments for centuries. Over the years, there have been some memorable adaptations of it – mainly the one by Ramanand Sagar on Doordarshan in 1987. But many others have been slammed, most recently Adipurush. In response to the trolling Adipurush received, a new TV show on Ramayana was conceptualised. It was billed as the most expensive TV show currently. And yet, within four months of airing, it is gasping for breath.
India’s most expensive TV show, with an Adipurush connect
In December 2023, months after the failure of Om Raut’s Adipurush, TV producer and director Siddharth Kumar Tewary announced a new adaptation of Ramayana titled Shrimad Ramayan. The show, Tewary said, was partly inspired by the criticism Adipurush got. “Honestly, I like the fact that audiences are sensitive towards the history of our country. It defines our history, culture and even our country. There is a reason why someone would get offended. And it's not my intention to offend anyone. I want them to come together and celebrate it with me. I have a proper research team and everything that's going out, every word about this show is properly vetted,” he told India Today. As per reports, the show was made on a grand scale with the sets alone costing Rs 100 crore to erect. Shrimad Ramayan stars Sujay Renu as Lord Rama and Prachi Bansal as Sita, and also brings back Nikitin Dheer and Nirbhay Wadhwa, two fan favourite actors.
Shrimad Ramayan stars Sujay Renu and Prachi Bansal
How Indian Premier League affected Shrimad Ramayan
Shrimad Ramayan airs on Sony TV. The show began in January 2024 well with healthy TRP ratings and viewership in its initial weeks. But just as word of mouth was being built up, in March, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament began. The mega event drew viewers, cutting Shrimad Ramayan’s viewership by a large margin. According to TV9, currently, the TRP of the mythological show is just 0.6 (3+ is usually considered a healthy figure for primetime). This has led to rumours and speculations about the show being shut ahead of its scheduled end. But the makers have given no such indication. For now, Shrimad Ramayan continues to air, with the hope that it will pick up once the IPL ends later this month.
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