NDTV IMAGINE presents ~India’s Greatest Epic now on an Epic New Scale ~ ~ Ramayan launches January 21, 2008 at 9:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday~
Baroda, January 4, 2008: …..Starting January 21, 2008, NDTV Imagine presents Ramayan – A brand new series based on Valmiki’s Ramayan and Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas. Produced by Sagar Arts, the family that introduced mythology on television, this age old classic is retold with grand sets, new star cast and lilting music. The all-new Ramayan will air Monday to Thursday at 9:30 p.m. only on NDTV Imagine.
The enthralling production values and fresh approach to the storytelling gives the new Ramayan an appeal that will entertain and delight viewers across all age groups. The entire production is being executed at Sagar Film City in Baroda where grand sets have been erected to depict key areas in the kingdom of Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram. This new version has the advantage of being produced in times of huge technical advancements which will greatly enhance the story telling in a compelling new way.
Announcing the launch of the show, Mr. Sameer Nair, CEO, NDTV Imagine said, "Ramayan is a tale for every generation. It is multi-layered, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional... and this brand new daily version of the timeless classic has been interpreted to cater to the taste of a shining, modern India. Television is all about great stories well told, and for us, Ramayan is India's greatest story ever and we hope to re-tell it in a compelling, entertaining manner."
The characters in Ramayan will be essayed by a new generation of actors – Gurmeet Choudhary will play the lead of Lord Ram, while Debina Bonnerjee plays Sita. The 3 key characters - Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan will be played by Ankit Arora, Vije Bhatia and Lalit Negi respectively.
Some of the country’s best talent is associated with the show:
The music of Ramayan has been composed by Ravindra Jain
The extravagant sets have been designed by renowned art director Omang Kumar
Celebrated designer Nisha Sagar has created the costumes and accessories
Kavita Krishnamurthy and Suresh Wadkar have lent their voices for the title track
Commenting on the show announcement, Mr. Prem Sagar said, “Ramayan like river Ganga is sacred, timeless and unmeasureable. A dip in the values of idealism and sacrifice embodied in Ramayan is like a bath in the Ganga that purifies your thought, speech and action and washes away all evil gathered as time has moved life. Twenty years ago, our revered father Dr. Ramanand Sagar created a revolution through a blockbuster show. Now, we the second and third generation hopes to recreate the same magic”.
Adds Mr. Nair, “Ramayan has a huge connect with audiences across the country and has all the elements that will deliver on our promise to entertain and delight. The Sagar’s are powerful storytellers and the final word in creating mythological epics for television and we believe that our partnership has the potential to make Ramayan a show that the whole family will watch together every evening.”
NDTV Imagine will hit TV screens on 21st January, 2008. It will offer programming across genres, ranging from light-hearted family soaps to period dramas and from high voltage music and dance entertainers to the most glamorous events in the entertainment business.
About NDTV IMAGINE
NDTV Imagine is the new entertainment initiative from NDTV Ltd. Spearheaded by Sameer Nair, the company has planned strategic forays into key businesses in the media and entertainment space. Ace director and producer, Karan Johar is a creative consultant and brand ambassador of this initiative. This is further strengthened by the experience of Dr. Prannoy Roy and other seasoned professionals. The company launched its Hindi General Entertainment channel, NDTV Imagine on January 21st, 2008, which promises to 'Entertain and Delight' audiences with a whole new world of Hindi entertainment. Catering to the needs of the entire spectrum of television viewers, the channel offers a wide variety of fresh programming across genres ranging from light-hearted family soaps to period dramas and from music based shows to the most glamorous events of the industry. As part of its larger plans for this dynamic and exciting business, the company has also recently launched NDTV Lumiere, an initiative which will bring contemporary cutting edge world cinema to discerning Indian audiences.
About NDTV
NDTV Ltd, founded in 1988, is India's largest news and infotainment network. It is home to the country's best and brightest reporters, anchors, camerapersons and producers; 23 offices and studios across the country host India's most modern and sophisticated production, newsgathering and archiving facilities. NDTV has an unmatched track record of successfully launching three news channels in India and two abroad: NDTV 24x7 is a clear leader in the English news segment, NDTV Profit, a 24-hour business plus channel, is India's number one business news channel, NDTV India is amongst the country's leading Hindi news channels, and NDTV MetroNation is fast emerging as one of the most watched city specific channels. It is credited with pioneering several broadcasting and programming initiatives in Indian television and has expanded into one of the nation's biggest broadcasting houses by growing beyond news broadcasting and venturing into non news verticals.
NDTV Networks, a subsidiary of NDTV was incorporated to seize opportunities in areas 'beyond news'- entertainment, lifestyle, media technology and outsourcing. NDTV Good Times is the leading channel in the lifestyle space. NDTV Astro Awani in Indonesia became the leading news channel within three months of its launch. As an organization, NDTV is committed to one cause: to use its extensive expertise, technology and reach to create unparalleled coverage of the latest in domestic and international news, sports and entertainment for viewers at home and around the world. For more information visit www.ndtv.com
