By Medha Malaviya
With Game of Thrones returning the fan frenzy will be at it’s peak again. Maniac fans shall predict who the contenders are and who shall be the victor of the Iron Throne when they can easily read the book. Game of Thrones is the most viewed TV Show today. Fun fact however is that there is one Indian show that too held this record for almost 24 years. Between 1988-1989, Indian television produced a gem. Sunday mornings were never the same after the first episode of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana was telecast.
It is said that streets were deserted and people could only be found where there was a television. Though it looks like both these series have nothing in common they are more similar than one could imagine.
1. INITIAL SKEPTICISM
Doordarshan rejected Ramayana because they thought people would not take well to a mythological show being aired on a regular basis. Movies working with mythological scripts were never commercial success and they were confident that the show would not receive positive reviews. The idea of ‘Game of Thrones’ was pitched to various production houses and channels but no one was very confident of the show doing well. It was HBO Entertainment that took up the project. But HBO too confirmed the series after season one ended on a high.
2. EXPENSES- EXPENSES
The mere extravagance each episode of GOT has gives us a fair idea of how much money goes into the series. The average cost of each episode is $6 million. Likewise, the most expensive show at the time of it’s broadcast, each of Ramayana’s episode cost was around 8-9 lakhs.
3. REVIEWS
According to Moti Sagar, initially Ramayana received mixed reviews as there was criticism regarding the portrayal of a Hindu God. There were claims that the show was taking too much creative liberty. GOT too has been in the news on various instances for the wrong reasons. Extreme visuals of violence, sex and sexist approach of the series hasn’t gone down well with many.
4. THERE ARE DISSIMILARITIES
Both shows are dissimilar in various respects too. While Ramayana is a mythological tale based on a holy book ‘Game of Thrones’ is a fictitious depiction of World History. Historical events like ‘War of Roses’ or English occupation of Middle East has been the inspiration behind the story line of the series.
5. VIEWS HIGHER THAN MANY OTHER SHOWS
Game of Thrones is the most viewed show today. It is aired in 170 countries simultaneously. Ramayana although an Indian Mythological show was telecast in 66 different countries and it’s views per show is still more than any other mythological show produced in India till date.
Indian television industry regards Ramayana as it’s Magnum opus and although it’s been 27 years the show has various re-runs going on . GOT will soon be ending it’s runs but both these shows have set a benchmark high enough for the entertainment industry.
