SRK will be back on TV! DD to air re-runs of iconic shows Fauji, Circus, Humlog - Hindustan Times
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SRK will be back on TV! DD to air re-runs of iconic shows Fauji, Circus, Humlog

Hindustan Times | ByMonika Rawal Kukreja, New Delhi
Mar 29, 2017 04:36 PM IST

Doordarshan has already started telecasting special episodes of Shah Rukh Khan’s 1989 TV series Circus and the others such as Hum Log, Buniyaad, Malgudi Days, will follow.

Remember the popular TV series from the 80s and 90s including Circus, Hum Log, Buniyaad, Wagle Ki Duniya, and Malgudi Days? Recreating the nostalgia and revisiting their archives, Doordarshan plans to revive and bring back iconic shows on air. The channel has already started airing rerun of special episodes of Shah Rukh Khan’s 1989 TV series Circus and others are already queuing up for telecast. The channel also intends to fix a prime half-hour slot for these classics to ensure maximum viewership, besides hunting for new sponsors to facilitate the air-time for these shows.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan in a still from the sitcom Wagle Ki Duniya (1988-1990).
Actor Shah Rukh Khan in a still from the sitcom Wagle Ki Duniya (1988-1990).

Elated with this idea, leading names from the entertainment industry are looking forward to travel down the memory lane. Actor Ram Kapoor says, “All these shows were landmarks of Indian television and good content will always be relevant to any generation.”

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A still from Hum Log (1984), Indian television’s first soap opera.
A still from Hum Log (1984), Indian television’s first soap opera.

Actor Urvashi Dholakia calls that era unmatched. “Today’s generation talks about change and expects people to move with times but let’s not forget our roots, especially the one medium that has played such a crucial part in our life.”

Actor Mandira Bedi who played the lead role in India’s first daily soap, Shanti, says that we don’t have great content being churned out today. “Back then, there was only Doordarshan and those many shows that people watched and followed and one didn’t have hundreds of channels. But I really want that Doordarshan should be able to market these shows enough and get people to watch them.”

Clearly, these iconic shows would bring in a fresh change from the neverending saas bahu sagas and soaps driven by superstitious beliefs including the daayans and naagins, which audiences have been watching for all these years.

A still from Malgudi Days, an Indian television series based on the works of R.K. Narayan.
A still from Malgudi Days, an Indian television series based on the works of R.K. Narayan.

Filmmaker Anurag Basu hopes that these timeless serials will elevate the taste and appetites of Indian audience. “I wish that today’s aimless and clueless television programming will take some cue from past and develop the quest for quality and content.”

Actor Mona Singh too feels that stories back then were much simpler and inspiring. “Somehow, I don’t enjoy the content on TV these days. If you look back, these 90s series were much ahead of its time and people love to watch them even today.”

Actor Rannvijay Singha says rerun of these shows will only give more options to viewers to choose between and consume different content. “Today’s audience will actually get a feel of what kind of TV serials were there in 80s and 90s and they were really classics and far away from what we see today on TV.”

Shah Rukh Khan in a still from the 1989 Indian television Circus, directed by Aziz Mirza and Kundan Shah.
Shah Rukh Khan in a still from the 1989 Indian television Circus, directed by Aziz Mirza and Kundan Shah.

While many might wonder if these shows, made for an era different from today, would hold any relevance now, most actors feel that classics never lose their charm. Actor Maniesh Paul says that it’s very important that today’s generation see the simplicity of these shows. “Nowadays, people don’t talk without phones, i-pads and in these shows, nothing of that sort existed. So it’s going to be a nice change to see how people used to be happy and engaged without these things also.”

Veteran actor Annu Kapoor, who helmed the 90s show, Antakshari, is impressed that there’s still a market for these serials. “Since viewers are looking for change, maybe they’ll accept these serials with a better perspective and since these serials are from the past era, they are far better than most of the TV soaps being made today.”

“I’m sure people would love to see RK Narayan’s life on screen in Malgudi Days or find out how Shah Rukh Khan looked and acted in his early days when he did Fauji and Circus. So there’s enough motivation,” shares Bedi.

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