Dipika Chikhlia, who has been filling up her Instagram with throwback memories, added a special one to her collection, which will be remembered for a long time. The 54-year-old actress, who became a star after playing the role of Sita in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, remembered the day when the Doordarshan show's lead cast was felicitated by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Ramayan started airing on Doordarshan in January 1987, when Rajiv Gandhi was serving at the sixth Prime Minister of India (1984-1989). In the black and white photo shared by Dipika Chikhlia, with Maharashtra as the location, Arun Govil and what appears to be Ramanand Sagar himself can also be seen during the felicitation ceremony.
"This is the first time we were felicitated. We realized we were a part of a legacy - Ramayan. We created history. Remember the day vividly when we got a call from Delhi to meet the PM," Dipika Chikhlia captioned her post. The morning after Dipika Chikhlia shared the throwback memory, "#AwardForRamayan" found a top stop on Twitter trends with fans remembering the golden days of Doordarshan.
As the lockdown was imposed last month, Ramayan was brought back on TV with Doordarshan airing it twice a day, reminding many fans of the Eighties. The rerun has ended and now Doordarshan is all set to re-telecast Ramanand Sagar's Shri Krishna. "Ramayan never ends. It teaches you life and life goes on," Dipika Chikhlia captioned a throwback photo.
Here are some more priceless memories from Dipika Chikhlia and Arun Govil's Ramayan treasury.
Apart from Ramayan, popular Doordarshan shows such as Mahabharat, Circus and Byomkesh Bakshi have also been brought back on TV.
