Shiv Sagar remembers his father Prem Sagar, recalls his time on the sets of Ramayan 

In a tragic turn of events, filmmaker Prem Sagar, son of legendary Ramanand Sagar and a creative force behind mythological storytelling on Indian television, passed away on Radha Ashtami and the 5th day of Ganpati Visarjan. His son, producer Shiv Sagar, remembered him with deep affection, calling his father a man of faith and patience whose work changed the way India experienced devotional narratives. “He had done so much work related to Krishna that I feel he must have gone to Vaikunth Lok. He was a true devotee of Krishna and Vishnu,” Shiv said, reflecting on the day of his father’s passing,” he says. Recalling his childhood on the sets of Ramayan, Shiv shared, “I was just 10 years old when the shooting of Ramayan was happening in Umergaon. We often went to the Umergaon beach near the studio and used to play a lot. At that time, we had no idea that such a legendary show was being made. Whenever there was a demand for junior artists, or sometimes when the budget was low for a particular scene, we used to be called to the set instead. From 9–10 a.m., Ramayan used to be on air, and we would watch it together. Even if we missed it, the next morning we would be woken up and told to watch Ramayan.”

He adds, “I remember Arun Govil ji used to smoke cigarettes, but when people came to the set, touched his feet, and believed him to be Ram, a spot boy told him to leave everything since he was playing such a divine role. Even Ramanand Sagar ji stopped drinking and smoking while Ramayan was being made. Pure vegetarian food was prepared on the set. Even today, when we make such devotional serials, we prefer to serve only vegetarian food to everyone on set, out of shraddha (faith) and respect for God. We are only mediums. Like Papa ji used to say, ‘I am just a postman. I got the letter and I delivered it.’ I truly believe such things cannot be made otherwise, there is always a divine power working through you.”

On the early struggles of bringing Ramayan to life, Shiv remembers, “I remember Vikram Betal clearly, because my father was a cinematographer. He had worked as a cinematographer in many films of the 70s: Charas, Lalkar, Geet, Arzoo, and with big stars like Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Rajendra Kumar, and Mala Sinha. My grandfather, however, had always wanted to make a film on Ramayan. The obstacle was how to compress such an epic into a three-hour film. When the medium of television arrived in India, he was in France shooting Charas. There he saw television for the first time and recognized its potential.” He adds, “He decided that Ramayan and Krishna were the stories he wanted to bring to life through this medium. He traveled widely, meeting NRIs and investors, sharing his vision of creating Ramayan. Yet many people dismissed the idea, believing that a filmmaker of his stature should not move to the small screen and that such a project would fail. To prove the potential, my father was entrusted with creating Vikram Betal on a budget of just ₹1 lakh per episode. Sponsorship came and the series was produced as a trial before Ramayan as a marketing test. My father, Mr. Prem Sagar, directed it. Many actors from Ramayan were part of Vikram Betal too. The entire Vikram Betal show was shot in Sagar Villa, our home in Juhu, in the garage where we also had an editing room. Every episode was made at a cost of ₹80,000 and ₹20,000 remained as profit. This was back in 1985. The success of Vikram Betal gave us confidence in the genre and revealed that audiences in India deeply wanted such mythological stories. Yet Ramayan still faced many challenges.”

Talking about the casting of the show, he says, “They had once announced a film on Shri Krishna and even cast Shashi Kapoor in the role of Krishna, but the project was never made. Many, like Dara Singh who played Hanuman, were already well-known film actors. So imagine asking such big names to act on the small screen. The actors, however, trusted my father, believing that if he was creating something, it would definitely be of quality,” he says. Shiv also spoke about his father’s values: “He was an extremely patient person, and that is something I have imbibed from him. He had the ability to connect with everyone, whether a child or an elderly person. He made people feel special and always brought smiles and laughter to those around him.”

Remembering the re-telecast of Ramayan during the COVID-19 lockdown, he says, “During the lockdown, I received an unexpected call from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), informing me that they wished to re-telecast Ramayan on national television. My family and I readily agreed, granting them permission, though none of us anticipated the overwhelming response it would generate. The re-run of Ramayan became a massive success, capturing the attention of audiences across the country. Soon, advertisers too expressed keen interest, recognizing the extraordinary viewership. However, we made it clear that this success was their gain, not ours, since we had not charged anything for allowing the re-telecast. Eventually, a formal agreement was signed, and following the success of Ramayan, the Krishna serial was also broadcasted. For me, the greatest joy was seeing how the younger generation, which had never witnessed these shows before, engaged with them deeply and imbibed valuable lessons. At a time when people were confined to their homes and facing uncertainty, these epics brought peace, comfort, and a sense of cultural rootedness. I truly believe it was by the blessings of Lord Ram that Ramayan received such immense viewership once again. The prayer meet for Prem Sagar ji will be held on 3rd September in Mumbai.”