Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Shiv Sagar to Release Ramayan Production Documentary
Shiv Sagar, the grandson of the famous TV maker Ramanand Sagar, is making a documentary about how the 1987 Ramayan show was filmed.
The original show was made without computers or fancy special effects, using simple editing machines.
Shiv wants to talk to the actors, technicians, and especially the women who worked on the show to keep their stories alive.
He remembers huge crowds of people watching the shoot in Umargam.
He also liked the new Ramayana film by Nitesh Tiwari, even though the graphics didn’t match the budget, and thinks it could bring Indian stories to the world.
Shiv Sagar is producing a behind‑the‑scenes documentary on his grandfather Ramanand Sagar’s 1987 TV epic Ramayan, highlighting its primitive production techniques.
The original series was made without computers, green or blue screens, and used linear editing machines, yet it became one of the world’s most‑watched shows when rebroadcast in 2020.
The documentary will feature interviews with cast, technicians, and especially women who worked on the original production, preserving their stories for future generations.
Shiv Sagar recalls crowds of 30,000‑40,000 people gathering outside the Umargam studio during the original shoot, describing it as a “crazy phenomenon.”
He praised Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana film, noting the graphics budget mismatch but overall impressed by the trailer, cast, and potential for global reach.
- Who
- Shiv Sagar, grandson of Ramanand Sagar
- What
- Behind‑the‑scenes documentary on the 1987 Ramayan series
- When
- Production underway; release date not announced
- Where
- New Delhi (interview) and Umargam (original sets)
- Why
- To preserve the legacy and show how the series was made
- Title
- Ramayan Documentary
- Producer
- Shiv Sagar
- Original Series
- 1987 Ramayan
- Episodes
- 78
- Budget per Episode
- Rs 9 lakh
- Re‑broadcast Year
- 2020
- Production Techniques
- Linear editing, no VFX computers