In March 2020, as the world grappled with the uncertainty of COVID-19 and India was still under a 21-day nationwide lockdown, something quietly extraordinary unfolded on television screens across the country.

Amid the stillness imposed by the pandemic and lockdown, there was feverish excitement in millions of households.

Doordarshan started the repeat telecast of two of its most cherished and popular shows: Ramayan and Mahabharat. What followed was not merely high viewership, but an outpouring of emotion, especially among those who belonged to the Doordarshan era.

For them, this was not just a re-telecast of iconic television serials; it was a return to a cherished past. It was a recap of old, fond memories. It was a reminder of a time when television was not a personal device but a collective experience; when entire families and even neighbourhoods gathered around a single screen. Those who had witnessed the original telecast in the 1980s recall those days with deep affection: streets falling silent, shops pulling down shutters, and an unspoken prayer that there would be no power cut at the crucial hour.

The television set itself was a prized possession, often housed in a wooden cabinet, adorned with a flower vase on top, carefully covered when not in use. And on Sundays, when the theme music of iconic shows played, that “idiot box" transformed into a living, breathing centre of the household, binding everyone in shared excitement.

When Ramayan was telecast again during the 2020 lockdown, it went on to become the most-watched television show in the world, recording a staggering 77 million viewers on 16 April 2020. In an age dominated by OTT platforms, hundreds of channels, and binge-worthy shows running into multiple seasons to sustain excitement, how does one explain this phenomenon?

Perhaps the answer lies not in novelty, but in nostalgia. It was not just about watching a story unfold; it was about revisiting a time, an emotion, and a collective memory. In a moment of global anxiety and isolation, these epics offered comfort, familiarity, and a quiet return to simpler times.

These fond memories of the Doordarshan era have been beautifully captured in a book authored by veteran journalist and news anchor Sheila Chaman, once the familiar and trusted face of Doordarshan. Yet, this book is far more than a........

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