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Dr. Ramanand Sagar

There was a time when on Sunday mornings the country come to a standstill. Viewers across the nation, regardless of age or religion, were glued to the television from 9-10 a.m.. The serial that whipped up such hysteria was the unanimously loved Ramayan and the man behind the serial is Dr. Ramanand Sagar. In the mid 1970s, Dr. Sagar foresaw that television would be the medium of the future. The vision took form in ’85 when Sagar Art Corporation became the foremost production house to make its entry into television. Screen traces the life and work of this successful writer, director and producer...

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

Dr.Ramanand Sagar was born on December 29, 1917 at Asal Guru Ke near Lahore. His father, Lala Dinanath Chopra, enjoyed writing poetry under the nom de plume, Taj Peshawari. He belonged to one of the most aristocratic and wealthiest families of the region. He was adopted by his maternal grandmother who changed his name from Chandramauli to Ramanand. He has confessed to missing the missed the love of his real parents and his childhood was responsible for the high emotional note consistent in his work.

BEGINNING AS A WRITER

With Rajendra Kumar on the sets of Arzoo

Dr.Ramanand Sagar’s first recorded work, in ’33, at the age of 16, was a piece of prose-poetry titled Pritam Pratiksha for a college magazine. The editor was impressed but didn’t think a teenager could come up with such work and wrote at the end of the piece, ’The editor is not responsible for its originality’. Struggling for a living, the young Ramanand worked as a peon, truck cleaner, soap vendor, goldsmith apprentice during the day and studied for his degree in the night.

1933-1942

He was awarded a gold medal in Sanskrit and Persian from University of Punjab in ’42. From a reporter to the sub-editor of Daily Milap and Daily Pratap in Lahore, he rose to become the news editor for Daily Milap. In a span of 12 years, Ramanand Sagar wrote 32 short and full-length stories, one novel, two serialised stories and a stage play. He was also hailed as a satirist. He wrote as Ramanand Chopra, Ramanand Bedi and some of his work appeared under Ramanand Kashmiri as well. But apparently fame and fortune was destined for the name Ramanand Sagar.

Ramanand Sagar’s successful serial Ramayan

1942

In ’42, Dr. Sagar was diagnosed as having caught tuberculosis. As a T.B. patient fighting death, he wrote a column `Diary Of A T.B. Patient’ serialised in Adab-e-Mashriq, a well-known magazine. The column earned him much recognition of the literary world. Escaping from the jaws of death, fully recuperated, he returned as a famous writer, to Lahore.

(separate box of literary achievements from 1943-49)

FILMOGRAPHY

1949 - Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat - ( Writer) 1950 - Mehmaan (Guest) - ( Director & Writer) 1950 - Badi Bahu (Daughter-in-Law) - ( Writer) 1951 - Bazooband ( The Armlet) - (Director & Writer) 1951 - Jaan Pehchan (Acquaintance) - (Writer) 1951 - Poonam (Moon Light)- (Writer) 1952 - Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo - (Writer) 1953 - Sangdil (Stone Hearted) - (Writer) 1953 - Shagufa (The Bloom)- (Writer) 1954 - Ilzaam (Accusation) -(Writer) 1954 - Didi (The Sister) - (Writer) 1955 - Rukhsana (Princess Rukhsana) - (Writer) 1955 - Insaniyat (Humanity) - (Writer) 1956 - Rajtilak (The Coronation) - (Writer) 1957 - Paigham (The Message) - (Writer) 1958 - Raj Kumar (The Prince) - (Writer) 1958 - Kohinoor - (Writer) 1960 - Ghunghat (The Veil)- (Producer, Director & Writer) 1964 - Zindagi (Life) - (Producer, Director & Writer) 1965 - Arzoo - (Producer, Director & Writer ) 1968 - Ankhen (The Eyes) -( Producer, Director & Writer) 1970 - Geet (The Song) - (Producer, Director & Writer) 1972 - Lalkar (The Challenge) - (Producer, Director & Writer) 1973 - Jalte Badan - (Sizzling Bodies)- ( Producer, Director & Writer) 1974 - Hamrahi 1975 - Charas (The Dope Peddlers) - ( Producer, Director & Writer) 1977 - Prem Bandhan (Bondages of Love) - (Director) 1978 - Ram Bharose 1979 - Hum Tere Ashiq Hain 1980 - Pyaara Dushman 1981 - Armaan 1982 - Baghavat (The Rebellion) - ( Producer, Director & Writer) 1983 - Romance - (Producer, Director & Writer) 1985 - Baadal 1985 - Salma (Producer & Director)

THE FILMMAKER AND WRITER

In ’36, Dr.Ramanand Sagar started his film career as a clapper boy in Raiders Of The Rail Road. In ’40-’41, he was signed as the leading man for the film Koel and an unfinished film, Krishna. In ’42- ’43, Mehboob Khan and famous writers, Krishen Chander and Monto invited him to come to Mumbai. He shifted base in ’49 with his family and stayed with actor Sajjan. During this time, he wrote the story and screenplay of Barsaat for Raj Kapoor. The film went on to become a massive success.

As an independent film writer he wrote about 29 films, before launching his own film production company `Sagar Art Corporation’ in ’50. His first production was Mehmaan, which was written, directed and produced by him. Later, his company produced over 25 motion pictures, till ’84, with over 15 of them being huge box-office hits. Lilting music, massive productions, foreign locations, and the biggest of starcasts became his trademark.

ENTRY IN TELEVISION

In the mid ’70s, Dr. Sagar and his sons, while shooting for the film Charas in France, visited a French home and saw the family watching television together. He foresaw that television would be the medium of the future. In ’85, Sagar Arts Corporation made its entry into TV software production with Vikram Aur Betaal, followed by Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniyan and the superhit, Ramayan.

PRESENT TENSE

Currently Sagar Art Corporation has Ankhen, Gurukul, Alif Laila and Ramayan (re-telecast) on air. These serials are mainly handled by Ramanand Sagar’s sons and grandsons. “But he is still the big boss and nothing happens without his permission. He is aware of the minutest details and calls to ask us if we put the bullet sound effect in Ankhen,” says Prem Sagar, Ramanand Sagar’s son. He adds with a a laugh, “He is 80 plus but easily remembers thousands of shlokas and snippets of Urdu poetry. I can’t even remember my car number.”

Sagar Art had recently released a film Bhagat Singh on VCD which was also serialised on television. “That was completely papaji’s (Dr.Sagar is fondly called papaji by family and staff) project,” says Prem Sagar. “It was a very subjective film as he had witnessed the freedom struggle and martyrdom of Bhagat Singh. He was involved with the project, right from the scripting to the post-production stage.”

LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS

1943-49 1943 - Jawar Bhata 1944- Ainey, Jab Pahle Roz Baraf Giri 1945 - Mera Hamdam, Mera Dost,Radha 1947 - Aur Insaan Mar Gaya. 1948 - Goura (for a Stage play) enacted by Prithviraj Kapoor 1949 - Phool Aur Kante

After Bhagat Singh, Dr.Sagar is now working on a new serial called Durga. Prem Sagar reveals that Dr.Sagar had envisioned a triology in ’82. The first was of the triology was Ramayan which aired in ’87, the second was Krishna telecast in ’94. After a long break, Dr.Sagar is working on Durga which will complete the triology. Says Prem Sagar,”Ram had the 12 qualities of an ideal man while Krishna had 16 including political knowledge and statesmanship. Durga encompasses the joint energy of Shiv, Bramha and Vishnu which represents the entire cosmic power.”

Dr.Ramanand Sagar is sparing no expenses in Durga which is slated to be the most lavish serial from the Sagar banner in the last 50 years. He is personally involved with all aspects of production including writing the lyrics.

Says Prem Sagar,”When papaji is involved in a project he represents that Coke ad line,’Eat, sleep and drink Coke’. Except he eats, sleeps and drinks work.”