Ramanand Sagar read 14 versions of ‘Ramayan’ before zeroing in on Valmiki’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas, reveals director’s son Prem Sagar

'Ramayan', aired again after 33 Years, set a world record around mid April by becoming world's most-watched TV show. The re-telecast of the beloved TV series directed by Ramanand Sagar began on Doordarshan soon after the lockdown was imposed in India to contain the spread of COVID-19. Now, in a recent interview, the director’s son Prem Sagar revealed that his father read 14 versions of Ramayan before he zeroed in on Valmiki's Ramcharitmanas as a reference for the show. In his book, 'An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar: From Barsaat to Ramayan', Sagar wrote that his father had done extensive research before making the series. And it all happened when he was sitting in a cafe in Switzerland. It seems his father had said, ‘My life’s mission is to bring to mankind the virtuous story of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram.’