5 Most-Loved Shows of Doordarshan as it Turns 65

Doordarshan, the public broadcaster of India, has completed a long journey of 64 years since getting started as an experiment in 1959. Here are its five most-loved TV shows which stole the hearts of Indians across the country.

The show Malgudi Days was based on RK Narayan’s famous book. Its first show aired in 1987 and stretched to 69 episodes. In 2006, it returned and 15 more episodes were aired.

Byomkesh Bakshi, a character written by Bengali author Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, gave the country their own detective series. The show became popular instantly and also received critical acclaim.

The show was broadcast twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday, and featured popular songs from Hindi films. The viewers waited for this 30-minute programme with anticipation and hope that their favourite songs would be featured.

Renuka Shahane and Siddharth Kak hosted this cultural show which ran in the 90s. The show focused on showcasing India’s heritage and cultural diversity.

The drama revolved around a lower-middle-class family and its day-to-day struggles, which made it a mandatory watch for families in 1984. This was Indian television’s first soap opera which resonated well with the times.