India’s first serial started in 1984.
Do you know when the country’s first TV serial was made and who made this serial? It is said that the concept of daily soap came to India from the West. Some give credit to Italy and some to Spain. But, whatever it is, daily soaps are very much liked in India. The special thing is that the country’s first TV serial was started on the recommendation of the then Prime Minister of the country, Indira Gandhi. Now you must be wondering how this idea came to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s mind? So let us introduce you to the interesting story of the beginning of daily soaps in India.
country’s first serial
The country’s first serial was ‘Hum Log’, the story of its making begins from the fourth term of Indira Gandhi. This story is of 1982. During this time, Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the country and Vasant Sathe was the Information and Broadcasting Minister. When Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister for the fourth time, she realized that some sensitive issues needed to reach every corner of the society. In those days, Doordarshan was the only medium through which one could reach every corner of the country.
The show started with a team of 4 people
In 1981, Indira Gandhi went to Mexico to attend a summit and it was here that she came to know about the concept of serials and daily soaps. Then the idea of a TV serial came to her mind. Indira Gandhi contacted writer Manohar Shyam Joshi for this and assigned him the task of developing a serial for Doordarshan. A team of four people was formed for this, which included director Satish Garg and script writer P Kumar Vasudev. SS Gill went to Mexico for this serial, when he returned after his checkup, he met a producer named Shobha Doctor and assigned him the task of making a show on family planning.
India’s first serial was ‘Hum Log’
SS Gill held a meeting with 25 script writers and producers and decided to make a daily soap and thus ‘Hum Log’ was made. It was India’s first serial and its telecast started in July 1984. Hum Log was telecast 5 days a week. The daily issues of a middle-class family were presented to the audience by connecting them with a normal Indian family. The main attraction of this serial was Bollywood star Ashok Kumar. Who was the narrator of this serial.
It left many serials behind in terms of viewership
When Hum Log hit the screens, most people in India did not have a television. Still, the show reached out to the audience and managed to capture hearts and minds. According to media reports, the show had phenomenal viewership during its peak. In terms of viewership, the show was ahead of many iconic shows that came later, including Mahabharat.
There was a ruckus when it was closed
Talking about Hum Log, this serial featured Vinod Nagpal, Jayshree Arora, Seema Pahwa, Rajesh Puri, Divya Seth, Loveleen Mishra, Sushma Seth and other actors. When Hum Log aired, it became a hit on Indian television. During its run, Ashok Kumar and Doordarshan received about 40 lakh letters from readers. After so much popularity, when Doordarshan decided to shut down the show in 1985, the audience was upset. People also created a lot of ruckus in the hope of continuing the show, but finally after 156 episodes, ‘Hum Log’ was shut down on 17 December 1985.