Ramanand Sagar, the celebrated creator of the epic television series "Ramayan," is remembered for his innovative filmmaking techniques. On his birth anniversary, a fascinating anecdote has resurfaced, revealing how he managed the child actors who played Luv and Kush on the set.
Casting Luv and Kush was a challenge. Initially, Sagar considered casting actor Shatrughan Sinha's twin sons for the roles, but this did not materialize. He then discovered Swapnil Joshi and Mayuresh Kshetramade, two young boys from Maharashtra, who perfectly embodied the characters with their innocent faces.
However, Sagar soon realized that these boys were quite mischievous. In an interview, Sagar recounted the initial difficulties, stating that the boys would get ready for the shoot but refuse to work once the camera was turned on. The first two days were unproductive, causing Sagar considerable stress.
To tackle this issue, Sagar initially tried a psychological approach. He staged a scene where he feigned beating two men with sticks and breaking a table, hoping to scare the children into cooperating. This tactic worked briefly, but the next day, the boys arrived on set armed with sticks of their own, warning Sagar against any similar actions.
Faced with this unexpected resistance, Sagar devised another plan involving snakes that were present on set for a scene. He recounted an incident where a snake accidentally escaped from its basket. While it is not explicitly stated how this incident was used, it is implied that the presence and potential threat of the snakes were used to subtly influence the behavior of the young actors.
Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan" remains a milestone in Indian television history. The series, which aired on Doordarshan, brought the story based on Valmiki's Ramayana to households across India. The show's popularity was such that streets would empty out during the telecast of each episode. The performances of Arun Govil as Ram, Deepika Chikhalia as Sita, Sunil Lahri as Laxman, and Dara Singh as Hanuman, became iconic.
