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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Ramanand Sagar's iconic Ramayan was nearly shelved, slapped with 175 cuts': Varun Badola reveals he was ‘stopped from quoting Ramcharitmanas'
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan is one of the most watched shows in Indian television history, with its re-runs still airing on the Doordarshan network. While it's now considered to be an evergreen classic, the show was nearly shelved. Actor, director and writer Varun Badola, known for his popular roles on television, sat down for an interview and shared some anecdotes about the television industry. In an appearance on the YouTube show Zindagi with Richa, Badola talked about his time in television, and his transition into OTT. Among the many stories he shared, he was very vocal about the practices of network executives and what all goes into getting a show on air. He revealed how his vision seldom aligned with the makers' and said, 'The first thing we are always told on TV is that the show has to be aspirational. Either I was taught a very different meaning of that word, or I didn't understand the makers.' ALSO READ: Varun Badola answers if Ekta Kapoor ruined Indian television forever, says he spoke to her about it: 'Sunne waalon mein se nahi hai' He gave an example of how too much red tape can be harmful for the business and talked about how the iconic Ramayan series was stuck on a shelf for reasons he never understood. He said, 'I can give you first hand information regarding this, that a show like Ramayan had 175 cuts prepared. Ramanand Sagar himself made those 175 cuts and told me. Yet they did not want to air the show for reasons best known to them.' The actor added that people start walking on eggshells when it comes to stories with religious backdrops, and blamed it on the 'rudimentary and archaic' thinking of people. The type of thinking which led makers of a certain show to stop Badola for quoting the epic Ramcharitmanas. 'I wanted to use a quote from the Ramcharitmanas, and they were completely against it and told me that it wasn't allowed. Their explanations were very weird, and they told me that I could use any one obscure line written by Kabir, but I couldn't use the entire doha,' added Badola. Badola has made a successful transition from daily soap operas to web series on OTT platforms with appearances in shows like Guns and Gulaabs (2023), Your Honour (2020), and Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen (2024). He also starred in Sky Force (2025) alongside Akshay Kumar and debutant Veer Pahariya.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Veteran actor Varun Badola reacts to whether Ekta Kapoor ruined the Indian Television's content; says 'she changed the face of it, whether for the good or the bad'
has been a well-known actor on Indian television for many years, and he has just begun to explore streaming options. In a recent interview, Varun discussed the condition of Indian television and 's long-standing effect on the medium. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He stated that he spoke with Ekta once about the types of shows she was making, but he concluded she wasn't the type of person who would listen. Varun shared his thoughts about Ekta during his chat on the Zindagi with Richa YouTube channel. Varun said, "More than spoiling the content on TV, Ekta Kapoor changed the face of Indian television, whether for the good or the bad. She went from strength to strength because the shows were earning money. In our industry, when corporates get involved, they don't care about the art form; they just want to earn money. Once Ekta had said in an interview that if you want to make a show your way, put in your own money and make it, and she wasn't wrong. You have to deal with so much pressure otherwise." Varun further quipped about the shows and their audience, "I don't agree when people say that the B-tier and C-tier audience likes to watch regressive content. When good shows came on DD, people were still watching them. In the lockdown, the Mahabharat and Ramayana were watched so much. The regressive shows, I think, people see them as comedic. Ekta saw an opportunity and she seized it. Hum Paanch, Koshish… Ek Aasha were her shows, and I discussed it with a lady at Star Plus who was against Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She was educated and wondered if it would be right to show the audience content like that. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But they overruled her and started the show." Varun went on to explain whether any of his comments upset Ekta Kapoor and his different approach towards TV shows and their content, "With , she said it was similar in the Kyunki space, even sets looked alike, but she was again overruled. And see how the shows became mammoths. Balika Vadhu was a much better show, it had different sensibilities. People do get influenced by TV, so the first thing we were always told was that the show has to be aspirational. In the very beginning, I had expressed my disapproval to Ekta with regards to content, but I had figured out then itself that she is not the kind of person who would listen. " "I was just an actor then. She seized an opportunity, and as a businesswoman, she had every right to do that. I don't agree with a single show of hers, I had even told her that I would go and do something else other than her show. After Koshish, I didn't do anything with Balaji until Apharan. She knows I am an actor with a very different mindset," he added.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Varun Badola answers if Ekta Kapoor ruined Indian television forever, says he spoke to her about it: ‘Sunne waalon mein se nahi hai'
Actor Varun Badola has been a celebrated name on Indian television for years, and has recently started branching out on streaming. In a recent interview, Varun spoke about the state of Indian television, and addressed Ekta Kapoor's influence on the medium over the years. He said that he spoke to Ekta once about the kind of shows that she was producing, but he realised that she isn't the kind of person who was willing to listen. Giving his views on Ekta, Varun said, 'More than spoiling the content on TV, Ekta Kapoor changed the face of Indian television, whether for the good or the bad. She went from strength to strength because the shows were earning money. In our industry, when corporates get involved, they don't care about the art form; they just want to earn money. Once Ekta had said in an interview that if you want to make a show your way, put your own money and make it, and she wasn't wrong. You have to deal with so much pressure otherwise.' Also Read: Varun Badola opens up about near-brush with financial ruin, says he had less than Rs 2 lakh in his bank account and 7 mouths to feed A post shared by Zindagi with Richa (@zindagiwithricha) 'I don't agree when people say that the B-tier and C-tier audience likes to watch regressive content. When good shows came on DD, people were still watching them. In the lockdown, the Mahabharat and Ramayana were watched so much. The regressive shows, I think, people see them as comedic. Ekta saw an opportunity and she seized it. Hum Paanch, Koshish… Ek Aasha were her shows, and I discussed with a lady at Star Plus who was against Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She was educated and wondered if it would be right to show the audience content like that. But they overruled her and started the show,' Varun added. A post shared by Zindagi with Richa (@zindagiwithricha) Further explaining if he thought these comments would upset Ekta, Varun Badola said, 'With Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, she said it was similar in the Kyunki space, even sets looked alike, but she was again overruled. And see how the shows became mammoths. Balika Vadhu was a much better show, it had different sensibilities. People do get influenced by TV, so the first thing we were always told was that the show has to be aspirational. In the very beginning, I had expressed my disapproval to Ekta with regards to content, but I had figured out then itself that she is not the kind of person who would listen. I was just an actor then. She seized an opportunity, and as a businesswoman, she had every right to do that. I don't agree with a single show of hers, I had even told her that I would go and do something else other than her show. After Koshish, I didn't do anything with Balaji until Apharan. She knows I am an actor with a very different mindset.'
