Before Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana lights up theatres this Diwali, another Ramayana story is set to release alongside it, and this one comes straight from the family that started it all. Shiv Sagar, grandson of legendary filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, is producing a behind-the-scenes documentary on the iconic 1987 television classic Ramayan, timed to arrive around the same period as the big-budget film adaptation.
Speaking about the documentary, Shiv opened up about just how primitive the original production really was by today’s standards. “There were no computers for visual effects either. The team worked with linear editing machines,” he revealed, a detail that puts the scale of his grandfather’s achievement into sharp perspective.
He also shared a personal memory from visiting the sets in Umargam as a ten-year-old. “People from all over India would gather to see the shooting and the actors. Thirty thousand to forty thousand people would assemble outside the studio from across the country. It was a crazy phenomenon,” he recalled.
The documentary is expected to spotlight not just the technical hurdles the team overcame without green screens or CGI, but also the untold experiences of the women who worked behind the scenes on the original show, a part of the Ramayan legacy that’s rarely been discussed.
Interestingly, Shiv hasn’t shied away from the new film either. He’s been vocal in his admiration for the promotional material released so far, particularly praising Yash and Sai Pallavi’s looks in the campaign. Given the weight his family’s name still carries in any conversation around Ramayan on screen, his approval, and involvement, adds an extra layer of legitimacy to what’s already shaping up to be one of the most-watched cinematic events of the year.
With the 1987 series having become one of the most-watched television programmes in the world during its 2020 re-telecast, decades after its original run, Shiv’s documentary arrives at a moment when interest in the original text is arguably at its highest in years. Ramayana: Part 1, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, releases in theatres this Diwali, November 6, 2026.
Also Read: Puneet Issar to bring his Broadway-style musical Jai Shri Ram – Ramayan in USA and Canada