Actors of Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan on Doordarshan, Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri became sensations with their depictions of Ram, Sita and Laxman in the Indian mythology show. And surprisingly, the craze for Ramayan remains, even after 3 decades. With Ramayan and Mahabharat both returning to television for a repeat run amidst the on-going coronavirus lockdown, the show have been monopolising TRP charts by garnering highest numbers, with each passing week. Ramayan Dominates TRP Charts Once Again, Mahabharat Claims Second Spot in Two Out of Three Categories (View Ratings).

Actress Dipika Chikhlia, in her conversation with an entertainment portal, revealed that she was immensely overwhelmed by the response that the repeat telecast of Ramayan was getting these days. She told ETimes, "I am happy that the younger generation is reaching out to me. Didn’t expect the social media and the press to go ga-ga over it. Everyone is hooked on to it and there are lovely memes being shared. It is just fascinating. There’s more transparency in terms of fan communication and messages. Happy to receive all the love." As Ramayana and Mahabharata Return to Doordarshan, Amul Brings Back Old '90's Ads Playing Tribute To These Shows (Watch Video).

While it is common knowledge that Dipika and her co-stars Arun Govil and Sunil Lahri would be stopped on the roads by people to seek their blessings, she also recalled a time when fans would ask her to bless their newborns. "I also had fans who got their newborns and asked me to bless them. They would come to us. We never received any love letters or nasty comments. We have always been respected," revealed Dipika. Well, a far cry from today's fans and trolls. Ramayan TV Series Returns To Television During COVID-19 Lockdown: 12 Interesting Facts About The Ramanand Sagar Show That You Need to Know.

A lot has been generally said about the whole Uttara Ramayan story where Sita leaves Ram after the latter is questioned by a peasant over his wife (Sita) staying for 11 months in Ravan's captivity. While multiple debates of all nature have taken place over this step in Ramayan, Dipika reveals that she was proud of Sita leaving her husband while bearing his children, which makes her the first 'Single Mother' in the history of Indian Television. Did You Know That Dipika Chikhlia Rejected Movie Roles Where Makers Asked Her to Wear Swimming Costumes and Body-Revealing Clothes? (Details Inside)

"In Uttar Ramayan, the glam quotient which you had seen in Ramayan, lessens. It becomes a simple story of Valmiki ji, Luv Kush, motherly love, kids’ education and all. It is the story of a single mother. I think she is the first single mother in the history of Indian culture. It is very interesting. She leaves the palace when she was pregnant," said Dipika. Well, we did not think of it like that.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2020 11:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).