 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Ramanand Sagar" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Ramanand Sagar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Chandramauli Chopra (1917-12-29)29 December 1917 |
| Died | 12 December 2005(2005-12-12) (aged 87) Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Alma mater | University of the Punjab |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1949–2005 |
| Spouse | Leelavati Sagar |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Vidhu Vinod Chopra (half-brother) Anupama Chopra (sister-in-law) Zuni Chopra (niece) Agni Chopra (nephew) |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2000) |
Ramanand Sagar (bornChandramauli Chopra; 29 December 1917 – 12 December 2005) was an Indian film-television director, producer, and writer. He is best known for his contribution to the television serialsRamayan (1987–1988),Luv Kush (1988–1989) andShri Krishna (1993–1999), whichbroke several viewership records globally.[1]
Sagar was born at Asal Guruke nearLahore. His great-grandfather, Lala Shankar Das Chopra, migrated from Lahore to Kashmir.
In 1932, Sagar started his film career as aclapper boy in a silent film,Raiders of the Rail Road.[2] He then shifted to Bombay in 1949 afterIndia's partition.
In 1944, He acted in Punjabi filmKoel, Directed by Roop K. Shorey, made in Lahore released on Friday,24 November by Film Company Shorey Pictures.
In the 1940s, Sagar started out as an assistant stage manager inPrithvi Theatres ofPrithviraj Kapoor. He also directed a few plays under the fatherly guidance of Kapoor.[3][4]
Along with other films that Sagar himself directed, he wrote the story and screenplay forRaj Kapoor's superhitBarsaat. He produced and directed films likeBazooband andMehmaan which bombed at the box-office .
Due to his unsuccessful career in Bollywood. Sagar shifted toMadras and start working forGemini Studio. He wrote story, screenplay and dialogues for Gemini classics likeInsaniyat (1955),Raj Tilak (1958) andPaigham (1959), the 1959 classic featuring Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar and Vjyanthimala fetched himFilmfare Award for Best Dialogue. Sagar's collaboration with Gemini Studio proved to be fruitful for his career. Gemini's ownerSS Vasan was impressed with Sagar's professionalism and advised him to directed films again. Under the Vasan's tutelage, Sagar directedGhunghat (1960) andZindagi (1964) forGemini Studio which were successful commercially and critically. He even wrote Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana starrerRajkumar (1964) for another South Indian banner. Ghunghat and Zindagi's success gave him the confidence to re-start his career as a producer and director. Sagar moved back to Mumbai and re-christened his Production House as Sagar Films. The first film under theSagar Arts banner was Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana and Feroz Khan starrerArzoo, which became a blockbuster. He wonFilmfare Best Director Award for his spy thriller Aankhen.[5] His films in the early 1970s were not successful likeGeet andLaalkar. He directed one of the top five grossing films of 1976, Charas, starring Dharmendra and Hema Malini. In 1979, his directorial venturePrem Bandhan starringRajesh Khanna,Rekha andMoushmi Chatterjee was successful commercially, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of that year. In 1982, he directedBaghavat starringDharmendra,Hema Malini andReena Roy which turned out to be a huge hit.
In 1985 he directed 'Salma' which was unsuccessful at the box office and though the music of the film romance was popular, the film did not perform well at box office.
In 1985 Sagar turned towards television withDada Dadi Ki Kahaniyaan which was directed by Moti Sagar and produced by Ramanand Sagar. Then his Sagar Arts began producing serials based on Indian history. His directorial ventureRamayan aired its first episode on 25 January 1987.[6][7] His next tele-serials wereLuv Kush andShri Krishna, which were both produced and directed by him. He also later directedSai Baba. Sagar also made fantasy serials likeVikram Aur Betaal andAlif Laila.
TheRamayan series was initially conceptualized to run for 52 episodes of 45 minutes each. Owing to popular demand it had to be extended thrice, eventually ending after 78 episodes.
Sagar made aLuv Kush episode after receiving a call from PMO.[8]
Based on his experiences of the Indo-Pak partition, Sagar published theHindi-Urdu bookAur Insaan Mar Gaya (transl. And The Human Died) in 1948.
The government of India honoured Sagar with thePadma Shri in 2000. Sagar died on 12 December 2005 aged 88 at his home inMumbai after a series of health problems.
In December 2019, his sonPrem Sagar launched a book on his life,An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar, From Barsaat to Ramayan. This book is a biography of Ramanand Sagar depicting his life struggles and his journey from a clerk to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.[9][10]
He was married to Leelavati, with whom he had five children, four sons (Anand,Prem, Moti and Subhash) and a daughter (Sarita).[11] On 31 August 2025, his sonPrem Sagar, a veteran cinematographer andFTII alumnus, died at the age of 84 at his residence.[12][13]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Ek Teri Nishani | No | Yes | No |
| 1949 | Barsaat | No | Yes | No |
| 1950 | Jan Pahchan | No | Yes | No |
| 1952 | Sangdil | No | Yes | No |
| 1953 | Mehmaan | Yes | No | No |
| 1954 | Bazooband | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1956 | Mem Sahib | No | Yes | No |
| 1958 | Raj Tilak | No | Yes | No |
| 1959 | Paigham | No | Yes | No |
| 1960 | Ghunghat | Yes | No | No |
| 1964 | Rajkumar | No | Yes | No |
| Zindagi | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1965 | Arzoo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1968 | Aankhen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1970 | Geet | Yes | No | Yes |
| 1972 | Lalkaar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1973 | Jalte Badan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1976 | Charas | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1979 | Prem Bandhan | Yes | No | No |
| Hum Tere Ashiq Hain | No | Yes | No | |
| 1981 | Armaan | No | No | Yes |
| 1982 | Baghavat | Yes | No | Yes |
| 1983 | Romance | Yes | No | Yes |
| 1985 | Salma | Yes | No | Yes |
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Koel | Unknown | Film;Punjabi language |
| 1987-1988 | Ramayan | Narrator | Television series |
| 1993 | Shri Krishna | ||
| 2000 | Jai Mahalakshmi |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-1986 | Vikram Aur Betaal | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 1986-1987 | Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniyan | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1987-1988 | Ramayan | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1988-1989 | Luv Kush | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 1993-1997 | Alif Laila | No | No | Yes | No |
| Shri Krishna | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| 1997 | Yeh Hai Mere Apne | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jai Ganga Maiya | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 1999 | Aangan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2000 | Aakash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shree Brahma Vishnu Mahesh | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Jai Mahalakshmi | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2001 | Chingaari | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sansaar | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Jai Jai Jai Tridev | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2002 | Saanjhi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bhagat Singh | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2003 | Arzoo Hai Tu | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2005 | Sai Baba | Yes | Yes | No | No |
In 1996, he was honored with the Sahitya Vachaspati (Doctor of Literature) by the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan inAllahabad.[14] In 1997,Jammu University presented him ahonoris causadoctorate (Doctor of Literature).[14] In 2000, he was honoured withPadma Shri by theGovernment of India.[15] In 2004, he received a special award for his contribution to Indian Television at theIndian Telly Awards.[16]
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Best Dialogue | Paigham | Won | [17] |
| 1966 | Best Story | Arzoo | Nominated | [18] |
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| 1969 | Aankhen | Won | [19] | |
| Best Story | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
