Before the ascend of premium satellite channels, Doordarshan kept us entertained.
DD National became a great platform for creators, writers, and artists to showcase their talent through television series, and for the most part, they did an excellent job.
Today’s kids and the younger generation may have missed out on the classic Doordarshan shows of the 1980s and 90s, but they can always relive those moments using the advantages of the current digital era.
Well, DD National aired several great shows during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, but only a handful are available on the digital platform. That is a pity, but something is always better than nothing. Here is a list of a few of the best Doordarshan shows from the 1980s and 90s that you can experience online.
Also read: Classic Doordarshan TV Shows List of 80s and the 90s
Doordarshan Shows of the 80s and 90s on Amazon Prime
If you are not a fan of the current trend of Saas-bahu dramas, then I would suggest the following list of must-watch Doordarshan shows from the 80s and 90s era.
Fauji (Prime)
Those who are unaware may be surprised to know that Shah Rukh Khan made his debut with the television serial Fauji, which aired on DD National in 1988.
Fauji, as the name suggests, is a television serial focusing on recruits as they are trained to become commandos in the Indian army. Directed by R.K. Kapoor, the show draws our attention towards the life of recruits while training and his transformation as a commando.
The series did not last long, though, at only 13 episodes. The entire series is available on Amazon Prime.
Zabaan Sambhal Ke (Prime)
Zabaan Sambhal Ke is a Hindi sitcom based on the British sitcom Mind Your Language. Directed by Rajiv Mehra, the show had a successful run in its first season with 54 episodes on DD Metro.
Later, Season 2 was premiered on Home TV in 1997-98 with 52 episodes. The series featured a talented cast, including Pankaj Kapur as the Hindi tutor and Shubha Khote as the Principal, whereas Viju Khote, Tom Alter, Tanaaz Irani, Anant Mahadevan, and Vivek Vaswani, and others played his students in the series.
The first season of Zabaan Sambhal Ke is available on Amazon Prime.
Shaktimaan (Prime)
Shaktimaan is often credited as the first live-action Indian Superhero. He became one of the first Superhero characters to debuted in a television show and later appeared in comic books.
Created by Mukesh Khanna himself who also donned the superhero character in the series, Shaktimaan exceeded his expectations as the superhero became a household name and quite popular among kids. Although he was disappointed with the quality of special effects in the series, Shaktimaan did serve its purpose and officially gifted India its first superhero.
The entire series consisted of 450 episodes, followed by an animated series and a television film. The series is available on Amazon Prime.
Malgudi Days (Prime)
Based on R.K. Narayan’s literary works, Malgudi Days premiered in 1986 on DD National under the direction of Shankar Nag. R.K. Narayan’s young brother, cartoonist R.K. Laxman, was roped in as the sketch artist for the series.
Each episode in the series is based on novels and short stories written by R.K. Narayan. The bibliography used for the show includes the novels Swami and Friend and The Vendor of Sweets, as well as the short stories collection Malgudi Days, An Astrologer’s Day, A Horse and Two Goats, and others.
Kavitha Lankesh directed the fourth season, which followed a 17-year hiatus. All four seasons of Malgudi Days are available on Amazon Prime.
Raja Aur Rancho (Prime)
Raja Aur Rancho is an Indian detective series directed by Murali Nalappa and RajanWaghdhare. The show features Ved Thapar as the detective Raja and his pet monkey as his sidekick Rancho.
Both solve a new case every episode in the series. The show aired on DD Metro contains 103 episodes. The first 15 episodes of the series are available on Amazon Prime.
Ye Jo Hai Zindagi (Prime)
Ye Jo Hai Zindagi is a Hindi-sitcom created by the trio of Kundan Shah, Manjula Shah, and Raman Kumar. Ye Jo Hai Zindagi is an Indian sitcom featuring Shafi Inamdar, Swaroop Sampat, and Rakesh Bedi in lead roles.
Satish Shah, TikuTalsania, Sulbha Arya, and Vijay Kashyap play pivotal roles in the series. The first season of Ye Jo Hai Zindagi follows the story of the couple Ranjit and Renu, and Renu’s younger brother Raja played by Inamdar, Sampat, and Bedi respectively.
Versatile actor Satish Shah also earned fame by playing different characters throughout the series. Created by comedy writer Sharad Joshi, the series focused on everyday struggles and problems faced by a middle-class family in the city of Mumbai during the 80s. The first 25 episodes of Ye Jo Hai Zindagi are available on Amazon Prime.
Junior G (Prime)
Directed by Ghanshyam Pathak, Junior G follows the story of a 12-year-old boy with superhero powers.
The main protagonist in the series is Gaurav Ray. The 12-year-old orphan is blessed with magical divine powers when he finds himself in the middle of a crash between two asteroids. His superhero alter-ego is Junior G.
He uses his abilities to fight crime, especially his archnemesis and evil wizard Fyomancho. The series is available on Amazon Prime.
Also Read: Best 10 TV Shows of DD1 to Watch Online Free
