Hi-tech remake of Hindu epics flood Indian TV

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - Two of India's best loved epics about gods, demons and cataclysmic wars are making a comeback on Indian television, hoping to recreate with snazzy visual effects the magic they wove on TV two decades ago.

The "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata", two of Hinduism's crucial texts, are regarded as allegorical lessons in righteous living integral to much of Hindu-majority India's cultural consciousness.

While "Ramayana" is the story of warrior-god Ram, who defeats a demon-king to free his wife with the help of an army of monkeys, "Mahabharata" deals with a dynastic struggle for power that ends in victory for the righteous.

Such was the appeal of the epics that when they were adapted for the small screen in the 1980s they managed to empty city streets, forced changes in train timings and got their actors elected as members of parliament. Some people even prayed in front of their television screens while the shows were on.

Now, the makers of the new "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata" series say they could top the success of the cult series with high-tech techniques such as those used in "The Lord of the Rings" films.

"The special effects, the costumes and the whole treatment of the story is such that younger audiences will be attracted to the shows," Bobby Bedi, producer of one of the new versions of "Mahabharata", told Reuters. "There is a huge market for mythological serials in India."

BIG BUSINESS

While the two epics air on three channels, a fourth will screen the mythological exploits of the Hindu god Krishna.

India has a surfeit of profitable religious channels -- they could double their share of 15 percent of TV advertising spending of US$2.6 billion -- as people turn to spirituality to deal with the stress of modern life.

The TV stations are hoping for a share in those profits.

One of the channels, NDTV Imagine, estimated around 85 million people had watched its "Ramayana" since January.

"Shows like these have a dedicated audience, which automatically means better ad revenues," an official of the channel said.

"Also, we have tie ups with vernacular language channels in southern India to telecast translated versions of the show."

But television industry officials are warning against an overkill of mythological fare.

"Around 10 years ago, daily soaps weren't the trend, then everyone started doing it," said NDTV's Shailaja Kejriwal.

"The same was with music-based reality shows. If there is an overload, even this won't work."

(Writing by Krittivas Mukherjee)

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