When Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that state broadcaster Doordarshan would re-telecast the 1987 iconic series Ramayan, a joke widely did the rounds.

It was that when it was first telecast, streets would be deserted and trains would come to a halt whereas now, when streets are deserted and nearly all commercial and transport activity has come to a halt, the series is being telecast again.

Written and directed by Ramanand Sagar, the series is a dramatic adaptation of the Indian sacred text Ramayana. It quickly became the highest watched Indian television series when it first appeared on television.

It is said that viewers would garland their television sets every time actor Arun Govil, playing Ram, would appear on the screen. Elderly people would touch the feet of Govil and Deepika Chikhalia (who played Sita) on streets.

One doesn’t expect today’s youth to not mix reel and real life, or treat the story or the actors as divine. However, a quick survey suggests that a large number of them are hooked to it.

Here, we have compiled a number of responses by people under 30, on how they are finding the simple-looking, modestly budgeted series when they are used to blockbusters full of computer-generated imagery.

Gautam Bhat, 23, Goa, mechanical engineering student

“At a time when we have so many entertainment channels such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, the government of India’s decision to re-telecast the iconic but old television series Ramayan did come as a surprise. Even though there are heated discussions happening on social media – and I am quite active on social media – I am loving the series.

“I think our generation has lost the values and morals taught to us by our parents, who in turn had got it from these legendary stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is important for us to connect to our roots.

“As India is under a lockdown, and so are many other countries, I video-chat a lot with my friends staying in India as well as abroad. To my surprise, almost all my friends share my excitement and enthusiasm about the show. My friends abroad who are pursuing higher education tell us they envy us as they are missing out on the family experience.”