As the channel completes 27 years, we take a look at its path-breaking programmes
October 2 is a red letter day in Indian history as it marks the birth anniversary of two great national figures, Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. It is also a landmark date for the emergence of private satellite television in India as on this day in 1992 Zee TV was launched. As it completes 27 years, the pioneer private satellite channel is not only going strong, it is beamed across as many as 173 countries and reaches 1.3 billion viewers. Over the two decades, the channel has churned out several path-breaking shows, some of which were ahead of their times. Here, we take a look at some of the iconic shows aired on the channel.
1. Tara
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Navneet Nishan played the titular role in this soap opera that ran for five years. Sporting a short hairdo which set a trend, Tara was a non-conformist, who was involved with a married man and had no qualms having a child out of wedlock. She lived life on her own terms. That was true even for her three friends — Kanchan, Arzoo and Sheena. Unapologetic and unabashed, they went after what they want whether it was their love for beer or having an extra marital affair. This 90s’ show was all about female power tracing the lives of four urban women.
2. Zee Horror Show
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A mention of the show immediately conjures up the image of Archana Puran Singh’s laughing face on a saucer! The episodic horror show produced by the Ramsays ran for a record nine years and spooked the viewers with its gory visuals, haunting theme music and chilling stories.
3. Filmy Chakkar
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Much before Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, Satish Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah teamed up for this hilarious Bollywood-based sitcom. Completely obsessed with movies, the characters in the show would enact all the popular film scenes, relating it to their lives and create a laugh-riot. Unarguably, one of the best comedies ever.
4. Banegi Apni Baat
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From romance to pre-marital sex and drug abuse, the serial dealt with all the teenage issues, which was a first on Indian television. Set in a college campus, the show and its characters instantly connected with the youth and made R Madhavan, who played Ashley, an overnight sensation.
5. Hum Paanch
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A family comprising a married couple, their five daughters, and a dead wife talking through a photograph, it was an all-women show with the man being caught in the middle. The daughters were as different as chalk and cheese, with each displaying a peculiar trait — Meenakshi was a feminist, Radhika was a nerd, Sweety was obsessed with Shah Rukh Khan and drove everyone crazy with her antics, and Kajal was a tomboy, who never missed an opportunity to show her bhaigiri. This Ekta Kapoor production was a riot.
6. Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani
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It’s probably the first serial on Indian television to show a woman falling in love with a man 10 years younger than her. Not only that, she goes ahead and ties the knot with him in spite of societal pressures and displeasure. Nikki Aneja as the gynaecologist and Varun Badola as the photographer who is smitten by her turned out brilliant performances and made it a memorable show.
7. Hip Hip Hurray
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Those who have grown up in the ’90s will have a nostalgic value for the serial. After all, it was the go-to show for the kids from that era as it was based on 12th grade students and showed the issues faced by youngsters, their fears, hopes, relationships, and angst in a light-hearted manner.
8. Hasratein
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Based on a Marathi novel, Adhantri, by Jaywant Dalvi, it revolved around a woman’s extramarital affair. A married woman falls in love with her boss, and decides to leave her husband. While this theme is nothing new in today’s times, in the ’90s, it was a taboo topic on screen. Though it had a bold concept, it was dealt with sensitively and sparked off several shows revolving around the same subject.
9. Pavitra Rishta
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Sushant Singh Rajput’s turn as the car mechanic Manav who falls in love with Archana, a homely girl scored a hit rightaway. His and Ankita Lokhande’s chemistry was the highlight of this family drama. Sushant later quit the show and made his film debut with Kai Po Che!
10. Antakshari
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A simple game played at home and on picnics, was successfully adapted by the channel. This indigenous game show had lay people making a beeline for it. Hosted mainly by Annu Kapoor, it ran for a record 11 years.
11. Phillips Top 10
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It was a songs countdown show, but is best remembered for the hit team of Pankaj Kapur and Satish Kaushik who performed comedy sketches before playing each song. Then there was Satish Shah who essayed various characters — an agony uncle, a moneylender and a gay to name a few, making it a fun watch.
12. Sa Re Ga Ma PA
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Started in 1995, the show is still going strong with several seasons and spin-offs to it. A musical talent hunt it also became the launch pad for several famous playback singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Armaan Malik and singer-composers like Shekhar Ravjiani.
