Lalit Modi Recalls How Disney Rejected Financing Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan

The landmark Indian television series Ramayan, created by Ramanand Sagar, remains a milestone in the history of Indian broadcasting. While the show went on to achieve immense success after airing on Doordarshan in 1987, turning its lead actors like Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhalia into household names, its path to production was not without hurdles. Recent revelations by former cricket administrator and businessman Lalit Modi offer a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes struggles to secure financial backing for the project during the early 1990s.Lalit Modi, who was involved in marketing, distributing, and producing television content during that era, shared insights during a podcast appearance with The Bharat Inc. He explained that at the time, Doordarshan did not provide funding for programs. Instead, content creators were required to pay a fixed hourly cost to broadcast their shows. Both Ramanand Sagar and BR Chopra, the creator of Mahabharat, had approached Modi for financial assistance to produce their respective mythological epics.According to Modi, he was interested in funding the projects and had an integrated system in place for marketing and worldwide syndication, which included a partnership with The Walt Disney Company. Modi stated that he actively lobbied his partners at Disney to enter the production business through a co-production deal with Sagar. He believed that if Disney provided the required ₹1 crore, they would secure the rights to what would become an iconic piece of Indian television history.After persistent advocacy from Modi, a group of Disney executives reportedly traveled to India to meet with Sagar. However, the meeting did not go as expected. Modi recalled that while the Disney team arrived with a large entourage, having traveled by private jet and maintaining a formal, corporate demeanor, Ramanand Sagar arrived at the meeting wearing shorts. Modi noted that such settings at the time typically demanded a more professional, suited appearance and a sophisticated pitch.The cultural and communication gap proved insurmountable, according to Modi. He recounted that the Disney executives expected a standard formal presentation. Furthermore, Modi stated that Sagar faced challenges with the English language, which made it difficult for him and the visiting executives to understand each other fully. Modi observed that the president of the Disney team appeared eager to leave the room shortly after the meeting commenced.Modi suggested that the Disney executives failed to grasp the potential of Ramayan, partly because the concept of presenting large-scale Indian mythology on television had no real precedent at the time. Despite his efforts to bridge the gap, Modi explained that the rejection was final because he was tied to his partnership agreement with Disney, which prevented him from proceeding independently. Ultimately, Ramayan became a cultural phenomenon, forever changing the landscape of Indian television. While the partnership with Disney never materialized, the show’s legacy as a benchmark for mythological storytelling remains undisputed, continuing to be remembered by audiences decades after its initial broadcast.