India has come a long since Pandit Nehru’s “tryst with destiny” speech on the midnight of August 15, 1947. From Independent India struggling to feed its people, it has become a powerhouse — the fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity, its space research programme is the envy on many, and the biggest IT services exporter in the world.

India also has one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world — churning out films and television shows by the hundreds of thousands every year. Television in India, in particular, developed at a rapid pace since the first transmission of terrestrial television on experimental basis with a small transmitter and a makeshift studio in September 1959.

But the evolution of television hit warp speed with the introduction of national telecast and colour television in 1982. The economic liberalisation of the early 1990s added further fuel to Indian television’s evolution — from only one government-owned channel, Doordarshan, to thousands now in all languages — leading to unique shows and concepts and the creation of icons.

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On the eve of India’s 75th Independence Day, FinancialExpress.com takes a look at the television shows that shaped the Indian small screen.

Mahabharat

No list on greatest Indian television shows would be complete without the first great one — BR Chopra’s Mahabharat. Made in Hindi, the series was based on the ancient Sanskrit epic and aired on Doordarshan between 1988 and 1990. The series revolved around the Pandavas and the Kauravas and their epic battle as an entire generation grew up on the legends of Krishna, Arjuna, Yudhisthira, and the rest of the mythical heroes.

Ramayana

Another mythological tale etched into the memory of every Indian from that era and later, Ramanand Sagar’s show followed Prince Rama and his battle against Ravana, who abducted his wife, Sita. Ramayana aired between 1987 and 1988, again on Doordarshan, and to this day remains one of the greatest ever shows to come out of the country.

Malgudi Days

The show brought to the screen the legendary RK Narayan’s fictional world when cable TV and OTT were a far-fetched dream. Filmed in both English (first 13 episodes) and Hindi (all 54 episodes), the series was directed by Kannada actor-director Shankar Nag with music from Carnatic musician L Vaidyanathan. The original series ran between 1986 and 1988, while a revived version in 2006 were directed by Kavitha Lankesh.

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Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai

Perhaps Indian television’s best sitcoms, Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai aired between 2004 and 2006 and, for many Indians growing up during the early noughties, it was the funniest show on television. Ratna Pathak Shah’s rants about her daughter-in-law’s unsophisticated approach to life, Satish Shah’s pranks, Rajesh Kumar’s poems, and Sumeet Raghavan’s attempt to have a normal life come together in a wonderful concoction that still make people laugh. The series was briefly revived in 2017 but failed to recapture the same magic.

Byomkesh Bakshi

Basu Chatterjee brought to life Saradindu Bandopadhyay’s legendary Bengali truth-seeker, starring Rajit Kapoor in the lead role and KK Raina as his sidekick, Ajit.

Flop Show and Full Tension

Written and directed by Jaspal Bhatti, Flop Show aired on Doordarshan in 1989 while Full Tension aired in 1995. Both the shows held the mirror to Indian society — political horse-trading, college admissions, and law and order — issues that are still relevant today.

Tara

One of the first soap operas to air on a private channel, Tara followed the trials and tribulations of the titular character, Tara. It was the first Indian soap on contemporary urban women, running for nearly five years between 1993 and 1997.

Ji, Mantriji

An Indian adaptation of the wildly popular British show Yes, Minister, the show was telecast in 2001. It featured Farooq Sheikh (Surya Prakash Singh) as the fictional Minister of Administrative Affairs and Jayant Kripalani as the department’s secretary. The plots were similar to the BBC original with changes made to suit the Indian context. Ji, Pradhanmantriji (Yes, Prime Minister), a sequel, was also produced.

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Hum Paanch

Anand Mathur lives with his five daughters and second wife following the death of his first wife. Each individual has quirks of their own that often clash with one another and with Anand. Making matters worse is the constant taunting Anand gets from his deceased first wife. The show ran between 1995 and 1999 before returning briefly from 2005 to 2006.

MTV Roadies

Among the first-ever reality shows produced in India, the programme engages young people picked from across the country and challenges their physical and mental strength. It is still going strong and will be entering its 19th season this year.

Office Office

A satirical take on the workings of a government office, the show revolved around Musaddilal’s (Pankaj Kapur) struggles to get work done because of bureaucracy, corruption, and inefficiency.

Kaun Banega Crorepati

The game show, which helped the legendary Amitabh Bachchan bounce back from bankruptcy and drop in popularity, was modelled after the American hit Who Wants to be a Millionaire? One of the first shows to offer a huge prize money, the show has seen its prize money go up manifolds. Bachchan himself also gave up his seat to Shah Rukh Khan for a season before he was brought back on popular demand.

CID

One of India longest-running shows with over 1,500 episodes, the show chronicled the fictional investigation department working on the strangest cases. It did not always make sense, but people loved it — the reason behind its longevity.

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

The show not only made a star of Smriti Irani, but changed the course of Indian television as producers jumped on the saas-bahu bandwagon. Indian TV had a more holistic content before Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi came about, leading to a whole plethora of saas-bahu soaps replacing the earlier wholesome shows.

Khichdi

Another iconic show, Khichdi followed a middle-class Indian family that always seemed to be bickering and dreamt of living apart from each another.

Honourable mentions

Bigg Boss, Tu Tu Main Main, Chanakya, Surabhi, Chandrakanta, Taarak Meha Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Indian Idol, Shaktimaan, Satyamev Jayate, Fauji, Alif Laila, Bournvita Quiz Contest