Taking a leaf from Star Plus, rival Hindi general entertainment channel Zee TV has decided to simulcast the mythological epic 'Ramayan' on pubcaster Doordarshan.

Zee TV will try to exploit the time zone Star Plus had created on Sunday mornings at 11 with its Aamir Khan television debut show 'Satyamev Jayate'. Zee senses an opportunity as Star Plus has just replaced 'Satyamev Jayate' with 'Lakhon Mein EK', the debut ratings of which will be known next week.

For Doordarshan, the continuity of the Sunday morning content with big properties from the two leading broadcasters stays. After 'Satyamev Jayate' ended its run on 29 July, the pubcaster will get to telecast 'Ramayan' that had created history on its network in the late eighties with an older version from the same producers.

"DD gets to air the prime Sunday morning properties of Star and Zee without playing any role in its conception. For the private broadcasters, the obvious strategy is to aggregate audiences and expand reach for these different kind of shows. This is the first time the mythology will run simultaneously on a private satellite channel and India's national broadcaster. The airing of Ramayan will be interesting to observe in terms of the impact it leaves behind on the pubcaster," says a media analyst.

'Ramayan' will start on the two channels from 12 August. The new remake of the epic serial is being made by Sagar Arts, the same production house which produced the series on DD and Imagine TV. Ramanand Sagar's granddaughter Meenakshi is the producer of the show.

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