EXCLUSIVE: Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan could come alive in Ayodhya as a grand theme park; grandson Shiv Sagar reveals dream project: “It could be a wonderful tribute to Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia and, of course, our grandfather”

As moviegoers gear up for Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana, Shiv Sagar is working on a special project connected to his family’s celebrated legacy. Shiv is the grandson of legendary filmmaker-writer Ramanand Sagar, who created the iconic 1987 television epic Ramayan. He is currently producing a documentary that will offer viewers a fascinating glimpse into how the landmark television series was made. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shiv Sagar spoke about the documentary and his long-cherished dream of building a Ramayana- and Mahabharata-themed park in Haridwar.

According to the Sagar World website, the project was first considered in 2008 but did not materialize. Since then, interest in Indian mythology has grown significantly, while Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, has emerged as one of India’s most prominent religious-tourism destinations. We therefore asked Shiv Sagar whether he would consider reviving the theme-park project, possibly in Ayodhya.

Shiv Sagar began by saying, “I studied hotel management in Switzerland. I was very interested in mythology, but not particularly in films. The film industry seemed rather shallow to me at the time, and I wanted to do something serious! So, I pursued hospitality and returned to India. Back then, we had a beautiful piece of land in Haridwar, near the banks of the Ganga, which my grandfather had purchased. Our aim was to build a theme park there called ‘Ganga Dham’. I had even raised some funds from the US.”

Shiv remarked, “One of the reasons the Ram Janmabhoomi temple movement became so widespread was the popularity of my grandfather’s television series Ramayan. He was not politically affiliated with any party or individual. He would say, ‘I am a creative person. I did not make the show for any political reason’. However, it was subsequently used for political purposes and became associated with a much larger movement. It would therefore be wonderful to create a tribute to Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia and, of course, our grandfather, highlighting how he made Ramayan at the age of 70. He created the greatest work of his life at that age, after having already written, produced and directed more than 50 films. Such a theme park could become an appealing tourist attraction for people visiting the temple, who could experience both during the same trip. So, let us see. God willing, perhaps we will be able to pull off something like that (smiles).”

He agreed that the time was right, saying, “Footfalls have increased not only in Ayodhya but at almost all religious destinations. India has had the tradition of teerth yatra since ancient times, yet pilgrimage tourism was never given its due importance. Many of our pilgrimage sites suffered from poor infrastructure, inadequate hygiene and neglected surroundings. It is encouraging that efforts are now being made to improve the infrastructure and cleanliness at these destinations so that more people can visit them comfortably. India’s greatest strengths are its culture, spirituality and mysticism, qualities that few other countries can boast of. Therefore, we should build upon these strengths.”

As Shiv Sagar mentioned Switzerland, we asked him about his experience of studying in the cold European country. Shiv smiled and said, “It was a small village with cows roaming around! Les Roches is a highly renowned hospitality school located just below the ski resort of Crans-Montana. I was 17 when I moved there, and it was a culture shock because I had never lived away from my family for such a long time, especially in a foreign country. However, students from nearly a hundred nationalities studied at the institute. I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and even today, I have connections across the globe. Whenever I travel to another country, I can usually find someone I know and manage to get a lovely hotel stay at a better rate (laughs)!”

He added, “It was a wonderful experience. It broadened my outlook and made me more sensitive to other cultures.”

Shiv Sagar has put his hospitality education and experience to good use. He currently runs Sagar Resort, his family-owned 50-room hotel in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. He is also the founder and owner of Tooth Mountain Farms, an agro-tourism farm stay in Karjat, near Mumbai, featuring seven rooms and a farm-to-table restaurant.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ramayan documentary to release before Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana; to reveal how Ramanand Sagar created the epic WITHOUT green screen or VFX; grandson reveals, “30,000 to 40,000 people would gather outside the studio EVERYDAY from ALL over India…”

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