Millennials go ‘Jai Shri Ram!’ – Ramayana re-telecast has turned the TikTok generation towards Hinduism

Remember, how the left-liberals were crying their eyes out when the State-owned broadcaster, DD National announced to re-telecast its popular serials- the Ramayana and the Mahabharat? They were fearing a Ram Janmabhoomi Movement 2.0 with millennials who were till now unconnected with their cultural history watching the epic whilst they are quarantined in their houses.

Guess what? Their fears have come true, as the millennials- a generation which was getting constantly deracinated on social media apps like TikTok has now started celebrating its rich cultural legacy. 

Social media is today flooded with memes and discussions about the Ramayana and the TikTok generation is now actively taking interest in closely understanding the Hindu epic. Who would have thought that Ramayana and its characters would evoke such interest in the millennials and it would be considered trendy to know and understand this epic that is the basis of India’s ancient culture.

Some of the memes have gone particularly viral on social media, and as the young generations watch the popular Ramayana TV show, they have started relating scenes from the Hindu epic to their daily lives. This has paved the way for a number of memes that are doing the rounds on various platforms from Twitter to Facebook.

For example, this particular scene from the Ramayana where Vibhishana urges Shree Ram to aim for Ravana’s stomach during the fateful war has become quite a sensation on social media. The following screenshot has now taken the shape of a number of memes across all social media platforms.

Such has been the popularity of the Ramayana TV show that it has also breathed life into DD National, India’s State broadcaster. People tune into DD National with brimming enthusiasm about the Ramayana and even OTT channels like Netflix are suddenly facing some real competition from DD National, and this is showing in social media memes as well.

TikTok which was till now a hotbed of radical, anti-Hindu videos too is now flooded with videos of families eagerly waiting for, and watching the Ramayana together. This is reminiscent of the kind of renaissance that had happened in the Indian society three decades ago when the Ramayana TV show had aired for the first time.

At that time, such was the popularity of this show that people got glued to their TV sets and the streets wore a deserted look, even without any lockdown or curfew being imposed.

And it is garnering the same kind of popularity even today, while the original telecast kickstarting the Ram Janmabhoomi movement which only very recently culminated with a landmark Supreme Court verdict paving way for the construction of a grand temple at Bhagwan Ram’s birthplace in the historic city of Ayodhya, the re-telecast is fixing the deracinated millennials. 

Most popular of the memes, however, feature the TV show character Lakshman- Bhagwan Rama’s younger brother. And even Sunil Lahri, the actor who played Bhagwan Rama’s younger brother, Lakshman says, “I have seen many memes that a lot of people have sent. Even my brother’s children in the house send me the memes. I am liking it. I am enjoying it. It’s said that you are popular and that’s why they make these memes. I am honoured. I feel honoured to be a part of the memes.”

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But memes apart, the Ramayana TV show has led to some serious discussions- ones which the left-liberal cabal would have hated to engage in. Episode 75 of the TV show, for instance, narrates that Bhagwan Rama’s wife Sita had left her shadow (Maya Sita) which was kidnapped by Ravana.

Later, it was Maya Sita who went through Agni Pariksha, while the real Sita who had hidden herself in Agni (fire) before Ravana kidnapped Maya Sita unites with Bhagwan Rama.

This episode itself has triggered outrage on social media because, for decades, a conscious effort was made to vilify Shri Rama. Bollywood, popular art culture and the left-liberal cabal constantly portrayed Shri Rama as a misogynist who had forced his wife to go through an Agni Pariksha in order to test her chastity.

Now, the millennials are asking some tough questions of the eminent historians and the Bollywood, an industry which they used to adore not very long ago, about why they were misguided about Shri Rama in such an insidious manner. They are asking why they were badly misled about Shri Rama for so long.

Today, the Ramayana TV show has turned the TikTok generation towards Hinduism, and with the passage of time, this newfound interest in cultural legacy is only going to intensify among the millennials as their minds get decluttered and they swiftly get rid of all the misinformation that has been planted in their minds by the left-liberal cabal.