1994's Tu Tu Main Main, starring Reema Lagoo, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Kuldeep Pawar and Mahesh Thakur, was one of the most-watched comedy shows on TV, which showcased the bitter-sweet saas-bahu relationship wittily. The light-hearted show saw late actress Reema Lagoo as the dominant saas who constantly fought with a cheerful daughter-in-law played by Supriya Pilgaonkar. Interestingly, Tu Tu Main Main was directed by Supriya's actor husband Sachin Pilgaonkar.
Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, starring late actor Shafi Inamdar and Swaroop Sampat, which centred on the funny situations in the married couple's lives. The series was also notable for the funny antics of cast members Rakesh Bedi and Satish Shah.
Ramayan was one reason why people of all ages woke up early even on a Sunday. Ramayan not only entertained but also enriched our lives. Arun Govil essayed Ram and Deepika Chikhalia was cast as Sita on the show. Both of them along with other cast members went on to become household names.
Zabaan Sambhalke, a hilarious sitcom where people from different parts of the globe come to an institute in India to learn Hindi for various reasons. It was the Indian version of the UK television comedy 'Mind Your Language' and happens to be one of Pankaj Kapur's notable television roles.
Dekh Bhai Dekh, one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1990s, produced by Jaya Bachchan. The series was notable for featuring Shekhar Suman, Farida Jalal, Navin Nishchol, Bhavana Balsavar and others.
Tabassum hosting 'Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan', one of the first talk shows of Indian television, and a very popular one at that.
A still from 'Jungle Book' showing Mowgli and Kaa, the cartoon that kids loved to watch in the 90s. The show as based on a collection of stories written by English author Rudyard Kipling.
Like Ramayan, Mahabharat also brought epic joy to viewers. The bow and arrow fight sequences remain legendary even today. Mukesh Khanna, Pankaj Dheer, Gajendra Chouhan, Roopa Ganguly, Puneet Issar, Nitish Bhardwaj and others gained popularity due to the show.
Master Manjunath as the adorable Swami in the legendary TV series Malgudi Days. The show based on the short stories of R. K. Narayan.
Rajit Kapur as Byomkesh Bakshi in the renowned detective series based on the novel of the same name, and directed by Basu Chatterjee.
The late Mohan Gokhale in Mr. Yogi, which was the story of a USA-settled Indian trying to arrange his marriage in India.
Anjan Srivastav brought issues of the common man into focus through Wagle Ki Duniya, adapted from the cartoons of R.K. Laxman.
Siddharth Kak and Renuka Shahane hosting Surbhi, the show which depicted Indian culture in great depth.
Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru in Bharat Ek Khoj, the historical drama based on the book The Discovery of India.
A still from Nukkad starring Dilip Dhawan (as Guru) and Rama Vij (as Teacherji). The show based on everyday problems of people from the lower-income group has a massive recall value.
Rajani, portrayed by Priya Tendulkar, was a path-breaking show as it showed the lead character, a housewife, taking on the corrupt, inept system.
Shah Rukh Khan during his days as a television actor, in the show Fauji. SRK played a soldier named Abhimanyu Rai in the serial.
Ayako Kobayashi as 'Oshin' in the popular Japanese drama that was aired on Indian television.
A snapshot of the Ek Chidiya, Anek Chidiyan song aimed at teaching children values of unity and teamwork.
Numerous famous sports personalities featured in this Freedom Run video that was played on national television on a regular basis.
Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra and Mithun Chakraborty in the song Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, which promoted national integration and unity in diversity.
Not only television shows but commercials in the 1980s and 90s also gained popularity. Here are some honourable mentions...
The cute kid in a popular ad for an edible oil brand.
Jaaved Jaaferi and Pankaj Kapur featured in this much-loved commercial for a tomato sauce nearly two decades ago.
And let's not forget the world of TV news...
How can we miss out on a newsreader of the 90s? This is Kaveri Mukerjee.
ADVERTISEMENT
