COLORS narrates the epic Ramayana through the voice of Luv Kush

There are tales, there are stories, and then there are epic sagas which go on to become memorable; engraved in the minds and hearts of its admirers. One such classic is Ramayana. Not decades but centuries after it was scripted, from the mythological characters to its cultural understanding, its teachings still remain relevant, thus, making it one of the most loved and respected narratives. Revolving around Lord Ram and his beloved wife Sita, the saga shows their difficult yet fulfilling journey and how in spite of the hardships they took the path of righteousness and encouraged others. COLORS is set to bring alive the virtues of Ram-Sita through the lens of their sons Luv-Kush. COLORS' magnum opus Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush is powered by India Gate Basmati Rice and produced by Swastik Productions. The show will premiere on August 05, 2019 and will air every Monday to Friday at 8.30 pm.

Set up in the magical era of the mythological times, the show continues with the return of Lord Ram and Sita after their fourteen years of exile. On their return, it is found that Sita is expecting and amongst all the trumpets and celebrations, many doubt Sita's moral and purity as a result of her captivity in Lanka. This upsets Ram and seeing his dilemma to choose between his wife and Ayodhya vasis, Sita herself decides to leave Ayodhya – upholding her and every woman's honor. With Ram supporting her decision, she sets out all alone to live by herself and gives birth to Luv and Kush – showcasing that beneath the quiet and submissive exterior of Sita, lies immeasurable power. While Luv and Kush are oblivious to their lineage, they imbibe the same wisdom and compassion as their father Ram. They face adversities and overcome them like true warriors which leads them to reunite Ram and Sita, thus completing the eternal epic, Ramayan.

Commenting on the launch of the show, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said, “Indian audience has a penchant for mythological shows as its appeal cuts across all age groups. The shows provide a window to witness the glorious tales through nuanced storytelling and larger than life depictions. Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush will showcase Ramayan narrated from Luv-Kush's standpoint and how they strived to bring their parents together. It will serve as a perfect opportunity for people to reconnect with our culture and relive the timeless tales. The show is one of our biggest launches this year and we are happy to partner with Swastik Productions once again. They are known to breathe life into many mytho-centric stories including our previous offerings Karmphal Data Shani and Mahakali. We are looking at strengthening the 8.30pm timeslot with this show and thus offering variety to our viewers.”

Speaking about the sponsorship, Mr. Ayush Gupta, Business Head, KRBL said, “Indian culture and traditions are largely spun from our scriptures. These values are what makes us humble, humane, brave and intellectually sound at the same time. India Gate Basmati Rice, the largest selling basmati rice brand in India, understands these emotional threads which are woven into the social fabric of Indian society. We are proud to be associated with Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush as it puts impetus and further strengthens our belief in traditional Indian sentiments. We wish the channel and production team all the best for the success of this epic series.”

Speaking about the concept of the show, Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18, said, "Ramayan, the eternally universal unifier, is an embodiment of our strong culture, which brings alive the virtues of faith, love, bravery, brotherhood, and sacrifice. All these factors hold significant relevance in today's day and age and the lessons from the epic have been passed on to from generations over, through its traditional stories. Built on this key insight, Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush will highlight the part of Ramayan which puts the spotlight on Lord Ram and Goddess Sita's sons Luv-Kush, and how they became instrumental in completing Ramayan. The show scales up in terms of detailing in every aspect including storytelling, production value, special effects, and we are hopeful that our vision turns out to be one of the biggest mythological entertainers for our viewers.”

Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, Swastik Productions commented, “This is the biggest and the most revered story of our country. My vision is to take our nation back to its roots. It will not just entertain the viewers but will also educate us about our values and our culture. We have made the story relevant to today's youth as I believe it's very important for them to understand our core. The visualization and the presentation are of the highest standards on Indian television and I am hoping that the entire family can watch this series together to understand the story of our roots, the story of our nation.”

Essaying the character of Lord Ram, Himanshu Soni said, “I have grown up listening to mythological tales and have always been mesmerized by its greatness. This is my second time of playing a godly character and I feel fortunate to be able to recreate the magic through my roles. Playing Lord Ram has been a life-changing experience as it's tough to emulate his powerful demeanor and strength on screen. Doing justice to it was extremely critical to me as an actor. I am looking forward to associating with COLORS and I hope that the viewers appreciate our efforts.”

Portraying Goddess Sita's character, Shivya Pathania, said, “My entire family worships Lord Ram and Sita and they were extremely happy when I broke the news of playing Sita in the show. They felt that their dream has come true through me. I have played various mythological characters in the past but playing Goddess Sita was a different experience altogether. A lot of responsibility lies on your shoulder when you essay a divine character and I wish to live up to everyone's expectations.”

The show features a stellar cast including Harshit Kabra as Luv, Krish Chauhan as Kush, Zuber Ali as Hanuman and Naavi Bhangu as Lakshman amongst many others. In order to show the richness and royal stature, Siya Ke Luv Kush is backed by high production value and the costumes, jewelry, and sets have been designed in a way that it complements the grandeur of the era. From special cuts of Banarasi sarees, georgettes and silk to dried seed and flowers of Santi Niketan, the channel has left no stone unturned to give its viewers a realistic glance. In addition to this, Udit Narayan has sung the title track while the Halidpur brothers, Sangeet and Siddharth have composed it. Renowned choreographer Rekha Chinni Prakash has aesthetically choreographed the opening dance sequence for the show.

To reach the masses, COLORS has launched an aggressive marketing and digital plan. A COLORS Bhakti Ki Yatra was conceptualized which manifested in the form of a holy structure on wheels that hosts Hologram technology to showcase Ramayana's chapters and give Sakshat Darshan of Ram, Siya, Luv, and Kush to the devotees. On top of that, a phenomenal dance by a large troup along with a grand Ashwame structure will also be part of this mega yatra. This initiative will be launched in full swing across key market areas, colleges, and townships in Uttar Pradesh. Further, this will also be promoted through local radio stations, cable, digital, contests, and meet and greet programs. Taking this initiative to the next level, the channel has also collaborated with Google and leveraged its Google Assistance. Through it, the audience will be able to engage with the actors as well as share show gifs. Also, using its extensive social media reach, the channel will be creating a Ram Setu on Twitter by having a slew of influencers engaging through a single tweet and creating an illusion of a bridge on social media.

Witness Luv Kush yarn the eternal Ramayan starting August 05, 2019, every Monday to Friday at 8.30 pm only on COLORS.