India’s First Soap Opera Hum Log
This was the first soap opera to be aired in India. Starting off on July 1984, the show was aired on Doordarshan, which was the only television channel in India at that time. The show aimed at the daily lives and struggles of an average Indian middle-class family and enjoyed a huge fan following.
India's First Singing Reality Show Antakshari
Long before reality shows became a tug-of-war for TRPs and SMSes, Antakshari used to be the platform for budding singers. Hosted by Annu Kapoor with a number of female hosts, namely Durga Jasraj, Renuka Shahane, Pallavi Joshi, Shefali, Rajeshwari Sachdev and Richa Sharma, the show was a huge success and ran for almost 13 years.
India's First Dancing Reality Show Boogie Woogie
Whenever we think of dance on Indian television, Boogie Woogie is the first name that comes to mind. Hosted by the multitalented Javed Jaffery with his brother Naved Jaffery and Ravi Behl, Boogie Woogie was started in 1997. The show was a huge success among Indian youth, and ran for many seasons.
India’s First Mythological Show Ramayana
The show that gave the star cast the status of God was the first mythological show to be aired in India. Starring Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhalia as Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, the 1987 show was written and directed by Ramanand Sagar, the man behind many such mythological shows.
India’s First Superhero Serial Shaktimaan
The kids of 90’s can never forget how Shaktimaan became a household name in India, and left a lasting impression on their hearts and minds. Produced by Mukesh Khanna, who also acted the main role, the show ran from 1997 to 2005.
India’s First Musical Show Chitrahaar
Probably the longest running show in India, Chitrahaar started in 1960s. The show is one of its kinds, and runs Bollywood songs on special request from the readers. Chitrahaar is still very popular in rural India.
India’s First Family Comedy Show Dekh Bhai Dekh
Probably the craziest family on Indian television, the Dewans are still etched in our memories. Starring Navin Nischol, Farida Jalal, Shekhar Suman, Bhawana Balsaver and Sushma Seth, the show revolved around an upper-middle-class Indian family, and was very popular for its quirky humour and tongue-in-cheek situations the family members faced.
India’s First Horror Television Show Zee Horror Show
While the Bollywood endeavours of Ramsay Brothers didn’t do much business for them, their fates changed when they moved to television. Starting a horror show on Indian television proved to be highly beneficial for them, as the 1993 horror show presented on Zee TV gained heights in terms of success.
India’s First Fantasy Show Chandrakanta
The first fantasy television series was partly based on Devaki Nandan Khatri's novel. Started in 1994, the show was produced by Nirja Guleri and directed by Sunil Agnihotri. It starred Shahbaz Khan and Shikha Swaroop in the main leads.
India’s First Cultural Magazine Show Surabhi
This was the first and possibly the only cultural magazine show in India. It was hosted by popular actress Renuka Shahane and Siddharth Kak, and was started in 1993 on Doordarshan. The show had Indian culture as the central theme. The show also has a name in the Limca Book of Records as it received the maximum number of postcards in the form of audience response in a week.
India’s First Alien Comedy Show Badi Door Se Aaye Hain
Started in 2014, this show is slowly gaining popularity, because of the eccentric humour. The show revolves around an alien family that visits earth to look for their lost son. The show stars Sumeet Raghavan, Rupali Bhosale, Vinay Rohrra, Punit Talreja, Bakhtiyaar Irani and Tanaaz Irani.
