For a creative genius like Dr Ramanand Sagar who has produced, written and directed several successful movies, the making of Ramayan for Indian pubcaster Doordarshan was the most satisfying moment.

Easily the most-watched show on Indian television, the tele-epic serial moved across the globe to be seen by a total of 650 million viewers. "We felt like it was the hand of God working to create a miracle," remembers son Prem Sagar.

It was quite a miracle. Families across the country used to greet the show ringing bells and blowing conch shells. Some long-distance trains used to stop at certain stations as passengers refused to leave the platform during the telecast.

Sagar, who started as a clapper boy in a silent movie, conceived the idea of making mythologies for television in 1975 when he was shooting for Charas in a village on the French side of Alps. At a restaurant while waiting for food, he had the first sight of colour television. "Immediately it dawned on him that television would surpass movies as the most powerful mass medium. He decided to make three mythologies - Ramayan, Shri Krishna and Jai Maa Durga," recalls Prem Sagar.

It would be a long wait. No corporate house was willing to fund the project. Besides, it took six to seven years to wind up his distribution business and movie contracts. Sagar worked on Vikram Aur Betal to test the market, before venturing into Ramayan. Real work on the mythology started in 1985, two years before it got launched on Doordarshan.

The final clearance came on 16 January, 1987. Sagar was given 10 days to put the show on air. "We were not given enough of time. We went ahead, without having a bank," says Prem Sagar. Ramayan went on to make history on Indian television and DD's Sunday morning became the most popular slot.

Sagar's next project was Shri Krishna which was aired on DD-2, a channel which was finding difficult to rope in audiences. It ran on the network for three years before moving to DD-1. "The national broadcaster made Rs 130 crore from airtime," says Prem Sagar.

Sagar, who was conferred the Padma Shri Award, has been involved in 2000 hours of television programming including Alif Laila, Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniyan, Tilism-E-Hoshruba and Itihaas Ki Prem Kahaniyan.

Now, at the age of 87, Sagar wants to complete the third sequel - Jai Maa Durga.