Starting from January 21, 2008, NDTV Imagine will present ‘Ramayan' – a brand new television series based on Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.

Produced by Sagar Arts, the family that introduced mythologies on television, this age old classic is retold with grand sets, new star cast and lilting music. The all-new ‘Ramayan' will be aired every Monday to Thursday at 9:30 pm only on NDTV Imagine.

The enthralling production values and fresh approach to the storytelling gives the new ‘Ramayan' an appeal that will entertain and delight viewers across all age groups.

The entire production is being executed at Sagar Film City in Baroda where grand sets have been erected to depict key areas in the kingdom of Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram.

This new version has the advantage of being produced in times of huge technical advancements which will greatly enhance the story telling in a compelling new way.

Announcing the launch of the show, Mr. Sameer Nair, CEO, NDTV Imagine, said, "'Ramayan' is a tale for every generation.

It is multi-layered, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional... and this brand new daily version of the timeless classic has been interpreted to cater to the taste of a shining, modern India.

Television is all about great stories well told, and for us, ‘Ramayan' is India's greatest story ever and we hope to re-tell it in a compelling, entertaining manner."

The characters in ‘Ramayan' will be essayed by a new generation of actors – Gurmeet Choudhary will play the lead of Lord Ram, while Debina Bonnerjee plays Sita. The three key characters of Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan will be played by Ankit Arora, Vije Bhatia and Lalit Negi respectively.

Some of the country's best talents are associated with the show: The music of ‘Ramayan' has been composed by Ravindra Jain and the extravagant sets have been designed by renowned art director Omang Kumar.

Celebrated designer Nisha Sagar has created the costumes and accessories and Kavita Krishnamurthy and Suresh Wadkar have lent their voices for the title track.

Commenting on the show announcement, Mr. Prem Sagar said, "'Ramayan' like river Ganga, is sacred, timeless and immeasurable.

A dip in the values of idealism and sacrifice embodied in ‘Ramayan' is like a bath in the Ganga that purifies your thought, speech and action and washes away all evil gathered as time has moved life.

Twenty years ago, our revered father Dr. Ramanand Sagar created a revolution through a blockbuster show. Now, we... the second and third generation hope to recreate the same magic".

Adds Mr. Nair, "'Ramayan' has a huge connect with audiences across the country and has all the elements that will deliver on our promise to entertain and delight.

The Sagar's are powerful storytellers and the final word in creating mythological epics for television and we believe that our partnership has the potential to make ‘Ramayan' a show that the whole family will watch together every evening."

NDTV Imagine will hit TV screens on 21st January, 2008. It will offer programming across genres, ranging from light-hearted family soaps to period dramas and from high voltage music and dance entertainers to the most glamorous events in the entertainment business.