Alif Laila - 1993

Introduction

Alif Laila is an Indian television series based on the stories from One Thousand and One Nights, also known as the Arabian Nights. The show was produced by Sagar Films and originally aired on DD National from 1993 to 1997. The series was directed by Amrit Sagar and starred actors such as Girja Shankar, Shahbaaz Khan, and Seema Vaz.

The show tells the stories of Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad, as well as other characters from the Arabian Nights. Each episode typically features a different story, with elements of fantasy, adventure, and romance. The show was extremely popular in India and other parts of South Asia, and is considered a classic of Indian television.

Table of contents 

• Details

• Story

• Release

• Casting

• Crew

• Character Analysis

• Seasons

• TRP

• Awards

• Conclusion

Details

Story

The plot of the TV show Alif Laila revolves around the tales and stories from the collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales called "One Thousand and One Nights," also known as the "Arabian Nights." The show is divided into two seasons, with each episode featuring a different story from the collection.

The show's first season focuses primarily on stories featuring Scheherazade's character, the original collection's storyteller, and her attempts to entertain and save her life by narrating a series of tales to the king. This season's stories include Aladdin and his magic lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Sinbad the Sailor.

The show's second season shifts its focus to other stories and characters from the collection, such as the story of King Shahryar and his wife Shahrazad and the story of the clever and resourceful thief, Haroon al-Rashid, who becomes the Caliph of Baghdad. This season's stories also feature fantasy, adventure, and romance elements.

Throughout the series, the stories are interwoven with elements of comedy, drama, and suspense, making it an entertaining and engaging watch for the audience. The series was extremely popular in India and other parts of South Asia and is considered a classic of Indian television.

Release

Play

The show was first premiered on DD National on December 1993 and ran for 2 seasons till 1997. Each episode of the show was around 45 minutes long. The show was aired on DD National on every Sunday at 8:00 PM IST.

The series was extremely popular in India and other parts of South Asia, and is considered a classic of Indian television. The show was dubbed in many languages like Hindi, Urdu and Bengali and was also telecasted in other countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

The show was also re-telecasted on different channels like Sahara One and Sony SAB. Due to its popularity and the timeless nature of the stories, the series has been re-released on DVD and is also available on streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube.

Casting 

• Girija Shankar as King Shahryar

• Damini Kanwal Shetty (Seema Kanwal) as Queen Shahrzad

• Firoz Ali as Shehzada Afaque

• Shahnawaz Pradhan as Royal Vizier (Prologue), Sinbad the Sailor, clone Badrous (Sinbad arc), thief Asfandyaar (Ali Baba arc)

• Pramod Kapoor as merchant Sirajuddin Shareef Zardaari (Trader & goat arc), prince Gulfaam/Shah Khurram of Mehrabaad/sorcerer Misri (Sinbad arc), sorcerer Azgar (Jalal Taalib arc), King Baazik (Two Brothers arc)

• Mulraj Razda as Hakim Douban

• Neela Patel as fisherman's wife (Fisherman & Genie arc), Aladdin's mother (Aladdin arc), Shah of Baghdad's consort (Sinbad arc), Queen Zamaani of Shahristaan (Jalal Talib arc)

• Papiya Sengupta as princess Gulafsha of Naglistaan

• Sanjeev Sharma as Haasim (Ali Baba arc), Daniel (Jalal Talib arc)

• Pinky Parikh as Duraksha (Trader & goat arc), Fairy Zeba Zeemi Shaheen (Aladdin arc), Marjina (Ali Baba arc), princess Badroulbadour and witch-queen Taaguti (Sinbad arc)

• Sulakshana Khatri as witch Asbela (Sinbad arc), princess of corpses Asjaar Salatiya (Jalal Talib arc)

• Radha Yadav as Dilshad (Ali Baba arc), mother of kidnapped child (Sinbad arc)

• Lata Haya (née Lata Nagar) as Queen Malika-e-Aliyah (Sinbad arc), witch-queen Hameera (Jalal Talib arc)

• Mukul Nag as prince Jamal Saakib of ShahHarounabad (Two Brothers arc)

Season 1 (1993-1995)

• Ep 1-2 Prologue to the story of King Shahryar and Queen Shahrzad

• Ep 2-6 The Trader and the Genie (Taajir aur Jinn)

• Ep 6-9 Story of the First Traveller (Pahla Musaafir aur Do Kutton ki Kahaani)

• Ep 9-13 Story of the Second Traveller (Doosra Musaafir aur Bakri ki Kahaani)

• Ep 13-15 The Fisherman and the Genie (Maahigir aur Jinn)

• Ep 15-18 Tale of the Vizier and the Sage Duban (Hakeem Dobaan ki Kahaani)

• Ep 19-33 Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (Aladeen aur Jaadui Chiraagh)

• Ep 34-47 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Ali Baba aur Chaalis Chor)

• Ep 48-49 Sinbad the Sailor and Pirate Qehermann (Sindbad Jahaazi aur Samudri Daaku Keharmann)

• Ep 50-55 Sinbad's First Voyage

• Ep 56-69 Sinbad's Second Voyage

• Ep 70-89 Sindbad's Third Voyage

• Ep 90-106 Sindbad's Fourth Voyage

• Ep 107-135 Prince Jalal Talib and Malika Hamira (a.k.a. Prince Jalal Talib and the Three Pearls), (Shahzaada Jalaal Taalib aur Malika Hameera)

• Ep 136-143 Prince Jamal Saqib and Princess Mahapara (Shahzaada Jamaal Saaqib aur Shahzaadi Mahapaar)

Season 2 (1995-1997)

• The Night-Adventures of Caliph Harun al-Rashid (Khaleefa Haarun Rasheed ke Gashte)

• The Caliph's Judgement

• Story of the Blind Man (Andhe Faqeer Jamaal ki Kahaani)

• Zishan and Sofonisba (Zishaan aur Sofonisba), loosely based on the History of Sidi Nu'uman

• History of Khwajah Hasan al-Habbal (Khwaaja Hasan Khabaal ki Kahaani)

• Two Brothers Jalal and Bilal (Do Bhaai Jalaal aur Bilaal)

• Prince Afat and Firoza vs Firoz

• (Epilogue to the story of Shahryar and Shahrzad)

Crew

The TV show "Alif Laila" is based on the Arabic classic "One Thousand and One Nights" (also known as "Arabian Nights"). The show was produced by Sagar Films and directed by Amrit Sagar. The cast includes actors such as Siddharth Kak, Shahbaaz Khan, and Zafar Karachiwala, who portrayed various characters from the stories featured in the show. The show was highly popular in India and aired on Doordarshan, the national television network.

Character Analysis

One of the main characters is Aladdin, a young man who is a street performer. He is kind-hearted and brave, and his adventures include finding a magic lamp and using it to defeat an evil sorcerer.

Another main character is Sinbad the Sailor, who is known for his daring voyages and adventures. He is a skilled sailor and a brave warrior, he is also a bit of a trickster and tends to rely on his wit and cunning to get out of tricky situations.

Scheherazade, the queen of the fictional kingdom is another important character, who is the narrator of the tales. She is a clever and resourceful woman who uses her storytelling skills to keep her husband, the king, entertained and prevent him from executing her as per his daily ritual.

Ali Baba is a poor woodcutter who stumbles upon a band of robbers' hidden treasure. He is a clever, resourceful and a brave man who outwits the robbers.

The stories in "Alif Laila" also feature a variety of supporting characters, such as genies, sorcerers, princes, and princesses, each with their own unique personalities and characteristics. Overall, the show offers a rich cast of characters, each with their unique story and personality, making the show interesting and engaging.

Seasons

TRP

"Alif Laila" was a highly popular TV show in India and it is believed to have had high TRP (television rating point) ratings during its original run. TRP is a measure of the popularity of a particular TV show, based on the number of people watching it. A higher TRP rating generally indicates that a show is more popular with viewers. However, as this show was aired on Doordarshan, the national television network of India, the exact TRP ratings for the show are not publicly available. The show was aired in late 90s and early 2000s, it was one of the most-watched television series during that time. It was one of the first fantasy and adventure show that was aired on Indian television and it was quite popular among the audience.

Awards

Television prizes for Alif Laila's writing and acting have also been received. The event was named the most outstanding show of the year. The show had a few seasons that were broadcast on two separate channels. Later, in the late 1920s, a private channel acquired the copyright to air the program.

Conclusion

It is also notable for being one of the first Indian TV shows to be based on the Arabic classic "One Thousand and One Nights" (also known as "Arabian Nights"). The show's popularity was based on the audience's love for fantasy and adventure stories and it was one of the most-watched television series during its air time.