Janmashtami, celebrated on September 7th this year, is a significant festival in India where Lord Krishna’s devotees immerse themselves in his worship. Over the years, many actors have portrayed the role of Lord Krishna on television. One such iconic TV serial from the 90s was “Shri Krishna,” which was widely watched across households. The lead role in this serial was played by Sarvadaman D. Banerjee, who gained immense popularity for his portrayal. Just like Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhalia in their respective roles as Lord Ram and Sita, Sarvadaman D. Banerjee also became a revered figure, with people genuinely worshipping him for his serene and divine portrayal. However, now Sarvadaman D. Banerjee has distanced himself from the glamour world.
He Didn’t Want to Do TV Shows
Sarvadaman Banerjee had previously expressed his reluctance to do TV serials. In an interview with Hindustan Times in 2017, he stated, “I never wanted to do TV. I was doing films because even a single shot in a film lasts for 100 years. Then Ramanand Sagar called me. I knew he was calling me for a TV show, so I didn’t want to go. I felt TV was not an art.”
He Never Watched His Own Show
Eventually, he met Ramanand Sagar, and that’s when he agreed to do the TV show. He said, “I went inside, and they handed me a stack of papers. They said, ‘These are your dialogues.’ I tried to run away, but then Ramanand Sagar walked in. What happened next, everyone knows.” Afterward, “Shri Krishna” became a cult show on Indian television. He mentioned, “This show ran for 10 years. I signed it in 1990, and it was for 1994. The way its popularity increased, it felt like an atom bomb had fallen in my bedroom. But to this day, I haven’t watched that show.”
Notable Success Eluded Him After “Shri Krishna”
After “Shri Krishna,” he did some other work, but he didn’t achieve significant success. Sarvadaman says, “A few years after ‘Shri Krishna,’ I asked Sagar once when he would direct me again, and he said, ‘Whenever I see you, I feel like I’m looking at God, so I just fold my hands.’ No director can praise me better than that.”
