Transmedial Texts on Participatory Digital Platforms: Contextualizing the Re-telecast of Ramayana Amidst Covid-19 Lockdown

The protocols of physical distancing during the COVID-19 lockdown hindered the production of new entertainment media resulting in reruns of popular television serials. One such re-telecast was of Ramanand Sagar’s (producer-director) Ramayana on Doordarshan (the public service broadcaster in India) which generated notable excitement amongst the audience. In this context, the paper explores three key elements. Firstly, it delves into the Hindu epic, Ramayana, as a transmedial text that has been adapted across various forms, analyzing its transmission across media. Secondly, it investigates the trend of an engaged audience, assessing how viewers, both old and new, interact with the content on online platforms. Thirdly, it examines the character of Sita played by Dipika Chikhlia to understand how digital platforms help in creating diverse interpretations of a popular public image. Appointing a non-participatory digital ethnography methodology, it explores the symbolic meanings of self-branding and audiences’ expectations when “Sita” meets the internet.