Alif Laila

Alif Laila is an Indian television series based on the One Thousand and One Nights, also known as the Arabian Nights.[1] It was produced by Sagar Arts.[2] It was made in two seasons. The series from 1993–1997 for 143 episodes on DD National.

Alif Laila
Also known asArabian Nights
GenreFantasy
Based onOne Thousand and One Nights
Screenplay byRamanand Sagar
Directed by
  • Anand Sagar
  • Prem Sagar
  • Moti Sagar
Theme music composerRavindra Jain
Opening themeKrishna M. Gupta
Ending themeKrishna M. Gupta
ComposerRavindra Jain
Country of originIndia
Original languages
  • Hindi
  • Urdu
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes303
Production
ProducerSubhash Sagar
Running time23 Minutes
Production companySagar Arts
Release
Original networkDD National
Picture format480i
First shown inIndia
Original release1993 (1993) –
1997 (1997)

The plotline of the series starts from the very beginning when Shahrzad starts telling stories to Shahryar and contains both the well-known and the lesser-known stories from the One Thousand and One Nights which are mentioned here. The name Alif Laila is a short form of the original Arabic title of the One Thousand and One Nights - Alif Layla wa-Layla (Arabic: ألف ليلة وليلة‎).

Stories

Season 1
  • 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 Old Man (Pahla Musaafir aur Do Kutton ki Kahaani)
  • Ep 9-13 Story of the Second Old Man (Doosra Musaafir aur Bakri ki Kahaani)
  • Ep 13-15 The Fisherman and the Genie[3] (Maahigir aur Jinn)
  • Ep 15-18 Tale of the Vizier and the Sage Duban (Hakeem Dobaan ki Kahaani)
  • Ep 19-33 Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Aladeen aur Jaadui Chiraagh)
  • Ep 34-47 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves[4] (Ali Baba aur Chaalis Chor)
  • Ep 48-49 Sinbad the Sailor and Pirate Qehermann (Sindbad Jahaazi aur Samudri Daaku Keharmann)
  • Ep 50-55 Sinbad First Voyage
  • Ep 56-69 Sinbad Second Voyage
  • Ep 70-89 Sindbad Third Voyage
  • Ep 90-106 Sindbad Fourth Voyage
  • Ep 107-135 Prince Jalal Talib and Malika Hamira (a.k.a. Prince Jalal Talib and the Three Pearls)[5] (Shahzaada Jalaal Taalib aur Malika Hameera)
  • Ep 136-143 Prince Jamal Saqib and Princess Mahapara (Shahzaada Jamaal Saaqib aur Shahzaadi Mahapaara)

Season 2
  • 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)

Cast

Main
  • Girija Shankar as King Shahryar[6]
  • Damini Kanwal Shetty (Seema Kanwal) as Queen Shahrzad[6][7]

Recurring
  • Shahnawaz Pradhan as Royal Vizier (Prologue), Sinbad the Sailor, clone Badrous (Sinbad arc), thief Asfandyaar (Ali Baba arc)
  • Shweta Rastogi as daughter of Royal Vizier (Prologue)
  • Swati Anand as princess Sofonisba of Gudjistaan [Sharara Gul] (Jishan & Sofonisba arc)
  • R.K. Datta as Trader (Trader & Genie arc), shape-shifter Cheema (Jalal Talib arc)[6]
  • 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)[6]
  • Mulraj Razda as Hakim Douban[6]
  • 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)
  • Hyder Kazmi as Jaadugar Talimosh and Darvesh
  • Navdeep Singh as Aladdin (Aladdin arc)[6]
  • Papiya Sengupta as princess Gulafsha of Naglistaan[6]
  • Sanjeev Sharma as Haasim (Ali Baba arc), Daniel (Jalal Talib arc)
  • Vilas Raj as African magician Zingaalu Zungla (Aladdin arc), pirate Qehermaan/evil shadow Hamzaad (Sinbad arc), shape-shifter Jhingaal (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)[7]
  • Sulakshana Khatri as witch Asbela (Sinbad arc), princess of corpses Asjaar Salatiya (Jalal Talib arc)
  • Jyotin Dave as King of Naglistaan (Aladdin arc), Police chief (Ali Baba arc), Shah of Baghdad (Sinbad arc), King of Shahristaan/dervish (Jalal Talib arc)[7]
  • Sunil Pandey as Sabeer Ahmed (Three Brothers arc), Ali Baba (Ali Baba arc), thief Gufraan (Sinbad arc), vizier Sarbaakh (Two Brothers arc)
  • Tarakesh Chauhan as merchant Qaasim (Ali Baba arc), Balgavaan, Hafiz (Sinbad arc), prince Jalal Talib bin Sheikh Abdul Majeedi of ShahHarounabad (Jalal Talib, Two Brothers arc)
  • Radha Yadav as Dilshad (Ali Baba arc), mother of kidnapped child (Sinbad arc)
  • Jharna Dave as Naubahar (Ali Baba arc), sorceress Zubeidaa (Sinbad arc)
  • Paulomi Mukherjee as lady Shahzamaani (Sinbad arc)
  • Ashwini Sidhwani as fairy Maarukh (Sinbad arc)
  • Sunil Nagar as Sultan Bakht, lady Gazala's lover, Fairy-king of Nigaristaan (Sinbad arc)
  • Payal Mehta as lady Gazala (Sinbad arc), princess Mahapara of Cheestaan (Two Brothers arc)
  • Kumar Hegde as shape-shifter Halkaash (Sinbad arc), genie-lord Aatish Fishaani (Jalal Talib arc), court magician Hattat (Two Brothers arc)[7]
  • Mona Parikh as lady Kulussun (Sinbad arc), princess Tayyabah of Shahristaan (Jalal Talib arc)
  • Lata Haya (née Lata Nagar) as Queen Malika-e-Aliyah (Sinbad arc), witch-queen Hameera (Jalal Talib arc)[7]
  • Sanjeev Siddharth as genie Dara (Jalal Talib arc)
  • Anupama Pardesi as courtesan Gulroo/serpent-princess Bargamaayi (Sinbad arc)
  • Swati as fairy Shaheedi (Sinbad arc)
  • Neha Grewal, Hetal Panchal, Heena as fairies (Jalal Talib arc)
  • Mukul Nag as prince Jamal Saakib of ShahHarounabad (Two Brothers arc)
  • Arvind Raosaraya as magician Gaaradgar (Two Brothers arc)
  • Aslam, Gyan, Amar, Shirke, Muniraj, Kaleem, Ajay, A. Sodhi, Ramesh Ambavale, Akhtar, Vinod, Nagesh played minor roles in every story arc.[6][8]
  • Vikram Sharma as Jadugar Hawabaaj

Home media

The episodes of Alif Laila were released on both VCD and DVD format from Moserbaer. The DVD[9] release was marketed as 20 volumes consisting of 143 episodes, while the VCD[10] released as 50 sets. There have also been DVD and VCD releases of single story arcs.

The 160 episodes of season 2 have been made available on MX Player on the official channel of Sri Adhikari Brothers.[11]

Broadcast

The show was syndicated in Bengali on BTV, Gazi Television, and ETV (Bangladesh). copyright owned by Sagar Pictures as of 2009 The show has re-aired on channels owned by Shri Adhikari Brothers since its original run. It re-aired from June 2011 on Dabangg TV, from 2012 to 2013 on Dhamaal TV, from 2013 to 2016 on Dabangg TV again[12][13] and in 2017 on Dillagi TV. It is being broadcast again during the quarantine period in India on DD Bharati from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM & also on DD1 from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM (Mon to Fri). And in this pandemic event it is been re-aired on enter10 channel at 7:00 P.M. (monday-sunday) [14]

References
  1. Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. pp. 42, 63, 572. ISBN 978-0-85170-455-5. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  2. Ravi Shanker Kapoor (2000). More equal than others: a study of the Indian Left. Vision Books. ISBN 978-81-7094-381-5.
  3. A selection of stories from Alif laila wa laila: the Arabian nights' entertainment. Ginn & co. 1892.
  4. Frank Moore Colby; Talcott Williams (1918). The New international encyclopædia. Dodd, Mead and company.
  5. "Buy Jalal Talib Aur Malika Hamira DVD, Blu-ray Online at Best Prices in India | Movies & TV Shows". Amazon.in. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  6. "Alif Laila (TV Series 1997–2002)".
  7. "Alif Laila". nettv4u.
  8. "Alif Laila Original TV Cast". 8 December 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  9. "Buy Alif Laila: 1001 Nights - Vol. 1 to 20 (Episodes - 1 to 143) DVD, Blu-ray Online at Best Prices in India | Movies & TV Shows". Amazon.in. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  10. "Buy Alif Laila (World's Greatest Tales from Arabian Nights) DVD, Blu-ray Online at Best Prices in India | Movies & TV Shows". Amazon.in. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  11. "Watch Alif Laila Serial All Latest Episodes and Videos Online on MX Player". www.mxplayer.in.
  12. "Dhamaal TV - Alif Laila".
  13. "Dabangg TV - Alif Laila".
  14. https://twitter.com/DD_Bharati/status/1245355189134999552
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