Betaal Pachisi (TV series)
Betaal Pachisi is an Indian television series based on the comic strip The Phantom. The 49-episode Hindi series originally ran from 1997 to 1998 on DD National. It was directed by Sunil Agnihotri and starred Shahbaz Khan, Sonu Walia, Puneet Issar, Tom Alter and Vindu Dara Singh.[1][2][3]
| Betaal Pachisi | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Based on | The Phantom by Lee Falk |
| Directed by | Sunil Agnihotri |
| Opening theme | "Ye To Hai Betaal" |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of episodes | 49 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | DD National |
| Release | |
| Original network | DD National |
| Original release | 26 May 1997 – 1998 |
Cast
Shahbaz Khan as Betaal
A. K. Hangal as Baba
Tom Alter as CID Officer Harry
Sonu Walia as TV reporter
Vindu Dara Singh as Zulmato
Puneet Issar as Kabira (Main antagonist) aka Danav Samrat
Krutika Desai Khan as Naina Jogan
Nimai Bali as Teja
Shiva Rindani as Hiboo/Evu Jingora
Mac Mohan as Mackie
Shehzad Khan as Shahdie
Sudhir as Bash
Sagar Salunke
Arjun as Marko the Magician
Rajendra Gupta as Felix the Don / Professor
Deep Dhillon as Jakaali
Javed Khan as Forest Officer
Akhilendra Mishra as Yakoo
Reena Wadhwa as Maharani Kakooti
Tinnu Anand as Alex the Don
Polly as ET
Surendra Pal as Zulmato's sidekick
Archana Joglekar as Nagin
Daman Maan as Jadugar Garsha
Usha Bachani as Rajkumari Ballari
Controversy
The show faced a lawsuit when King Features Syndicate filed a case arguing that Sunil Agnihotri had copied the idea of The Phantom comic strips for the Betaal series.[4][5] However, the court ruled that only the unique expression of an idea could be protected, not the idea itself.[6]
References
- "Star of Chandrakanta and Betaal Pachisi, Shahbaz Khan to cut his first album". India Today. 29 September 1997.
- "Fanning out fantasy". The Hindustan Times. 8 October 1997. Archived from the original on January 28, 1999.
- "TRPs of Krishna on DD falls as Betaal Pachisi draws lot of viewers". India Today. 28 July 1997.
- Narayanan, Parameswaran (2007). Law of copyright and industrial designs. Eastern Law House. pp. 17, 46. ISBN 978-81-7177-190-5. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- "Business World". Ananda Bazar Patrika Ltd. January 1997: 46. Retrieved 23 April 2012. Cite journal requires
|journal=(help) - Mayur Suresh; Atreyee Majumder; Lawrence Liang. "Encountering the Sustaining Myths of Copyright" (PDF). Infochangeindia.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2012-04-23.