''Alif Laila'' is an Indian television series based on the ''

One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

'', also known as the ''Arabian Nights''. It was produced by

Sagar Arts Sagar Pictures Entertainment is an Indian film and television production company based in Mumbai, India. It was founded by Ramanand Sagar and is a part of the Sagar Group of companies owned by the Sagar family. Sagar Pictures is also a dubbing ...

. It was made in two seasons. The series from 1993 to 1997 for 143 episodes on

DD National DD National (formerly DD1) is a state-owned public entertainment television channel in India. It is the flagship channel of Doordarshan, India's public service broadcaster, and the oldest and most widely available terrestrial television channel ...

. 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'' ( ar, ألف ليلة وليلة).

Stories

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 Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic mytho ...

(''Taajir aur

Jinn Jinn ( ar, , ') – also Romanization of Arabic, romanized as djinn or Anglicization, anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are Invisibility, invisible creatures in early Arabian mytho ...

'') *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 Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...

and the Magic Lamp (''Aladeen aur Jaadui Chiraagh'') *Ep 34-47

Ali Baba "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" ( ar, علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale from the '' One Thousand and One Nights''. It was added to the collection in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who heard ...

and the Forty Thieves (''Ali Baba aur Chaalis Chor'') *Ep 48-49

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghdad ...

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 Mahapaara'')

Season 2 (1995 - 1997)

* The Night-Adventures of

Caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

Harun al-Rashid Abu Ja'far Harun ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi ( ar , أبو جعفر هارون ابن محمد المهدي) or Harun ibn al-Mahdi (; or 766 – 24 March 809), famously known as Harun al-Rashid ( ar, هَارُون الرَشِيد, translit=Hārūn ...

(''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 *

Damini Kanwal Shetty Damini Kanwal Shetty is an Indian film producer, writer and actress. She acted in serials like ''Parampara'', '' Alif Laila'' and played Yashoda’s role in famous Indian TV show ''Shri Krishna'' in 1993 which was telecasted in DD National ...

(Seema Kanwal) as Queen Shahrzad * Firoz Ali as Shehzada Afaque

Recurring

Shahnawaz Pradhan Shahnawaz Pradhan is an Indian television and film actor, best known for his portrayal of Sindbad the Sailor in the popular fantasy television series, ''Alif Laila'' (1993–97) and playing Hafiz Saeed in ''Phantom''. He has also acted in the Ma ...

as Royal Vizier (Prologue),

, clone Badrous (Sinbad arc), thief Asfandyaar (Ali Baba arc) *

Pramod Kapoor Pramod Kapoor (born 1953) is an Indian writer and publisher, who in 1978 founded Roli Books, a publishing company that prints books pertaining to Indian heritage. In 2016, for his contributions to publishing, he was awarded the Chevalier de la ...

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 This is a list of characters from the ABC Daytime– Prospect Park soap opera, ''One Life to Live'', that began their run between the beginning of 2010 and the final cancelation of the show. Tomás Delgado Tomás Delgado is a fictional charac ...

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 Papiya Sengupta is an Indian television actress, who has appeared in Hindi television series, like Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani, ''Savdhaan India'', '' Fear Files: Darr Ki Sacchi Tasvirein'' and '' Anamika''. She appeared in ''Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum' ...

as princess Gulafsha of Naglistaan *

Sanjeev Sharma Sanjeev Sharma (born 25 August 1965) is a former Indian cricketer , entrepreneur & cricket coach who played in two Test matches and 23 One Day Internationals from 1988 to 1997. As right arm medium pace bowler, he was one of several bowlers t ...

as Haasim (Ali Baba arc), Daniel (Jalal Talib arc) *

Pinky Parikh Pinky Parikh is an Indian actress from Gujarat, India. She is well known for her act in Ramanand Sagar's ''Shri Krishna'' (1994) as Rukmini, which starred Sarvadaman D. Banerjee as Krishna. She also acted in various Indian TV serials and films. ...

as Duraksha (Trader & goat arc), Fairy Zeba Zeemi Shaheen (Aladdin arc), Marjina (Ali Baba arc), princess

Badroulbadour Badroulbadour / Badr ul-Badour / Badr al-Badur ( ar, بدر البدور ', "full moon of full moons") is a princess whom Aladdin married in ''The Story of Aladdin; or, the Wonderful Lamp''. Her name uses the full moon as a metaphor for female beau ...

and witch-queen Taaguti (Sinbad arc) *

Sulakshana Khatri Sulakshana Khatri is an Indian actress who mainly works in television serials. Filmography Films * ''Abu Kala'' (1990) * ''Meera Dataar'' (1999) * ''Angaar: The Fire'' (2002) * ''Krishna Aur Kans ''Krishna Aur Kans'' () is a 2012 Hindi Fl ...

as witch Asbela (Sinbad arc), princess of corpses Asjaar Salatiya (Jalal Talib arc) *

Radha Yadav Radha Prakash Yadav (born 21 April 2000) is an Indian cricketer. She plays for Mumbai, Baroda and West zone. She has played 4 First-class, 13 List A and 16 Women's Twenty20 matches. She made her debut in major domestic cricket on 10 January 20 ...

as Dilshad (Ali Baba arc), mother of kidnapped child (Sinbad arc) *

Lata Haya ''Kasturi'' is an Indian soap opera that aired on STAR Plus channel from 23 April 2007 through 31 March 2009. The soap opera was created by Ekta Kapoor and was produced by her production company Balaji Telefilms Balaji Telefilms is an Indi ...

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

Mukul Nag Mukul Nag is an Indian actor. He is best known for playing the revered saint, Sai Baba of Shirdi, in the Hindi language historical drama series ''Sai Baba (TV series)''. The series was produced by Sagar Films and broadcast by Star Plus in 2008. ...

as prince Jamal Saakib of ShahHarounabad (Two Brothers arc)

Home media

The episodes of ''Alif Laila'' were released on both

VCD Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the ...

and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

format from Moserbaer. The DVD release was marketed as 20 volumes consisting of 143 episodes.

Broadcast

The show was syndicated in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

on BTV, Gazi Television. 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 and on Dhamaal TV from 2013 to 2016. In 2020 it was broadcast during the quarantine period on DD Bharati.

References

External links

Sagar Pictures website
{{Sinbad the Sailor DD National original programming Indian anthology television series 1993 Indian television series debuts Indian fantasy television series Works based on One Thousand and One Nights Television shows based on fairy tales Works based on Aladdin 1997 Indian television series endings Genies in television Works based on Sinbad the Sailor Works based on Ali Baba Jinn in popular culture Arabian mythology in popular culture Television series about Islam Islam in popular culture Islam in fiction