Date:06/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/06/stories/2008070651391100.htm

National

Replay the Ramayana on this phone

Special Correspondent

Sagem-Bleu mobile has 75 minutes of video from 1980s serial

— Photo: Special Arrangement

Culture mobile: Sagem-Bleu’s 466X Ramayana phone.

Bangalore: It claimed a world record as the most-viewed mythology serial on TV and it riveted Indian audiences for 18 months in 1987 -88.

Now a new handset launched in India by the French mobile phone maker Sagem — the Bleu 466X — comes pre-installed with 75 minutes of video edited from the 45 hours of the original 78-instalment Ramanand Sagar series, ‘Ramayana,’ by his son Prem Sagar.

Devotional songs and slokas

The content was enabled by Sagem’s India distributor, Pratham, who has also included another two hours of devotional songs and slokas enhanced with animation.

Music player

The Rs. 4199 phone includes a music player, an FM radio on speakerphone, Bluetooth connectivity, a VGA-quality camera and a video recording feature.

A free 512 MB data card is also being offered as part of the launch.