Many wonderful serials have been aired on Indian television, and some of them were hugely popular. Every day people wait (or waited) to catch the latest episode of their favorite serials and become engrossed in the lives of their favorite characters. Stars of many of these daily soaps went on to have successful Bollywood careers as well. As many of them focused on the saas-bahu relationship, they had a ready audience as Indian families lapped up the stories of these fictional families which they could relate to. Check out some of the most watched daily soaps on Indian TV:
Diya AurBati Hum
Aired on Star Plus, it was first televised on 2011 and has been one of the top rated daily soaps, with a loyal fan following. The plot revolves around Sandhya who wants to be an IPS officer but has to struggle to overcome middle class values and about her husband Sooraj who has his own sweet shop, and is less educated than his wife.
Shanti
Shanti was the first daily soap on Indian television, which aired on DD National in 1994, and was later broadcast on Star Plus again. It had a massive following and the story of two friends with a guarded past, unearthed by the young journalist Shanti. Its mixture of betrayal, love and treachery made it a compelling watch.
Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin
At the time when saas-bahu serials were the norm, Jassi was like a breath of fresh air, and the Indian soap opera gained a new star. The Indian version of “Ugly Betty”, JassiWalia with her geeky glasses, clumsy ways, braces and a golden heart won over her sophisticated colleagues and handsome boss and the entire nation. The show was extremely popular and designers launched Jassi collections. Even the Indian postal department featured a first day cover with Mona Singh, who played Jassi, on the first anniversary of the show.
BalikaVadhu
The show started in 2008 and had a successful run till 2016. It depicted the story of the child bride Anandi who married Jagdish, and the ups and downs in their relationship, as they grow up together. The endearing storyline had millions of fans, and continued its success, even though the lead character Anandi was played by two different actresses at two different points of time.
Saath Nibhana Sathiya
Two cousins get married to two brothers in the Modi family. The cousins are completely different from each other and the story follows their life and strife in the family. It has completed 1000 episodes till date and still going strong.
SaathNibhanaSathiya
First aired in 2009, this daily soap struck a chord with Indian viewers as it portrayed two people who fell in love after an arranged marriage and how they stand by each other and face all of life’s problems. The families are from Rajasthan and the culture and custom of Rajasthan forms the base storyline.
Yeh Hain Mohabbatein
This soap opera follows the life of a couple belonging to different cultures, but manage to live a happy life. This is one of the few shows which have more happy moments and is one of the most watched daily soaps on TV.
Udaan
A daily soap which is produced by Mahesh Bhatt has gained a lot of popularity. It is based on Mahesh Bhatt’s unreleased film with the same name.
Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
This daily comedy has been a favorite of many since 2008. It appeals to people of all ages and has multicultural harmony as its theme and depicts how everyone celebrates all their festivals together, help each other and every episode ends with a moral message.
Swabhimaan
Surprisingly, this daily soap was a hit with Indian wives, as it dealt with the story of the “other” woman, whose patron dies, leaving her his fortune, and how she takes on his family and fights for her inheritance, keeping her “swabhimaan” / self-respect intact.
Daily soap operas relieve the monotony of the day and allow millions of people a respite from the struggles of daily life. Laughter or drama, Indian television has something for everyone, belonging to all ages and lifestyles.
