Saath nibhana Saathiya

Issues: Sex determination and women’s education

In the past, the STAR Plus show has underlined the need for women’s education with 20-year-old Gopi (then played by Giaa Manek) going back to school to complete her studies. The current track deals with the practice of sex determination.

Punar Vivaah

Issue: Remarriage

The Zee TV family drama revolves around a widower Yash (TV heart-throb Gurmeet Choudhary), married to single mother Aarti (Kratika Sengar). What’s more, Yash’s 60-plus dad himself remarries out of the need for company in his old age.

Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke

Issue: Violence against women and dowry

The Zee TV show has dealt with a range of social issues like Internet addiction, violence against women and has also highlighted the importance of sporting activities. Young college girls were shown raising their voice against diktats issued by the culture police regarding their choice of clothes.

Bani

Issues: Dowry, illiteracy and fraudulent marriage

The new show on Colors is based in Punjab and deals with true stories of young girls who are married off to NRI grooms and then abandoned by them. It also highlights illiteracy and the evils of dowry. The show centres around Bani (Shefali Sharma) whose mother wants her to get married to an NRI groom. And then there is Rano (Navni Parihar), who has been waiting for two decades for her errant husband to return.

Qubool hai

Issue: Honour killing and rape

The popular Zee TV show recently included a subplot where the lead couple Asad (Karan Singh Grover) and Zoya (Surbhi Jyoti) attend a wedding where the girl is forced to marry her rapist. Zoya eventually helps the girl to elope.

Diya aur Baati Hum

Issues: Women’s education, inter-faith marriage, premarital sex and pregnancy

The STAR Plus show is a TRP topper. In the course of its year-and-a-half run, protagonist Sandhya (Deepika Singh) has revealed the truth about a terrorist and unmasked a godman, all the while attending night college to fulfil her dream of becoming a police officer. The show has condemned various superstitions and is currently focusing on premarital pregnancy and inter-faith marriage.

Chhanchhan

Issue: Dowry

The new show on Sony starring Sanaya Irani as the protagonist tells the tale of a modern bahu. In its first week, a father calls off his daughter’s wedding protesting against dowry demands. Chhanchhan has women coming out of the kitchen to take up out-of-the-box pursuits — dog trainer to tattoo artist.

Compiled by Shweta Keshri

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