Zee TV reinvigorates saas-bahu relation with its new show 'Meri Saasu Maa'

Experimentation and good content was the trend of 2015. We were bombarded with shows of all genres — khatta-meetha love relationships, saas-bahu kitchen politics, meaningful mytho shows and then we had naagins and daayans playing revengeful drama. We also witnessed new reality shows with unique concept and then we had social-tainment shows which work on philanthropic causes and maintaining entertainment quotient at the same time. Just when we started to ponder upon the thought that saas-bahu trend was nearing its end, we have another inimitable offering ‘Meri Saasu Maa’ from Zee TV which will revamp the basic saas-bahu fundas in an all new, never seen way.

So the story goes like this – Pari (Hiba Nawab), is a wonderful daughter, a caring sister, a trustworthy friend and a responsible person yet in her core, she is an ordinary Indian girl. She's pursuing her B. Ed., cares precious little about her appearance and is called jhalli for her casual disregard for fashion or grooming. Having lost her mother at birth, Pari longs for the unique bond every daughter shares with her mother and hopes she’ll find it in her mother-in-law. But destiny has other plans in store for her. She falls in love with Sattu (Pearl V Puri), one of the most desirable bachelors of Lucknow. He is deeply devoted to his mother, Bhawna Devi played by Anindita Kapileshwari. Widowed at an early age, she is a self-made woman and one of the most esteemed milk barons of Lucknow. A strong matriarch hardened by her past, she is insecure of losing her sons to her daughters-in-law. She firmly believes that daughters-in-law can never take the place of daughters and must be controlled at all times. Well, at first look the story does sound familiar. However, there are said to be various interesting aspects this show will bring to the table for its viewers.

This show is produced by Mumtaz Saba Productions – a collaboration between Saba Mumtaz, Siddharth Tewary and Rahul Kumar Tewary. After a lot of research across all segments - unmarried couples, married both young and senior women and with mothers–in–law, the makers have tried to add interesting elements like look of the characters, the transition of the storyline and the good content which makes the story realistic and at the same time one that delivers a strong and positive message to its viewers. Also their research was not restricted to urban cities; they took a step further and also gathered deep insights from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Zee TV Business Head Pradeep Hejmadi says, “For years, we have seen shows on television exploring the stereotypical relationship of a saas bahu where the two are placed at loggerheads, constantly scheming and plotting against each other. Times have changed and so have relationships. Meri Saasu Maa is our attempt to showcase the changed relationships in society. We are looking at all the three generation as our target audience. There is a story behind why Bhawna Devi is so strict. She has kept her family together and has binded them very well. So her aim is very positive. She is like any mother, who wants her son to be happy.”

Talking about the promotional strategies, he adds, “We are promoting it heavily on our channel. Yes, we will be active on digital platform too for younger generation but the focus will be heavily on electronic platform.”

Producer Saba Mumtaz, from Mumtaz Saba Productions adds, “I grew up with cousins and sisters around me who kept complaining about their mothers-in-law. However, when I got married I was blessed with another mother. This show has glimpses from my personal life! Our protagonist is this young 22 year old girl, whose biggest aspiration in life is to find a mother in her Mother-in-Law. When girls get married, they leave their house with pangs in their heart and want to be welcomed into a house and family that is exactly like the one they have left. Pari is a Cindrella troubled by her step-mother and siblings, but the only distinction is that she is looking for a mother in her marriage rather than a prince charming. She wants a world where her mother will embrace her with open arms every time she enters the house. Pari’s positive thought and belief in finding a mother in her Mother-in-law will drive her actions. Meri Saasu Maa will be a highly relatable show and every woman out there will empathise with Pari. We did not want to take route of rona-dhona drama. So the show is a healthy mix of love story, saas-bahu bonding and also has comic angle to it.”

When asked about the advertisers’ reaction and key sponsors, Hejmadi states, “We have Patanjali and few other brands who have associated with us. 7.30pm is a very important slot for us and we wanted to make sure that the show resonates very well with mother–in–law and daughter–in–law segment. Advertisers normally wait for the TRPs and we are happy that the promos have churned out a lot of positive response. Zee TV is a leader in rural markets and we try to make sure that people understand what we are doing. People are very inspirational and they are fairly immersive in talking about the insights and we always keep that segment of audience in mind.”

So will Pari manage to form a bond with her that transcends the boundaries of the stereotypical saas-bahu relationship? Will she manage to gain acceptance as her daughter and not just a bahu? ZEE TV’s first fictional offering of 2016 - ‘Meri Saasu Maa’ will premiere on January 26th and air every Monday – Saturday at 7:30PM.