Zee TV announces new show 'Meri Saasu Maa' with a break from the saas-bahu mould

Premiering on January 26, the show takes 7.30 PM slot every Monday – Saturday replacing Qubool Hai.

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | January 13, 2016

Zee TV's new show, 'Meri Saasu Maa', revolves around the story of a girl named Pari who lost her mother at birth. Wanting to look for a maternal affection from her future mother-in-law, she goes to search for her mother-in-law. The show is set to launch in the 7.30 PM slot beginning January 26. The weekly show will be telecast Monday to Saturday, and will replace 'Qubool Hai'.

As the story unveils, destiny has other plans for her. She falls in love with Sattu, who is one of the most desirable bachelors of Lucknow, and deeply devoted to his mother, Bhawna Devi. She was widowed at an early age and is a self-made woman and owns one of the most esteemed milk dairies in Lucknow. She is a strong matriarch who is hardened by her past and is insecure of losing her sons to her daughters-in-law. She is of the firm belief that a daughter-in-law can never take the place of a daughter and must be controlled all the time.

At a press meet in Mumbai, Zee TV Business Head Pradeep Hejmadi said that the concept came from a research that was conducted. The research asked mothers-in-law if they would differentiate between their daughter and daughter-in-law, and it asked daughters if they saw their mother in their mother-in-law. They found out that it takes time for each of them to accept each other as their mother and daughter, respectively; but eventually they develop a good relationship with each other.

Based on this concept, producer Saba Mumtaz conceptualised this show. The show will tell us how Pari will manage to win the place of a daughter in Bhawna Devi's heart with Sattu by her side. The show is produced by Mumtaz Saba Productions which is a collaboration between Saba Mumtaz, Siddharth Tewary and Rahul Kumar Tewary.

The story revolves around Pari, a young carefree yet responsible daughter, a caring sister and a trustworthy friend. She's pursuing B.Ed., cares precious little about her appearance and is called 'jhalli' for her casual disregard for fashion or grooming.

After her mother passes away, her father remarries her mother's younger sister - Maasi Ma, who turns out to be a wicked stepmother. The only solace she finds is in her grandmother who cares for her. She craves for a mother's love and longs to experience what it feels like to share one's thoughts, feelings, fears, hopes and secrets with one's mother. Pari is in search of a mother in her mother-in-law, but will she find that bond so easily? Only time will tell.

Pradeep Hejmadi

Hejmadi said, “Qubool Hai has been one of our longest running, successful shows with a glorious run of almost three years. We have introduced several exciting sub-plots that have intrigued the audience. It's now time to make way for another interesting story. For years, we have seen shows on television explore 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.”

Saba Mumtaz added, “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 Cinderella troubled by her stepmother and siblings, but the only distinction is that she is looking for a mother from 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 empathize with Pari.”

On the marketing front the channel will focus on promoting the new show through the Zee network. Print and outdoor are not their focus at the moment. The channel has been working on the show for four and a half months and intends to run this show for the long run.

Hiba Nawab has been cast as Pari, the female lead of the show, while the male lead is played by Pearl V Puri who plays the character of Sattu. Veteran Bengali theatre and film actress Anindita Kapileshwari will essay the character of Bhawna Devi.

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