It was in the early 2000s when Ekta Kapoor became a household name with her ‘K-drama’ series. Over the years, many TV soaps such as Geet-Hui Sabse Parayi and Madhubala have been made and they pretty much had one thing in common. A sanskari (read: spineless) bahu who would go to the ends of the world for her family and husband and would tolerate any crap from everybody.
For decades, these on-screen dynamics haven’t changed much. Indian TV serials have left no stone unturned in glorifying the adarsh bahu to the point where it’s become unbearable. However, there are a handful of shows that showed women who stood up for themselves and did more than clean every utensil in the house or weep in the corner. Yes, really. Check out these unconventional bahus that we enjoyed watching on-screen.
Suhana (Sasural Genda Phool)
Suhana is a rich spoilt brat who gets married into a joint family. She is temperamental and inconsiderate at times, just like every other person IRL. The best bit is that she isn’t afraid to voice her opinion or put herself first. She remains one of the most unconventional bahus on Indian TV. Come to think of it, the show has been a real treat to watch. It has no plotting-in-the-kitchen drama or a terrible mother-in-law from hell. Such a pleasant change, no?
Naira (Yeh Rishta Kya Khelata Hai)
Naira is funny, loving, strong-willed and temperamental. She also isn’t afraid of voicing her opinion and knows how to stand up against any injustice happening to her. She isn’t one to be easily manipulated. This is why it’s not surprising that she’s one of the most popular bahus on television.
Dr. Sonakshi Bose (Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi)
You can’t help but love Dr Sonakshi Bose from Kuch Rang PyarKe Aise Bhi. Her character is ambitious, intelligent and strong-headed. Sonakshi doesn’t believe in taking crap from anybody and knows how to make people listen to her side of the story. Also, what is it with TV soap bahus and elaborate lehengas and heavy jewellery? Luckily, that’s not the case with Sonakshi as she doesn’t spend her days wearing fancy lehenga’s and strutting around the house. From managing her job well to taking care of her family, she is the ideal new-age bahu.
Komal Badho (Badho Bahu)
We gotta tell you, this character is like a breath of fresh air. She is funny, sensible, and strong. She did things that mattered to her even if it meant going against everybody else. For example, she wasn’t afraid of entering the field of wrestling even after she was told not to by her entire family and village. Atta girl!
Sai Joshi (Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyar Meiin)
Meet Sai Joshi who isn’t afraid of speaking what’s on her mind. Sai is a strong independent woman who believes in fighting for herself and her rights. She stands up for what is right and will seek justice even if it means going against her family. She’s strong-headed and unapologetically herself and we love her for it.
So fam, which is your fave TV bahu?
Featured Image: Instagram
