Anupamaa
Indian drama television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anupamaa is an Indian Hindi-language television drama series that premiered on 13 July 2020 on StarPlus and streams digitally on Disney+ Hotstar.[3][4] Produced by Rajan Shahi and Deepa Shahi under the banner of Director's Kut Productions, it is a remake of Star Jalsha's Bengali series Sreemoyee.[5] Rupali Ganguly plays the titular role and formerly starred Sudhanshu Pandey, Madalsa Sharma and Gaurav Khanna.[6][7] Since October 2024, the series stars Ganguly with Adrija Roy (replaced Alisha Parveen Khan) and Shivam Khajuria as second generation leads.[8][9]
| Anupamaa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | Drama |
| Developed by | Leena Gangopadhyay |
| Written by | Bhavna Vyas |
| Screenplay by | Namita Vartak Zama Habib |
| Story by | Bhavna Vyas |
| Directed by | Romesh Kalra[1] |
| Creative director | Ketaki Walawalkar |
| Starring | Rupali Ganguly Sudhanshu Pandey Madalsa Sharma Gaurav Khanna Alisha Parveen Khan Shivam Khajuria Adrija Roy |
| Opening theme | Anupamaa |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 1,620 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Rajan Shahi Deepa Shahi Vipin Reshammiya |
| Cinematography | Gulshan Shah |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 20–24 minutes |
| Production company | Director's Kut Productions[2] |
| Original release | |
| Network | StarPlus |
| Release | 13 July 2020 – present |
| Related | |
| Aai Kuthe Kay Karte Sreemoyee Anupama: Namaste America | |
Plot
Summarize
Perspective
 | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (April 2025) |
Anupamaa is a middle-aged housewife. Her emotional supports are her son, Samar, and her father-in-law, Hasmukh. On their 25th anniversary, Anupamaa discovers her husband, Vanraj, has cheated on her with his colleague, Kavya. Heartbroken, Anupamaa sets out to create her identity. Meanwhile, Anupamaa's elder son, Paritosh, marries Kinjal,[who?] while Samar and Nandini, Kavya's niece, fall for each other. Anupamaa and Vanraj divorce, and he marries Kavya after she divorces her husband, Aniruddh.
Anupamaa, Samar, and Nandini open a dance academy. Nandini breaks up with Samar because of a misunderstanding. Anupamaa reconnects with her classmate, Anuj Kapadia. The two fall in love and marry. They then adopt a girl, Chhoti Anu. Anupamaa struggles to balance her responsibilities between her families. Kinjal gives birth to a girl, Aarya, and learns Paritosh cheated on her, but they reconcile for the sake of Aarya. Anupamaa's daughter, Pakhi, marries Adhik, the younger brother and foster son of Anuj's sister-in-law, Barkha. Samar marries a rape victim, Dimple, who was divorced by her husband after her rape.
Due to misunderstandings by Maya, Chhoti Anu's biological mother, Anuj and Anupamaa separate, and Anuj goes to Mumbai to live with Chhoti Anu and Maya. Anupamaa meets Gurumaa Malti Devi and decides to go to the USA with her for 3 years. However, Maya dies, and with Pakhi's help, Anupamaa reconciles with Anuj and lives with him. Later, Kavya is revealed to be pregnant with her ex-husband's child, and Adhik is revealed to be physically abusing Pakhi. Anuj is revealed to be Malti Devi's son, whom she abandoned years ago for the sake of her career. He initially despises her but brings her to live in Kapadia House. Samar dies, leaving a pregnant Dimple. Malti Devi, Barkha, and Pakhi instigate Chhoti Anu against Anupamaa, who feels jealous of Aarya. On Aarya's 2nd Birthday, Anupamaa, Kinjal, Pari, and Chhoti Anu get into a car accident due to Chhoti Anu's stubbornness, and Anupamaa saves Kinjal and Pari first. Chhoti Anu despises Anupamaa for saving Pari first, and Anuj and Anupamaa divorce, and Anuj takes Chhoti Anu with him and renames her Aadhya.
5 years later, Anupamaa, whose mother died, lives on her own, hiding from everyone. She posts cooking videos on social media and donates proceeds to old-age homes. Anuj and Aadhya moved to the USA, where he got engaged to a photographer, Shruti, for Aadhya's sake. Vanraj became financially stable and is raising Samar's spoiled son, Ansh. Dimple became a homemaker, serving the Shah family. Kinjal and Paritosh left Shah house and are struggling in the USA. Pakhi, who moved back to the Shah house, is divorced from Adhik and raises her adopted daughter Ishaani carelessly. Kavya has a daughter, Mahi, who craves her father's love, but Vanraj fails to connect with her, remembering Kavya's betrayal.
Dimple and Tapish, a famous dancer, have secretly loved each other for five years. Anupamaa leaves for the US and faces challenges. She meets Anuj and Aadhya, but Aadhya hates her. All three return to India for Dimple and Tapish's marriage. Anuj breaks up with Shruti after she plots against Anupamaa. Tapish reveals his traumatic childhood where his mother accidentally killed his abusive father in an attempt to save him, then surrendered herself and went to jail. Dimple and Tapish marry, and the family reunites. Paritosh and Pakhi have become greedy for money due to Vanraj's earnings. Disheartened, Hasmukh and Leela shift to an old-age home. Anupamaa and Anuj reunite, but Aadhya, still blaming Anupamaa for her traumatic past, leaves for a hostel. Anuj and Anupamaa get into an accident.[clarification needed]
6 months later, Anupamaa lives in a shelter called Asha Bhavan along with Hasmukh and others, including a divorced woman, Nandita, her newborn daughter, Asha, two elderly people, Bala and Indira, and an orphan law student, Sagar, who drives an autorickshaw to fund his studies and Asha Bhavan. Neighboring the old age home is the Shah house, after Vanraj sold off the old one. Kavya became an international model, leaving Mahi at the Shahs'. Vanraj has turned soft towards Mahi but has become richer and arrogant, spoiling the children, especially Ansh. Pakhi and Paritosh become greedier, while Kinjal serves the family. Dimple has also become greedy, neglecting Ansh and constantly arguing with Tapish.
Anupamaa still yearns for Anuj, but Anuj has lost his memory. Anuj is now referred to as "Kanha" by neighboring temple saints. Soon, Anupamaa finds Anuj and brings him to Asha Bhavan and learns that, after the accident, Ankush and Barkha told Anuj that Aadhya is dead and tricked him into signing his property in their name, leading to his present condition. Vanraj's niece, Meenakshi, returns from Russia after completing MBBS, and she and Sagar become attracted to each other. Anupamaa vows to find Aadhya, who was adopted by a rich couple, Viren and Megha, after the death of their daughter, Priya, who resembles Aadhya. Aadhya's adoptive mother has become crazy after Priya's death and tortures Aadhya due to her overprotective nature. Aadhya repents for her ill behavior towards Anupamaa and yearns for Anupamaa and Anuj. Later, Anupamaa starts a cooking business, and Anuj drives an autorickshaw to help Sagar.
Anupamaa finds Aadhya, and on Janmashtami, Anupamaa rescues Aadhya from Megha and takes her to Anuj. Anuj and Aadhya have an emotional reunion, but Megha arrives and stabs Anupamaa. After recovering, Anupamaa gives a reality check to Megha. Vanraj flees after committing fraud. Kavya abandons Mahi, and Anupamaa adopts her. Later, the Shahs are forced to vacate the house and relocate to Asha Bhavan. Tensions arise as the Shahs struggle to stay with Asha Bhavan residents after leaving their lavish lifestyle. Meenakshi and Sagar run away and marry. Dimple turns insecure seeing Ansh's growing fondness for Aadhya, and Dolly takes it as an opportunity to fuel it more after Tapish moves to Mumbai.
Anuj and Anupamaa decide to get married again. However, Anuj boards to Himachal for a business meeting before the wedding. During preparations, a scuffle occurs between Aadhya and Dimple for Ansh, leading to Asha Bhavan catching fire, and Dimple dies from severe burns. Although Aadhya tries to save Dimple, she's blamed for her death by Dolly and the rest of the Shahs. Aadhya runs from Ahmedabad, fearing that Anupamaa will send her to the police after believing Dolly. However, Aarya, being a witness to the accident, describes the whole incident and exposes Dolly's lies. Kinjal decides to divorce Paritosh and live with Rakhi after gaining Aarya's custody. Meenakshi breaks ties with Dolly, and she, Saga,r and the rest of the Asha Bhavan members leave Asha Bhavan. Ankush, who is greedy over his power over the Kapadia Empire, reaches Himachal and attempts to kill Anuj by hitting him with a rock and throwing him off the cliff.
15 years later, Anupamaa and the Shah family move back to the Shah House, which Anupamaa retained after a battle with the builder. She now runs a food business, Anu Ki Rasoi, with several other housewives as her helpers. However, the business is struggling, and she seeks help from investors. Aadhya lives in an orphanage under the pseudonym "Rahi" and works as a tourist guide in Dwarka while struggling to earn money to help other kids in the orphanage.
Kinjal, who never divorced Paritosh as he threatened to take away Aarya's sole custody in case divorce happens, has become bitter. She often body-shames Aarya for her weight, instilling an inferiority complex. Kinjal's insecurities grow regarding Aarya's future as she watches Pakhi groom Ishaani into a successful model, while Dolly too lives in fear of being punished for her deeds done with Aadhya, and wishes that Aadhya never arrives back.
Ansh, passionate about football, works as a video game developer. He supports Anupamaa, much like his father did. Anupamaa shares a bond with Mahi, considering her a daughter, and the feeling is mutual. Despite her strong connections, Anupamaa continues to miss Anuj and Aadhya deeply. Prem, an actor and Anupamaa's well-wisher, visits Dwarka and unknowingly meets Aadhya when she saves him from drowning. Anupamaa arrives too with Ansh to offer blessings to Lord Krishna in the hope of finding Aadhya.
With the help of Prem, Anupamaa reunites with Aadhya, who still hates her. Aadhya agrees to go back with Anupamaa under the condition that Anupamaa pays the orphanage's debt. Anupamaa spends her life saving of 10 lakhs to save the orphanage and brings back Aadhya to Shah house. Ansh, Mahi, and Aarya are happy to have Aadhya back, but the other family members, especially Dolly, don't want her there.
Aadhya decides to irritate the Shah family so Anupamaa will drop her back at Dwarka. However, Anupamaa stands up for Aadhya and shuts everyone down. Anupamaa gets a years-old letter from Anuj indicating his presumed death. Prem starts living as a tenant in Shah house, sharing a room with Ansh, resulting in constant altercations, and Prem starts working as a chef in "Anu Ki Rasoi". While Mahi is infatuated with Prem, he's infatuated with Aadhya. Aadhya's fondness for Ansh makes Mahi insecure. Ansh decides to return to Dwarka after paying off Anupamaa's debt. Kinjal turns back to her original kind self, realising her mistreatment of her daughter. Aadhya realizes her mistakes and reunites with Anupamaa and learns about Mahi's love for Prem while Aadhya realizes her feelings for him. But during Mahi and Prem's engagement, Prem and Aadhya confess that they love each other, and the engagement gets cancelled, leaving Mahi disheartened and becoming possessive about Prem.
Later on, the Shah family is shocked to know that Prem has a sister, Prarthna and is the son of a business tycoon, Parag Kothari. Prem hates Parag and his step-mother, Khyati, as he believes that they were the cause of his mother, Gayatri's death. At first, the Kotharis were against Prem and Aadhya's marriage, especially Prem's grandmother, Vasundhara, who wanted a homely daughter-in-law, but later on accepted their alliance. During the marriage rituals, the Kotharis got to know that Aadhya was adopted by Anupamaa and was bar dancer Maya's daughter, due to which they called off the marriage, but later on accepted it. Anupamaa gets to know that Mahi secretly loves Prem and warns her to stay away from Aadhya and Prem. During the marriage rituals, Anupamaa discovers that Prarthana's husband, Gautam physically assaults her and slaps him. The Kotharis tell Anupamaa to say sorry to Gautam, or else the Wedding would be called off. Prem and Aadhya get married and go to the Kothari house.
Anupamaa goes to Central Jail to teach dance to the prisoners for an event. She befriends a prisoner, Raghav, who was falsely accused of killing his wife. Aadhya fills a college admission form to complete her studies. Vasundhara burns her acceptance letter without her knowledge. During Holi, Prem and Aadhya find out about Vasundhara's deeds and leave the Kothari house and stay in a rented house. Pakhi plans to get Ishaani married to Prem's cousin, Raja and tells her to spend time with him.
Cast
Main
- Rupali Ganguly as Anupamaa "Anu" Joshi: Owner of catering business Anu Ki Rasoi (2020–present)
- Sudhanshu Pandey as Vanraj "V" Shah: A businessman (2020–2024)
- Madalsa Sharma as Kavya Shah: A model (2020–2024)
- Gaurav Khanna as Anuj "AK" Kapadia: Business tycoon turned event manager (2021-2024)
- Alisha Parveen Khan / Adrija Roy as Raahi "Aadhya/Chhoti Anu/Priti" Kapadia Kothari: A former tourist guide turned share holder of Anu Ki Rasoi (2024) / (2024–present)
- Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni as teenaged Aadhya (2023–2024)
- Asmi Deo as child Choti Anu (2022–2023)
- Shivam Khajuria as Prem "Tinku" Kothari: A play actor and chef in Anu Ki Rasoi (2024–present)
- Paarth as child Prem (2025–present)
Recurring
- Paras Kalnawat / Sagar Parekh as Samar "Bakuda" Shah: A dancer and former teacher at Anupamaa Dance Academy (2020–2022) / (2022–2023) (dead)
- Vidvaan Sharma as child Samar (2022) (archival footage of Anupama: Namaste America)
- Aashish Mehrotra / Gaurav Sharma / Manish Naggdev as Paritosh "Toshu" Shah: Anupamaa and Vanraj's elder son (2020–2024) / (2024) / (2024–present)
- Dheer Bhanushali as child Paritosh (2022) (archival footage of Anupama: Namaste America)
- Muskan Bamne / Chandni Bhagwanani / Krutika Desai as Pakhi "Sweety" Shah: Anupamaa and Vanraj's daughter (2020–2023) / (2024) / (2024–present)
- Alpana Buch as Leela “Baa” Shah: Hasmukh's wife (2020–present)
- Arvind Vaidya as Hasmukh “Bapuji” Shah: Leela's husband (2020–present)
- Jaswir Kaur as Devika Mehta: Anupamaa's best friend (2020–2024)
- Mehul Nisar as Bhavesh Joshi: Anupamaa's brother (2020–2024)
- Madhavi Gogate / Savita Prabhune as Kanta Joshi: Anupamaa and Bhavesh's mother (2020–2021) / (2021–2024)
- Yachit Sharma as Nihar Joshi: Bhavesh's son; (2020)
- Ekta Saraiya as Dolly Shah Dhamecha: Leela and Hasmukh's daughter (2020–2023; 2024–present)
- Paresh Bhatt as Sanjay Dhamecha: Dolly's husband; Meenakshi's father (2020–2022)
- Shekhar Shukla as Jignesh "Mamaji": Leela's brother (2020–2022)
- Payal Nair as Parul Sharma: Pakhi's principal (2020–2021)
- Bhakti Chauhan as Jhilmil: Gudiya's mother; Shah family's former house help (2020)
- Nidhi Shah / Milloni Kapadia as Kinjal "Kinju" Dave Shah: Rakhi and Pramod's daughter (2020–2024) / (2024–present)
- Tasneem Sheikh as Rakhi Dave: Pramod's wife (2020–2023)
- Farooq Saeed as Pramod Dave: Rakhi's husband (2020)
- Rushad Rana as Aniruddh Gandhi: Kavya's ex-husband (2020–2021; 2023)
- Anagha Bhosale as Nandini "Nandu" Iyer: A dancer and former teacher of Anupamaa Dance Academy (2020–2022)
- Tulika Patel as Kaamini: Leela's niece-in-law (2020)
- Vivan Singh Rajput as Siddharth "Sid" Desai: Pakhi's classmate who blackmailed her (2020)
- Riyaz Panjwani as Mr. Dholakia: Vanraj, Kavya and Kinjal's former boss (2020; 2021)
- Arup Pal as CEO: New CEO of Vanraj's office (2020; 2021)
- Parull Chaudhary as Dr. Mona Chopra: Pakhi's psychiatrist (2021)
- Apurva Agnihotri as Dr. Advait "Adi" Khanna: Anupamaa's doctor (2021)
- Sunita Rai as Manasi Jain: Food critic at Vanraj's café (2021)
- Kiara Khantwal as Kiara: Video blogger at Vanraj's café (2021)
- Deepak Gheewala as Gopichand "GK" Karodia: Anuj and Malvika's caretaker (2021–2022)
- Varun Sharma as Rohan: Nandini's former boyfriend and obsessive lover (2021)
- Aneri Vajani as Malvika "Mukku" Kapadia: Mr. Kapadia's daughter (2021–2022)
- Rohit Bakshi as Ankush Kapadia: Malvika's cousin (2022–2023; 2024)
- Ashlesha Sawant as Barkha Mehta Kapadia: Adhik's sister and foster mother (2022–2023; 2024)
- Alma Hussein as Sara Kapadia: Ankush and Barkha's daughter (2022)
- Adhik Mehta as Adhik Mehta: Barkha's brother (2022–2024)
- Nishi Saxena as Dimple aka Dimpy: Pammi's daughter (2022–2024)
- Rishabh Jaiswal as Nirmit: Dimple's ex-husband (2022)
- Nitesh Pandey as Dheeraj Kapoor: Anuj's best friend (2023)
- Amit Pachori as Mohit: Kavya's modeling photographer (2023)
- Chhavi Pandey as Uttara aka Maya: A former prostitute and Priest's daughter (2023)
- Renuka Sharma as Sushma: A former prostitute and Maya's friend (2023)
- Mahi Soni / Yashti Pamnani as Bhairavi: Student at Anupamaa Dance Academy (2023) / (2023)
- Apara Mehta as Malti “Gurumaa” Devi Joshi: Anupamaa's former dance teacher (2023)
- Khushali Jariwala as young Malti Devi (2023)
- Aman Maheshwari as Nakul: Malti's student and accomplice (2023)
- Viraj Kapoor as Romil Kapadia: Ankush and Sneha's son (2023)
- Lovish Saini as Shivansh "Sonu" Rathore: Samar's murderer (2023)
- Kumar Hegde as Suresh Rathore: A politician (2023)
- Kunwar Amar as Tapish aka Titu: A dancer and former teacher at Anupamaa Dance Academy (2023–2024)
- Kaddy Trawally as Kaddy: Waitress at "Spice and Chutney" restaurant (2023–2024)
- Rituraj Singh as Yashpal Dhillon: Owner of "Spice and Chutney" restaurant (2023–2024)
- Sunny Sadhwani as Vikram: Chef in "Spice and Chutney" restaurant (2023–2024)
- Sukirti Kandpal as Shruti "Shru" Ahuja: A photographer; Anuj's ex-fiancée; Raahi's caretaker (2023–2024)
- Rahul Ojha as Rahul: Chef in "Kebabs & Curries" restaurant; former chef in "Spice and Chutney" restaurant (2023–2024)
- Dishi Duggal as Manjeet Kaur Dhillon: Yashpal and Yashdeep's mother (2024)
- Vaquar Shaikh as Yashdeep "Deepu" Dhillon: A retired army officer (2024)
- Parakh Madan as Diya: Anupamaa's dance teacher (2024)
- Aman Sachdev as Aarush: Pakhi's friend and business partner (2024)
- Yajuvendra Singh as Mr. Gulati: Owner of "Kebabs & Curries" restaurant (2024)
- Nitin Babu as Sagar: Resident at Asha Bhavan (2024)
- Akshita Tiwari as Nandita: Resident at Asha Bhavan (2024)
- Parveen Kaur Hoogan as Indira: Resident at Asha Bhawan (2024)
- Raaj Gopal Iyer as Bala: Resident at Asha Bhavan (2024)
- Sonal Khilwani as Dr. Meenakshi "Meenu" Dhamecha: Dolly and Sanjay's daughter (2024)
- Lavishka Gupta / Stuti Zakarde as child and teenage Meenu (2020) / (2020–2022; 2023)
- Jay Zaveri as Viren Sanghvi: Raahi's foster father (2024)
- Shivani Gosain as Megha Sanghvi: Raahi's foster mother (2024)
- Varun Kasturia as Ansh Shah: A video game developer (2024–present)
- Trishaan Shah as child Ansh (2023–2024)
- Ishita Modi as Aarya "Pari / Angel" Shah: A fashion designer (2024–present)
- Princy Prajapati as child Aarya (2024)
- Noorain Khan as Baby Aarya (2022–2023)
- Vidushi Tiwari as Ishaani "Ishu" Mehta: A model (2024–present)
- Aadhya Barot as child Ishaani (2024)
- Spreha Chatterjee as Mahi Shah: Kavya and Aniruddh's daughter (2024–present)
- Pahal Chaudhary as child Mahi (2024)
- Shahab Khan as Mr. Vyas: Owner of "Shishu Chhaya Ashram" (2024)
- Nidhi Pandya as Babli aka Bubbles: Raahi's best-friend and helper from "Shishu Chhaya Ashram" (2024)
- Sejal Shah as Janki: Anupamaa's well-wisher and head chef in "Anu Ki Rasoi" (2024–present)
- Hera Mishra as Radha: Anupamaa's employee (2024–present)
- Sheersha Tiwari as Prarthana Kothari Kanwar: Gayatri and Parag's daughter (2024–present)
- Zalak Desai as Khyati Patel Kothari: Parag's former assistant turned second wife (2025–present)
- Rahil Azam as Parag Kothari: Vasundhara's elder son (2025–present)
- Alka Kaushal as Vasundhara Kothari aka Moti Baa: Parag and Anil's mother (2025–present)
- Mazher Sayed as Anil Kothari: Vasundhara's younger son (2025–present)
- Shiwani Chakraborty as Meeta Kothari: Anil's wife (2025–present)
- Jatin Suri as Raja Kothari: Anil and Meeta's elder son (2025–present)
- Arisht Jain as Badshah Kothari: Anil and Meeta's younger son (2025–present)
- Satya Tiwari as Gautam Kanwar: Prarthana's husband (2025–present)
- Saee Barve as Gayatri Kothari: Parag's late wife (2025) (in flashbacks only)
- Randeep Rai as Aryan "Mohit/Akela" Kothari: Khyati and Parag's son (2025–present)
- Manish Goel as Raghav: Pankhudi's husband (2025–present)
Production
Summarize
Perspective
Development
In February 2020, Rajan Shahi, the producer of Aai Kuthe Kay Karte, announced his plan to produce its Hindi remake, Anupamaa, stating, "This interesting concept around a mother's journey has been so inspirational that Star wants to bring it in Hindi too".[10]
To celebrate Raksha Bandhan in 2020, the cast of the series created a special song titled Aaj Rakhi Nau Tyohaar Chhe (Today is Raksha Bandhan's festival). This unique song blended Gujarati, Hindi, and English languages.[11]
The story took a five-year leap on 20 December 2023, with Anuj and Anupamaa's divorce and Anupamaa visiting the USA.[12] On 15 July 2024, the show took another leap of six months showcasing Anupamaa and Anuj separately living miserable lives without Aadhya.[13] On 14 October 2024, the show took its first generation leap of fifteen years, showcasing Anuj's death and focusing on grown-up Aadhya and Prem along with Anupamaa.
Casting
Casting of the series started in February 2020 with Rupali Ganguly being cast as the protagonist Anupamaa Shah, returning to television after seven years.[14] She said, "When I joined Anupamaa, I was a little plump and I told our producer Rajan Shahi that you want a heroine and at this age, let me lose some weight. But the producer told me that he didn't want a heroine but a mother instead. ‘I want a mother and you are perfect for the role because mothers are like this."[15]
Sudhanshu Pandey was cast as Anupamaa's husband Vanraj Shah,[16] Paras Kalnawat, Muskaan Bamne and Aashish Mehrotra as Anupamaa's children Samar Shah, Pakhi Shah and Paritosh Shah respectively, Alpana Buch and Arvind Vaidya being cast as Anupamaa's in-laws Leela Shah and Hasmukh Shah respectively.[17][18][19][20][21][22] Later Madhavi Gogate and Mehul Nisar joined as Anupamaa's mother and brother, Kanta Joshi and Bhavesh Joshi, respectively, while Ekta Saraiya, Paresh Bhatt, Stuti Zakarde and Bhakti Chauhan were cast to play Dolly Shah Dhamecha, Sanjay Dhamecha, Meenakshi Dhamecha and Jhilmil respectively.[23][24][25] However, days before the filming resumed after the COVID-19 outbreak in late June, Additi Gupta was confirmed to be infected with the virus.[26][27] She was replaced by Madalsa Sharma and the sequences earlier shot by Gupta as Vanraj's girlfriend Kavya Gandhi, were reshot by Sharma.[28]
Days after premiering in July 2020, Shekhar Shukla was cast to play Leela's brother Jignesh while Nidhi Shah was cast opposite Mehrotra as Kinjal Dave and Tassnim Sheikh and Farooq Saeed were signed to play Kinjal's parents Rakhi Dave and Pramod Dave respectively.[29][30][31][32] The next month Anagha Bhosale was cast opposite Kalnawat as Nandini Iyer while Rushad Rana was cast as Kavya's husband Aniruddh Gandhi.[33][34] In April 2021, Apurva Agnihotri[35] joined the cast as Dr. Advait Khanna for a cameo and completed his role in June 2021.[36]
In June 2021, rumours of "conflicts and groupism on sets" arose between cast members, one group led by Ganguly with Buch, Mehrotra and Bamne, and another by Pandey, with Sharma, Kalnawat and Bhosale which cast denied.[37][38]
In late August 2021 Gaurav Khanna was cast opposite Ganguly as Anuj Kapadia.[39]
In September 2021, Deepak Gheewala was cast to play Anuj's helper Gopichandra Karodia.[40] Also that month, Varun Sharma was cast to play a cameo as Nandini's ex-boyfriend and obsessive lover Rohan and he finished off his role in October 2021. Next, Savita Prabhune replaced Madhavi Gogate (due to the latter's death) as Kanta Joshi in late October 2021.[41] In December 2021, actress Aneri Vajani joined the cast to play Anuj's sister, Malvika Kapadia.[42]
In January 2022, there were rumours of "ego clashes" between Pandey and Khanna, which they both publicly denied.[43]
In March 2022, Anagha Bhosale playing Nandini announced her decision to take a break from acting,[44] and later quit acting forever, ending Nandini's character and shot her last scene in February 2022.[45][46] Later that month, Aneri Vajani playing Malvika also announced that her role was just a cameo and right now its shown on a long break due to viewers' disconnect with her role's negative development.[47]
In May 2022, singer Mika Singh made a special appearance as Anuj's friend in Anupamaa and Anuj's Mehendi and Sangeet ceremony and to promote his upcoming show Swayamvar – Mika Di Vohti.[48] During that month, Aneri Vajani announced her decision to participate in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 12 and quit the series permanently.[49][50]
Later that month, Rohit Bakshi[51] and Ashlesha Sawant[52] were cast to play Anuj's brother and sister-in-law, Ankush Kapadia and Barkha Mehta Kapadia respectively while Alma Hussein[53] and Adhik Mehta[54][55] were cast to play Barkha's daughter and brother, Sara Kapadia and Adhik Mehta opposite Kalnawat and Bamne respectively. In an interview after being cast as Adhik Mehta, Mehta revealed that "he earlier auditioned for the role of Samar (which eventually locked to Kalnawat) in the casting phase of the series but it didn't happened at that time".[56] Child artist Asmi Deo was also cast as an orphan Anu but her track was put on hold and resumed in July 2022 as Anuj and Anupamaa's adopted daughter.[57]
In July 2022, Paras Kalnawat signed on to appear on the dance-based reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 on rival network Colors TV. Anupamaa makers objected and terminated his contract overnight on 26 July 2022.[58] Kalnawat revealed that "after Bhosale's exit his character never evolved, and that he was unhappy with his role being reduced to a mere family member standing in background with nothing to do anything."[58][59][60][61] Later after facing several controversies related to the series, makers replaced Kalnawat overnight by Sagar Parekh in the same month.[62]
In September 2022, Alma Hussein who was cast opposite Kalnawat also quit the series, saying she was unhappy with the lack of character development and shot her last scene in early August 2022.[63][64]
In November 2022, Nishi Saxena and Rishabh Jaiswal were cast to portray Dimple and her husband Nirmit. However, Jaiswal exited the show in the same month because his role was only a cameo appearance of Dimple's husband who abandons her after her rape and Saxena went on to be paired with Sagar Parekh.
In January 2023, actress Chhavi Pandey was cast to do an extended cameo of Anu's biological mother, Maya, who wrapped up in July 2023 following her character's death.[65] In May 2023, Apara Mehta was cast as Anuj's mother Malti Devi, while her daughter Khushali Jariwala played her younger version on screen and she quit the series prior to the first leap in December 2023.[66][67]
In August 2023, Ekta Saraiya, who portrayed Vanraj's sister Dolly, quit the series for her show Kyunki... Saas Maa Bahu Beti Hoti Hai on Zee TV. In same month, Viraj Kapoor entered the show as Ankush's illegitimate son Romil Kapadia.[68]
In October 2023, Sagar Parekh, who replaced Paras Kalnawat in the role of Samar in July 2022, was confirmed exiting the show with storyline showcasing Samar's death due to decreasing TRP ratings of the show.[69][70][71] In the following month actor and dancer Kunwar Amar joined the cast as Tapish opposite Nishi Saxena.[72]
In December 2023, the show took its first leap of five years. Post-leap, child actress Asmi Deo was replaced by Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni to play the adolescent version of Aadhya Kapadia[73] while Savita Prabhune's character Kanta was shown dead thus marking an end to her character. Child actor Trishaan Shah was cast to play Samar and Dimple's son Ansh Shah.[73] The same month Muskan Bamne portraying Pakhi quit the series after 3 years as "she doesn't wish to play mother at such a young age and wants to move ahead in her career"[74] and was later replaced by Chandni Bhagwanani[75] while child actor Aadhya Barot was cast as her daughter Ishani Mehta the same month.[76] Sukirti Kandpal too entered the show as Anuj's fiancée Shruti Ahuja the same month.[77] Following this Rituraj Singh and Dishi Duggal too entered the show as Yashpal and his mother.[78][79] In January 2024, Child actress Princy Prajapati replaced baby Noorain Khan as the child version of Kinjal and Paritosh's daughter Aarya, while Pahal Chaudhary was cast to play Kavya's daughter Mahi. In January 2024, Vaquar Shaikh entered the show as Yashpal's younger brother Yashdeep, while Parakh Madan entered the show in February 2024 as Diya.
In April 2024, Aashish Mehrotra, who portrayed Paritosh, quit the series the following month after playing it for four years[80] to participate in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 14[81] and was replaced by Gaurav Sharma the same month.[82][83] In July 2024, Sukirti Kandpal aka Shruti's track ended marking her exit.[84] In same month show took its second leap, a small leap of six months and Nitin Babu and Akshita Tiwari entered the show as Sagar and Nandita respectively[13] while Sonal Khilwani entered the show as the adult Meenakshi Dhamecha thus replacing Stuti Zakarde.[85]
On 28 August 2024, Sudhanshu Pandey announced his decision to quit the series after playing it for four years via his Instagram handle and said "his last appearance was in Raksha Bandhan special episodes and he will continue entertaining his audience through new roles."[86][87]
In 2024 after Sudhanshu Pandey quit the show, Ekta Saraiya Mehta, who played Dolly Shah Dhamecha from 2020 to 2023, rejoined and reprised her role the following month while Madalsa Sharma playing Kavya also quit the series as she felt she was "sidelined after removal of grey element from her character".[88] Later she said about Rupali Ganguly "being two-faced and speaking about her on back which hurted her genuinely" thus confirming the earlier reported split amongst cast members in 2021.[89]
The show took its first generation leap on 14 October 2024 with Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni being replaced by Alisha Parveen[90][8] as grown-up Aadhya playing the new female lead whilst Shivam Khajuria got cast opposite her as Prem Kothari, the new male lead.[91][92] Prior to leap Nishi Saxena portraying Dimple too exited the series as the storyline showcased her character's death[93] while Kunwar Amar playing Tapish too announced his exit.[94] Gaurav Sharma too got replaced by Manish Naggdev as older Paritosh due to Sharma's refusal to play and get typecast "as a father of 21-years-old Aarya".[95][96] Additionally, Nidhi Shah, who has portrayed Kinjal since the show's inception, announced her exit before the leap as she "wants to focus more on other platforms and lead roles" and got replaced by Milloni Kapadia as older Kinjal.[92][97][98] Chandni Bhagwanani too announced her exit from the show prior to the leap as she too "didn't wanted to play mother to a 22-years-old Ishani" and got replaced by Krutika Desai as older Pakhi.[99][100][98] Child actors Trishaan Shah, Princy Prajapati, Aadhya Barot and Pahal Chaudhary got replaced by Varun Kasturia, Ishita Modi, Vidushi Tiwari and Spreha Chatterjee as grown-up Ansh, Aarya, Ishani and Mahi respectively.[101][98]
In December 2024, Gaurav Khanna portraying Anuj Kapadia confirmed his exit quoting "He felt it was best time for him to move on and expose himself to new opportunities" while the storyline had already showcased Anuj dead.[102] On 20 December 2024, leading actress Alisha Parveen Khan was terminated overnight without any prior warning. Regarding her termination Khan said, "It is shocking and disappointing. I am not sure what exactly happened and why I am being replaced! Today was my last day on the set of Anupamaa."[103] Within few hours she was replaced by Adrija Roy.[104][105][9]
In early January 2025, Zalak Desai and Rahil Azam stepped in to play Prem's parents Khyati Kothari and Parag Kothari while Alka Kaushal stepped in as his grandmother thus bringing the track of a new Kothari family to the series while Sheersha Tiwari already started portraying his sister Prarthana Kothari in December 2024.[106][107][108] while Mazher Sayed who earlier worked with the production house in 2015 in another show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Shiwani Chakraborty joined in as Prem's uncle and aunt.[109]Saee Barve from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, entered as Prem's late mother, Gayatri Kothari.
Filming
Set in Gujarat, the series is mainly shot at Film City in Mumbai.[110][111] Some initial sequences were shot in Ahmedabad during early March 2020.[112]
On 13 February 2021, the filming was halted for a day for sanitisation when Paras Kalnawat playing Samar, tested positive for COVID-19 virus.[113] The sequences of Kalnawat with Anagha Bhosale playing Nandini were cancelled including proposal sequence of their characters and were replanned until his recovery and return in late February 2021. However he shot some sequences from his home under his and his mother's quarantine period.[114][115]
On 2 April 2021, Rupali Ganguly, Sudhanshu Pandey and Aashish Mehrotra who portray Anupamaa, Vanraj and Paritosh respectively and producer Rajan Shahi tested positive for COVID-19. Certain sequences were postponed and the story focused more on the characters Rakhi, Kavya and Leela while Ganguly, Pandey and Mehrotra shot for few sequences from their homes.[116][117] A few days later, Tassnim Sheikh, Alpana Buch and Nidhi Shah also tested positive for COVID-19 and the story focussed more on Samar, Nandini and Pakhi's characters.[118]
On 13 April 2021, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray announced a sudden curfew due to increased Covid cases in Maharashtra, while the production halted from 14 April 2021.[119] Hence, the production location was soon shifted temporarily to Silvassa alongside other shows of the production house.[120] In June 2021, the Maharashtra government permitted shooting within the state with certain restrictions, following which the whole cast and crew returned to Mumbai on 8 June 2021 and resumed shooting the following day.[121]
Controversy
On 14 November 2024, a 32-years-old crew member, Vineet Kumar Mandal who worked as a camera attendant died of electrocution whilst filming. Following which AICWA lodged a case against the production house for negligence in safety measures of crew members on sets and trying to suppress the matter by being backed by the channel.[122]
Release
Initially scheduled to premiere on 16 March 2020, it was postponed due to the coronavirus scare. Anupamaa finally premiered on 13 July 2020 on Star Plus, replacing Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke.[123] Since 2 October 2022, it is broadcast daily along with other Star Plus's shows.[124]
Prequel series
An eleven-episode prequel web series, Anupama: Namaste America, was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 25 April 2022.[125] The story is set ten years after Anupamaa and Vanraj's marriage in the year 2005.[126][127]
Special episodes
Ravivaar With Star Parivaar (2022)
The cast of Anupamaa participated as a team in the musical game show Ravivaar With Star Parivaar.[128] It competed with the teams of other Star Plus's shows.[129][130] Anupamaa emerged as the 2nd runner-up of the show.[131]
Crossovers
Anupamaa had three crossover with Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. The first was from 26 March 2022 to 28 March 2022,[132][133] the second from 21 December 2023 to 22 December 2023 and the third was on 19 August 2024.[134][135]
On 3 December 2023, Anupamaa had a crossover with Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si.[136]
Reception
Summarize
Perspective
Critics
India Today stated, "Rupali Ganguly fits the character perfectly and aces the role of a Gujarati homemaker. The show strikes a chord with the homemakers as they can identify with the protagonist. Anupamaa has the right amount of emotions, drama, and spice. The show has the right mix of family values and a modern outlook. The show is a heartwarming tale".[137]
ThePrint appreciated the series, along with few other Hindi GECs based on the story of a mother, mentioning that it delivered moral lessons and calling the character Anupamaa a paragon of virtue and farcical.[138]
On its popularity, Yashika Singla of The Print noted, "It has become a feminist movement in itself. From young women commuting in the Metro to mothers and grandmothers at home, everyone is watching it."[139]
Shephali Bhatt of The Mint stated, "At a time when the plot points of Indian TV shows get more outlandish every day — Anupama seems to be rewriting the Indian television playbook".[140]
In popular culture
Anupamaa's (Rupali Ganguly) "aapko kya" dialogue went viral on social media and was the subject of various memes and recreations.[141][142][143]
In October 2024, post the 15-year generation leap in the story, netizens spotted similarities between the Aadhya-Anupamaa reunion track and reunion track of "Naira-Akshara"(2016) from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, another popular soap of the same production house. The Times of India stated, "Now, fans have taken to their Instagram handles to find the exact same scene from the show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai when "Akshara" (Hina Khan) reunited with "Naira" (Shivangi Joshi) after a leap. As the fanpage posted both promos, a lot of them have commented, a user wrote, "Kitna vi kar le Akshara or naira jaisa nhi ho sakta" (They can never match Akshara and Naira)."[144]
Adaptations
Star Plus's Anupamaa is an official Hindi remake of Star Jalsha's Sreemoyee.[145] However its Marathi remake, Aai Kuthe Kay Karte, and Anupamaa both are produced by same producer Rajan Shahi under Director's Kut Productions and follow the same plot.[146]
Awards and nominations
References
External links
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