Screenindia- Out of the box - Punar Vivah

Laxmi Sangara was just a year old when her parents married her off to a boy in Jodhpur. She grew up believing that marriage was her fate and came to accept it. Things changed for her when she saw her favourite on screen character, Anandi from Balika Vadhu ask for a divorce. Inspired by Anandi, Sangara moved court and annulled her marriage. Recently, in the show's 1,000th episode, Sangara was honoured for her brave move. "Anandi had to move on and find a new life. It's a slow but sure change," says Purnendu Shekhar, writer of Balika Vadhu. Surekha Sikri, who plays the role of Dadisa in the soap, is also proud of this progressive move. "This is not just Anandi's story but many such women are trapped in situations like these," she says.

Relationships continue to dominate the small screen but with a twist in the tale. Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha, Kya Hua Tera Vada and Bade Acche Lagte Hain have redefined relationships and marriage. Kuch Toh Log Kahenge is about a young female doctor's decision to marry a much older man.

"It's high time we broke the rules and conveyed to the audience that television programming is not regressive in India," says Prashant Bhatt, fiction head, programming, Colors. India is changing, in a lot of ways and so are its people. "There is awareness amongst Indians today and they have become more open minded towards various issues. We want to reflect that," he says. Still, Bhatt makes sure that he understands the concerns of the audiences before introducing a new subject in any of their shows. "Our focus groups are spread across India and we take their views seriously," he says.

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