What makes 'Housewife Hai..' No 1?

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Be it Pavitra Rishta or be it Punar Vivah, be it Yeh Rishta Kya Khelata Hai or be it Ek Hazarron Mein Meri Behna Hai, be it Saath Nibhaana Saathiya or be it Sasural Simar Ka ' there is one striking resemblance between all these shows. We see a big joint family with all the leading ladies busy cooking, serving, giving pills to old grandpa or grandma, arguing with the grocery person, supervising maid's work, eavesdropping on other's conversation, hatching plans to rescue their family all by themselves from the characters with malicious intentions and so on and so forth.

We have another show with similar joint family set-up being aired on Zee TV from Monday to Friday at 7:00 pm. The show is popularly known as Aaj Ki Housewife Hain'Sab Jaanti Hai. Then, is this show any different from the above mentioned ones? Is there some element in this show which segregates it from the rest?

To answer this ' Yes, the USP (unique selling point) of this show is that the female protagonist Sona (Suhasi Dhami) becomes a housewife not by choice but for accomplishment of a mission. From being a self-independent, feisty and spunky journalist to becoming a housewife with a mission ' well this is the distinctiveness of this show.

Housewife with a mission ' doesn't it make you feel as if you are here to witness some war? The war is definitely on but the battleground has changed. This Saas-Bahu battle is taking place inside the Chaturvedi house. The Saas Sunaina Chaturvedi (Himani Shivpuri) is the main antagonist and is greedy, self-centered, dominating, ever brimming with snide remarks and sarcasm. She is a firm believer of the notion that housewife has no respect or dignity as she does not bring home a paycheck.

Looking at the state of the only Housewife in the family Neelam Chaturvedi (Monica Khanna) and upon understanding her in-laws notions about the stature of a Housewife, Sona consciously decides to leave her job. She insists on being a housewife to wake her family up to the fact that being a housewife is not just a respectable choice but a challenging job that calls for resourcefulness, creativity and tact. She applies her intelligence to being a smart housewife, plays her cards well and attempts to set her otherwise dysfunctional family back on track.

In today's materialistic society there is an evident competition to be financially sound and independent. The basic criteria to measure success and command respect within your family and society is to earn. In this rush to succeed we look down on the job of a housewife and take them for granted.

Bending this prevailing pre-conceived notion, the show aims to deliver a strong message that being a housewife is not a cakewalk. Being a housewife is the most crucial job as they lead the family to the path of bliss. The mantle of a homemaker is no less than that of a working woman.

The promo teaser of the show states ' "Khana banane ke 3000, chiku ko padhane ke 5000, sabji laane ke 1500, saari services 365 din bina ek bhi chutti ke. Mana ek pie bhi nahi kamati, par pie pie bachati hain'..Dekh rahe hai aap, subah se shaam tak hum busy hain, aur aapko lagta hai housewife banna easy hai". Job of a housewife is the most underrated one. And rightfully so, the show intends to highlight the dignity that exists in being a housewife and give them the respect they truly deserve.

The idea that working woman should not be helping in household chores at all is the only string that is out of the chords here. Ideal as it may sound, but this stringent demarcation of tasks of a working woman and housewife is yet to see the daylight in our society. It has however set the show rolling.

As we see it today this show is not just another splendidly rich family saga. It focuses to establish the difference between a housemaid and a housewife. Though the format of the show is still the same old Saas-Bahu drama but this time the concept is fresh and interesting. The television's bechaari "Ideal Bahu" image is being charred and we see a strong Bahu standing against her Saas for commanding respect for herself. And resplendent performance by all the actors is doing complete justice to the eminent script.

Guess that is why the show is doing fairly well on popularity charts with a TRP of 1.6 for last week. Now let's see how well the makers of the show are able to justify their concept with their content. For this all you need to do is keep watching and tell us your views/ comments/ suggestions on Twitter-idduba and set reminders for your favorite shows on idubba app..