Balika Vadhu is a TV serial, currently being broadcast on Colors TV in India. The serial deals with Child Marriage, a social custom still prevalent in parts of India. Watch Balika Vadhu on Colors TV every Mon – Fri 8:00 pm .The story revolves around a rich, feudalistic household in Rajasthan. It consists of a domineering matriarch Kalyani, her two sons Basant (Satyajit Sharma) and Bhairav (Anup Soni), Bhairav's wife Sumitra (Smita Bansal), and his children Sughna (Vibha Anand) and Jagdish (Avinash Mukharjee). The story begins with the marriage of the young boy Jagdish with Anandi (Avika Gor), a girl of his age.
The matriarch, Kalyani Devi and her family are highly respected around her village and the other villages around it. Thus, when a supposedly poor family get their daughter, Anandi, married to Kalyani's grandson, Jagdish, they feel that they have fixed their daughter's life.
But when Anandi reaches her sasuraal (in-laws' home), she finds herself listening to her dadi-sa, Kalyani Devi. Little by little, Anandi's childish mistakes get her into trouble in the hands of Kalyani and one day Kalyani locks her in a dark room. This scares Anandi, and when she is freed she runs away to her parents, Bhagwati (Bhairavi Raichura) and Khajaan Singh (Chetanya Adib). This breaks the heart of Sumitra, Anandi's mother-in-law who gave her a lot of love. When Anandi is brought back to her in laws, Bhairav Kalyani's younger son, convinces Kalyani to be nice to Anandi.
Subsequent subplot includes the marriage of Basant to a girl much younger than he is, because of the Kalyani's greed for an heir. His first wife Jamna died when she was pregnant because of this reason. A few months after Jamna's death Kalyani got Basant married to a poor, young girl named Gehna (Neha Marda) who was young enough to be Basant's daughter. After marriage it was shown that Gehna was abused by Basant and Kalyani. When she faced enough abuse she rebelled against both of them.
It is also shown that Anandi's teenage sister-in-law Sughna is married to a boy named Pratap, who also belongs to a very rich family. In the beginning Sughna and Pratap meet secretly because Sugna's parents don't want her to become a mother at such a young age and face the same fate as Jamna. Soon it comes time for Sughna to go to her in-laws, and a celebration is held. On the way to the ceremony Pratap's family is robbed and he is killed in the process of rescuing them from some goons. Pratap's body is brought to Sughna's house and Sughna's grief is unbearable when she sees him dead. Afterwards it is shown that Sugna is in her room and still can't believe that Pratap is dead. It is shown that the family is taking Pratap's body to the graveyard and in Sugna's house all the ladies are taking Sugna's make-up, colourful dress and giving her a dull dress and after looking at herself in a widow's dress she is crying a lot and remembering the happier days with Pratap. It is also shown that Kalyani is telling Anadi's mother to take Sugna to the room behind their haveli and also tells her to tell Sugna that from now she has to make her own food without adding any spices or not to touch the sweet things too.
The matriarch, Kalyani Devi and her family are highly respected around her village and the other villages around it. Thus, when a supposedly poor family get their daughter, Anandi, married to Kalyani's grandson, Jagdish, they feel that they have fixed their daughter's life.
But when Anandi reaches her sasuraal (in-laws' home), she finds herself listening to her dadi-sa, Kalyani Devi. Little by little, Anandi's childish mistakes get her into trouble in the hands of Kalyani and one day Kalyani locks her in a dark room. This scares Anandi, and when she is freed she runs away to her parents, Bhagwati (Bhairavi Raichura) and Khajaan Singh (Chetanya Adib). This breaks the heart of Sumitra, Anandi's mother-in-law who gave her a lot of love. When Anandi is brought back to her in laws, Bhairav Kalyani's younger son, convinces Kalyani to be nice to Anandi.
Subsequent subplot includes the marriage of Basant to a girl much younger than he is, because of the Kalyani's greed for an heir. His first wife Jamna died when she was pregnant because of this reason. A few months after Jamna's death Kalyani got Basant married to a poor, young girl named Gehna (Neha Marda) who was young enough to be Basant's daughter. After marriage it was shown that Gehna was abused by Basant and Kalyani. When she faced enough abuse she rebelled against both of them.
It is also shown that Anandi's teenage sister-in-law Sughna is married to a boy named Pratap, who also belongs to a very rich family. In the beginning Sughna and Pratap meet secretly because Sugna's parents don't want her to become a mother at such a young age and face the same fate as Jamna. Soon it comes time for Sughna to go to her in-laws, and a celebration is held. On the way to the ceremony Pratap's family is robbed and he is killed in the process of rescuing them from some goons. Pratap's body is brought to Sughna's house and Sughna's grief is unbearable when she sees him dead. Afterwards it is shown that Sugna is in her room and still can't believe that Pratap is dead. It is shown that the family is taking Pratap's body to the graveyard and in Sugna's house all the ladies are taking Sugna's make-up, colourful dress and giving her a dull dress and after looking at herself in a widow's dress she is crying a lot and remembering the happier days with Pratap. It is also shown that Kalyani is telling Anadi's mother to take Sugna to the room behind their haveli and also tells her to tell Sugna that from now she has to make her own food without adding any spices or not to touch the sweet things too.
Show Synopsis
Set in rural Rajasthan, ‘Balika Vadhu’ traces the arduous journey of child bride Anandi from the brink of childhood to womanhood. Married at the tender age of eight, to an equally young Jagdish, she enters a new world which is at once alienating and confusing. and torn away from the merriment of childhood and her family, she has to accept and accustom herself to this new family of strangers, new relationships and accept her roles as a friend, lover, wife and a mother as she forges her way in the world.
‘Balika Vadhu’ very sensitively portrays the plight of children who are unwittingly forced into marriage, in the name of tradition, and have to bear the repercussions for the rest of their lives.
‘Balika Vadhu’ very sensitively portrays the plight of children who are unwittingly forced into marriage, in the name of tradition, and have to bear the repercussions for the rest of their lives.
Viewer Response
The serial has been received well in India, with strong reviews and high TRPs. Among the various reasons for the success is its bold and unconventional story line, taut direction, good art direction and authentic dialogues. It is currently India's highest watched television program.
It is also being credited with the meteoric rise of Colors to the number two spot in Indian television channels, behind rival Star Plus, but already ahead of Sony TV and Zee TV.
Cast
Role /Actor
Kalyani - Surekha Sikri
Bhairav - Anup Soni
Anandi - Avika Gor
Jagdish - Avinash Mukherjee
Champa - Shivshakti Sachdeva
Sumitra - Smita Bansal
Gehna - Neha Marda
Bhagwati - Bharavi Raichura
Suguna - Vibha Anand
Basant - Satyajit Sharma
Pratap - Jehangir
Awards
Indian Telly Awards
Category - Winner
2008
Best Child Actress - Avika Gor
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Smita Bansal
Best Actress in a Negative Role - Surekha Sikri
Best Fresh Face - Female Avika Gor
Best Programme with a social message Balika Vadhu
The Indian Television Academy Awards
Category - Winner
2008
Best Videography - Sanjay Memane
Best Teleplay - Purnendu Shekhar, Rajesh Dubey and Gajra Kothare
Best Dialogues - Raghuveer Shikawat
Best Title Music/Song Track - Lalit Sen
Best Child Actress - Avika Gaur
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Sadia Siddiqui
Best Actress in a Negative Role - Surekha Sikri
Best Director Drama - Siddhartha Sen Gupta and Pradeep Yadhav
Best Serial Drama - Balika Vadhu
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