Overview
Anupama is an Indian Hindi-language television drama, often discussed in the context of streaming platforms because of its parallel digital release. Produced by Rajan Shahi's Director's Kut Productions, the show is broadcast on the StarPlus television channel and is made available for digital streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, where it has consistently ranked among the most-watched Hindi drama serials. The series centres on the life of a middle-aged homemaker in Ahmedabad whose journey of self-discovery forms the emotional core of the narrative.
Key facts
| Title | Anupama |
|---|---|
| Genre | Family drama |
| Language | Hindi |
| Original network | StarPlus |
| Streaming platform | Disney+ Hotstar |
| Production house | Director's Kut Productions |
| Producer | Rajan Shahi, Deepa Shahi |
| Lead actor | Rupali Ganguly |
| Setting | Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Adapted from | The Star Jalsha Bengali serial Sreemoyee |
Background
The series is an official Hindi adaptation of the Bengali television serial Sreemoyee, which aired on Star Jalsha. The Hindi version was developed by Rajan Shahi, a producer known for long-running family dramas on Indian television, including Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. While the original Bengali narrative was relocated to a Gujarati family setting in Ahmedabad, the central premise of a self-effacing wife and mother rediscovering her identity was retained.
Plot
The story follows Anupama Shah, a devoted homemaker who has dedicated her life to her in-laws, husband Vanraj, and three children. Despite her sacrifices, she is taken for granted within the joint family. The narrative explores her gradual transformation as she pursues her long-abandoned passion for dance, returns to formal education, and asserts her individuality. Subsequent arcs deal with marital betrayal, divorce, single parenthood, remarriage, and her emergence as an entrepreneur running her own dance academy and café.
Cast
- Rupali Ganguly as Anupama Shah
- Sudhanshu Pandey as Vanraj Shah, her first husband
- Gaurav Khanna as Anuj Kapadia, a businessman and her second love interest
- Madalsa Sharma as Kavya, Vanraj's second wife
- Alpana Buch as Leela "Baa" Shah, Vanraj's mother
- Arvind Vaidya as Hasmukh "Bapuji" Shah, Vanraj's father
- Paras Kalnawat, later replaced by Sagar Parekh, as Samar, Anupama's younger son
- Aashish Mehrotra as Toshu, the elder son
- Muskan Bamne as Pakhi, the daughter
Production and broadcast
The series premiered on StarPlus in 2020, replacing an earlier weekday slot on the channel. It is shot primarily at studios in Mumbai, with Ahmedabad-themed sets, costumes, and dialogue inflections used to convey the Gujarati cultural milieu. New episodes are released daily on Disney+ Hotstar, often before the linear television telecast, a strategy that has contributed to the show's strong digital viewership.
Reception and significance
Soon after its launch, Anupama rose to the top of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) ratings for Hindi general entertainment programming and has remained among the highest-rated Hindi serials for an extended period. The show has been credited with reviving the family drama format on Indian television by foregrounding the perspective of a middle-aged female protagonist rather than a young bride, a departure from typical saas-bahu narratives. Rupali Ganguly's portrayal of the title character has received significant attention and several Indian television awards.
Themes
- Female self-actualisation in middle age
- Joint family dynamics and patriarchal norms
- Marriage, infidelity, and divorce in urban Indian households
- Single motherhood and second marriages
- Entrepreneurship and economic independence for women
Related topics
- Rupali Ganguly
- Rajan Shahi
- StarPlus
- Disney+ Hotstar
- Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai
- Sreemoyee
- Indian television soap opera
- Hindi television
References
- StarPlus official programme listings.
- Disney+ Hotstar catalogue entry for Anupama.
- Director's Kut Productions production credits.
- BARC India weekly Hindi GEC ratings reports.