Imlie (TV series)

Overview

Imlie is an Indian Hindi-language television drama series that premiered on Star Plus on 16 November 2020. Produced by Gul Khan under the banner of 4 Lions Films, the show is loosely inspired by the Bengali serial Ishti Kutum, which aired on Star Jalsha. It airs on Star Plus and is available for digital streaming on Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar).

Key Facts

Premise

The series centres on Imlie, a young woman from a village in the Pagdandiya region, whose life is upended when she is unknowingly married to Aditya Kumar Tripathi, a journalist from Delhi who is already engaged to a city-bred woman, Malvika. The narrative explores the cultural contrast between rural and urban India, gender roles, child marriage, education for women, and the protagonist's gradual transformation into an independent journalist. Subsequent story arcs follow new generations of characters and continue the title's thematic focus on a determined female lead.

Cast

Original lead cast

• Sumbul Touqeer Khan as Imlie (original protagonist)
• Gashmeer Mahajani as Aditya Kumar Tripathi
• Mayuri Deshmukh as Malvika "Malini" Chaturvedi
• Fahmaan Khan as Aryan Singh Rathore (introduced after a leap)

Later seasons / generational leap

The show underwent a generational leap, after which the lead roles were taken over by new actors, including Megha Chakraborty as Imlie and Karan Vohra as Atharva Rana, with Sai Ketan Rao introduced in a parallel role. Several supporting characters also evolved across the leaps, with the show continuing under the same title.

Production

The show is produced by Gul Khan's 4 Lions Films, the production house behind several Star Plus serials including Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? and Ishqbaaaz. Filming has been carried out in Mumbai, with select sequences shot on outdoor locations to depict the rural setting of Pagdandiya. The opening title track was composed for the series and became closely associated with the lead character's emotional journey.

Broadcast and Reception

Imlie emerged as one of Star Plus's prominent prime-time fiction shows in the early 2020s, frequently featuring among the top-rated Hindi general entertainment programmes during its initial run, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India weekly ratings. The show received attention for highlighting issues such as child marriage and rural women's education within a mainstream saas-bahu format.

Awards and Recognition

Sumbul Touqeer Khan received industry recognition for her debut performance as the title character, including the Indian Television Academy Award for GR8! Face of the Year and nominations at the Star Parivaar Awards. The show itself has been nominated in multiple categories at industry award ceremonies including the Star Parivaar Awards.

Adaptations

The Hindi serial is itself adapted from the Bengali series Ishti Kutum, which originally aired on Star Jalsha and was created within the Star network's regional programming slate. Several plot elements, particularly the rural-urban marriage premise, are drawn from the source material.

Significance

The series is notable for launching Sumbul Touqeer Khan as a leading actress in Hindi television and for sustaining a long run in the prime-time slot at 8:30 pm on Star Plus. Its mix of social themes with mainstream melodrama placed it within a tradition of Hindi general-entertainment serials that combine domestic drama with social commentary.

Related Topics

• Star Plus
• 4 Lions Films
• Gul Khan
• Sumbul Touqeer Khan
• Disney+ Hotstar
• Ishti Kutum
• Indian Television
• Hindi Television Serials

References

• Star Plus official programming listings.
• Disney+ Hotstar / JioHotstar streaming catalogue.
• BARC India weekly television ratings reports.
• Indian Television Academy Awards records.