Diya Aur Baati Hum was a Hindi-language Indian television drama that aired on Star Plus from 29 August 2011 to 10 September 2016. Produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions, the show was among the longest-running and most-watched Hindi general entertainment serials of its era. It depicted the journey of Sandhya Rathi, a young woman from Pushkar in Rajasthan, who aspires to become an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, and her husband Sooraj Rathi, who runs a sweet shop in his family's traditional business.
| Title | Diya Aur Baati Hum |
|---|---|
| Genre | Family drama |
| Original language | Hindi |
| Channel | Star Plus |
| Production house | Shashi Sumeet Productions |
| Producers | Shashi Mittal, Sumeet Hukamchand Mittal |
| Original run | 29 August 2011 – 10 September 2016 |
| Approximate episodes | 1,500+ |
| Setting | Pushkar, Rajasthan |
| Lead pair | Deepika Singh as Sandhya Rathi; Anas Rashid as Sooraj Rathi |
The serial is set largely in Pushkar, a temple town in Ajmer district, Rajasthan, against the backdrop of a traditional Marwari family that runs a halwai (sweet maker) shop. The narrative follows the unconventional marriage between Sooraj, an unassuming sweet-shop owner who has not completed formal higher education, and Sandhya, a graduate determined to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination and serve as an IPS officer. The show drew on the contrast between domestic responsibility in a joint family and a woman's professional aspirations in the Indian civil services.
Anas Rashid stepped away from the show in its later phase, and the storyline introduced new tracks featuring the next generation of the Rathi family.
The serial was created and produced by the husband-and-wife team of Sumeet and Shashi Mittal under their banner Shashi Sumeet Productions, which also produced other Hindi television dramas such as Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai spinoffs and Mere Angne Mein. The title sequence and recurring scenes prominently featured Rajasthani folk imagery, costumes and music, and exterior portions were filmed in and around Pushkar, while studio shoots were carried out in Mumbai.
The serial received critical and popular attention for foregrounding a female protagonist's ambition to join the civil services within a traditional family setting. It won several Indian television honours, including awards at the Star Parivaar Awards and Indian Telly Awards, with Deepika Singh and Anas Rashid receiving recognitions for their lead performances. The show is frequently cited as an example of Hindi television's engagement with themes of women's education, gender roles in joint families, and professional aspiration in small-town India.
Following the conclusion of the original series, Star Plus aired the spin-off Tu Sooraj, Main Saanjh, Piyaaji (2017–2018), which carried forward themes from the parent show with a new cast. Diya Aur Baati Hum was also dubbed and broadcast in several regional and international markets through Star network channels and digital streaming.