Ganga in Gangaa
A child widow, the free-spirited Ganga doesn’t understand why her mother-in-law wants her to shave her head after her husband’s death. When she is told it is the tradition Ganga innocently says, “My husband is dead, but I am alive, so why should I shave my head?” That set the tone of this serial which has Ganga questioning every age-old custom and rituals in a cute, endearing manner. Now that she is grown up and is caught in an MMS scandal, Ganga with the help of a lawyer Sagar is fighting to prove her innocence. What’s more she herself is aspiring to be a lawyer. This child widow sure has come a long way!
Sandhya in Diya Aur Baati Hum
She is an IPS officer and doesn’t allow her gender to come in the way of tackling issues even if it means taking on the enemies head-on. From hand-to-hand combat, chasing goons, defusing bombs to gun fighting, Sandhya has done it all. That’s not all, this highly educated girl has been a pillar of strength for her illiterate husband who runs a sweets shop, and encouraged him to participate in a culinary competition where he was pitted against top chefs from the world over. She even brought about a change in her conservative mother-in-law Bhabho, who initially was against her becoming an IPS officer and later became her biggest support. Kudos to both Sandhya and Bhabho.
Anita in Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai
She is a true reflection of the modern working woman. An ex-beauty queen who runs grooming classes, she is the bread-earner while her husband Vibhuti is an unemployed, lazy insurance agent. But Anita is clever enough to know how to get her husband to do domestic chores when she is busy with her classes. Not many men would like this role-reversal but we are all for this stylish and smart woman of today who lives life on her own terms.
Ishita in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein
We know the serial has meandered from its basic plot and stepped into the paranormal zone, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Ishita, who is a dentist, started out as a progressive character. A kind-hearted doctor she develops a strong emotional bond with a little girl Roohi. She marries Roohi’s father Raman, to avoid an ugly custody battle between Raman and his ex-wife Shagun. Later, when Ishita suffers a miscarriage, she allows the repentant Shagun to be her child’s surrogate mother. How liberated is that!
Anandi in Balika Vadhu
She was a child bride who overcame all hurdles to finish her education and later became the village Sarpanch. She divorced Jagya when he betrayed her and married Shiv. A social worker, she adopted a physically-challenged boy when nobody was willing to adopt him. When Shiv got killed, the widowed Anandi started an NGO and worked for women empowerment. Now she’s found that one of her twin daughters Nimboli was kidnapped and forced into child marriage. She is now trying to save her from the trap and rescue her. This one’s a gritty survivor all the way.
Leela in Tashan-E-Ishq
A strong woman, Leela manages a business and has brought up her daughter Twinkle single-handedly. She encourages her daughter to pursue her interest (modelling) and motivates her to build her own identity. When Twinkle falls in love and gets married, Leela tells her not to blindly follow any traditions and to not hesitate to tell her if things go wrong. In short, she is her daughter’s best friend as well. Maa ho toh aisi!
Dadisa in Balika Vadhu
She is the best example of an orthodox authoritative figure changing into a liberated, broad-minded woman. From not allowing her grand daughter-in-law Anandi to study to enrolling herself in school when an age-old way of healing a snake bite goes awry, Dadisa paves the path for many. Her reasoning was that it’s never too late to learn. Endorsing adult literacy was definitely a high point. And this grand old lady of television continues to inspire with her progressive outlook, albeit in the traditional garb.
Riya in Mere Angane Mein
She firmly believes that women are no less than men and is all for pursuing higher education and a career. She falls in love with a guy who belongs to a conservative family and after marriage finds herself in a family controlled by a matriarch, Ammaji. Riya, who is working, continues to give a part of her earnings to her father, which Ammaji disapproves as she believes that she should be contributing everything to her in-laws. But Riya stands her ground and continues supporting her old father. More power to her!
Gayatridevi in Ek Tha Raja, Ek Tha Rani
The show is set in the pre-independence era and Gayatridevi is a simple girl, but that doesn’t stop her from raising her voice against what is wrong, taking a stance and fighting for it. She steps into royalty when she marries prince Rana Indravardhan. However, when she sees the servants being ill-treated by the royal staff, she chides them and points out how they should behave with people, irrespective of the class they belong to. She also does not approve of hunting and saves a horse from being killed. In her own way, she tries to find justice for the people of the kingdom even if it means fighting with her family members.
Dhara in Tamanna
She makes it to our list because of her unique ambition. Dhara wants to be a cricketer as she is passionate about the game. She, however, finds herself married to a guy who is not happy about her pursuing the sport. Considering the serial is about a woman’s dreams, Dhara should be able to overcome his opposition and fulfill her dream.
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 "Ek Tha Raja Ek Tha Rani, Mere Angane Mein, Tamanna, Balika Vadhu, Tashan-E-Ishq, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai, Diy")
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