Hasratein

Hasratein (Desires) is an Indian television soap opera that was telecast on Zee TV in the mid 1990s.[1][2] It is based on the Marathi novel "Adhantari" by Late Shri Jaywant Dalvi. Hasratein focuses around successes of extra marital relationships. One of the main story is of Savi, a woman who leaves her husband and maintains an extra-marital relationship with another married man, with both their spouses being aware of the situation. Her actions were due to the fact that years ago, during her childhood, her mother left her father for a young man. The show emphasizes the societal strain placed on marriages in Indian culture, especially roles given to the female spouse resulting in boredom felt by the male spouse. Hasratein was one of the most popular television shows of the mid and late 1990s.[3] According to Shubhra Gupta, film and television critic, the popularity of the serial "had made it a catalyst for the discussion of issues of marital discord, in spite of the embarrassment the serial generated for many people."[4]

Seema Kapoor played the character of Savi for the first 125 episodes. She was then replaced by Shefali Chhaya, whose work earned her the Zee Woman of the Year award in 1997.[5]