‘Banegi Apni Baat: The 90s were that golden period in the history of Indian television, which not only gave us entertainment but also presented a new perspective of looking at the society. There were some selected serials of that time, which presented something out of the box of traditional stories which touched the heartbeats of the youth. In today’s era, when we see an abundance of bold content on OTT, it is difficult to believe that even decades ago there was a show that challenged the conventions of the society. This show is still a beautiful memory for those who were there during their college days.
A unique journey between college life and career
Zee TV’s landmark show ‘Banegi Apni Baat’, aired from 1994 to 1998, was a serial that was ahead of its time. The biggest feature of this series produced by Tony Singh and Dia Singh was its story. The show was not just limited to fortnights or family drama, but it closely depicted the life of college students, their fun and then the struggle of transitioning from student life to the professional world. This was the reason why the show became extremely popular among the youth and college going students of that time and people used to relate to its characters.
When candid stories appeared on screen
‘Banegi Apni Baat’ is still remembered for its fearlessness. In an era when many subjects were considered taboo on television, the show openly explored subjects like campus life, ragging, romance and heartbreak. Not only this, the show was quite courageous for that time as it talked about serious and sensitive issues like premarital sex, teenage issues, hormonal changes etc. without any hesitation. It was a new experience for the audience of that time to see such frankness of kissing scenes or romance on screen. It would not be wrong to say that the society and producers of the 90s were much more open-minded than today.
This show became the nursery of veteran stars
This cult show has given many priceless gems to the Indian film and television industry. Do you know that legends like R Madhavan and late actor Irrfan Khan played important roles in this show? Madhavan made his television debut with this series. He played the character of a Goan boy named Ashley, who falls in love with Firdaus Dadi’s character Riya. Irrfan Khan played the role of a father named Kumar who is very strict and violent in the beginning, but later takes care of his sons. Apart from this, veteran actors like Surekha Sikri, Rituraj, Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul, Kalpana Iyer, Varun Badola, Sandhya Mridul, Sandiya Siddiqui were seen in this show.
Makers forgot Madhavan’s audition
Producer Dia Singh once recalled that he almost forgot Madhavan’s audition because the shooting was very busy, but when he was finally auditioned, everyone became his fan. Apart from these, the careers of artists like Saadia Siddiqui, Achint Kaur, Varun Badola and Rakhi Tandon also got big recognition from this show.
Where else to see relevance in today’s times?
The show is as relevant today as it was in the 90s. The sensitivity with which it dealt with the complexities of the teenage mind and youth issues can serve as an example for the communication between parents and children today. If you haven’t watched this masterpiece yet or want to refresh your memories, the good news is that ‘Banegi Apni Baat’ is now available for streaming on OTT platform Zee5. This weekend you can sit with your family and enjoy this old but modern show.
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