Curtains fall on Kyunki… Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi amidst applause

The trendsetter serial debuted on STAR Plus in 2000

It appears that the mother of all saas-bahu sagas on Indian television, Kyunki… Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (KSBKBT), pulled in a fair number of both loyal and casual viewers for its final episode on November 6.

According to aMap data (for NWE India), the final episode of KSBKBT registered a rating of 3.7. In real terms, the final episode of the Balaji Telefilms show was watched by 5.4 million viewers, considerably higher than the average net reach of 3.8 million that the show has been managing for the two months leading up to the finale.

Media planners point out that the increase in the number of viewers indicates that there was enough curiosity and buzz around the fact that the soap was coming to an end.

Curtains fall on Kyunki… Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi amidst applause

Jyoti Bansal, executive director, West and South, MPG India, says, “The apparent increase in the number of viewers was a result of core loyalist watchers making it a point to tune in to find out how their favourite show ended. It is but logical that the large group of KSBKBT followers would come back to the show and the channel for one last time. Even the not so diehard fans would have joined in to see how the long running show ended.” The Balaji Telefilms Ltd serial started airing in 2000.

Bansal says that the emotionally pitched promos of the last episode may have egged on viewers to sample the show for one last time. The show, with more than 1,500 episodes, had some popular characters in Tulsi Virani (the protagonist and the ideal daughter-in-law), Savita (her mother-in-law), Mihir (her husband), and Baa/Amba Virani (her grandmother-in-law and her firmest supporter).

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