In a changed world, can Tulsi still pull eyeballs and brands like before?
Beyond initial nostalgia-driven interest, how can the 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' reboot sustain advertiser engagement in today's fragmented media landscape?
The jingle of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is poised to resonate in Indian households once more, as the popular TV show returns to Star Plus and JioHotstar with a second season on July 29, 2025.
Kyunki, as it was commonly referred to, first premiered 25 years ago on July 3, 2000, on Star Plus. The series ran for eight years, consistently topping TRP charts for seven of those years, before ultimately concluding in 2008.
The TV show centred around the Viranis, a wealthy Gujarati industrialist family, into which the protagonist, Tulsi, marries. Over the course of eight years, viewers closely followed Tulsi’s transformation from a timid daughter-in-law to the matriarch of the family.
The series originally aired at 10:30 PM on weekdays, a time slot it will return to in season 2, although this time it will be broadcast every day of the week.
Speaking to AajTak, actor and politician Smriti Irani fondly recalled her initial experience in the role of Tulsi Virani, saying, "I still remember when we first started working on the show; there were about 120 to 150 of us. None of us owned houses or cars at the time. We all built the financial foundation of our lives through Kyunki."
Ekta Kapoor will once again produce the show under Balaji Telefilms. Interestingly, the announcement of the reboot comes after Balaji revealed plans to reverse its business pyramid, placing greater emphasis on movies, followed by digital platforms, while television will take a backseat. Previously, television was the core focus of the media company.
Balaji's FY25 report indicates a 27.5% decline in revenue, falling from Rs 625 crore to Rs 453 crore compared to the previous fiscal year. However, its net profit rose from Rs 19.4 crore to Rs 84.6 crore during the same period, attributed to licencing fees and digital content rights.
According to NDTV Movies, season 2 of Kyunki is expected to consist of around 150 episodes, in contrast to its lengthy 1840-episode run in season 1.
During the India Global Forum in April 2025, Ekta Kapoor clearly expressed her intention to bring back the show in order to reach the 2000-episode milestone. “I'm re-making the biggest show I ever created... because the programme concluded 160 episodes short of reaching its significant milestone of 2000,” she said.
For its more finite reboot, the TV show will stream on JioHotstar, which is positioning Kyunki 2.0 as a cross-generational series.
“For older audiences, it brings back the comfort and nostalgia of iconic characters like Tulsi, who were once integral to their daily lives. For younger, digitally native viewers, it provides a modern perspective on themes that resonate with them, such as family dynamics, parenting, relationships, identity, and emotional complexity, all presented in a high-quality, cinematic format,” a spokesperson from JioHotstar said.
"TV has changed over the years, in terms of making shows as well as audiences’ mobile-first viewing habits, and the pressure to recreate a loved series and make it succeed is going to be much higher," said Mitesh Shah while speaking to afaqs! He is a screenwriter and film producer who was also involved in the screenwriting process of Kyunki back in the 2000s.
"I believe they will address more contemporary issues and narratives that resonate with today's viewers, while still maintaining a degree of simplicity reminiscent of the initial episodes of Kyunki,” he elaborated.
Shah also reassured the audience and advertisers that "Rajubhai (Rajesh Joshi), one of the original writers of the show, is once again leading the writing team, now alongside younger members. His ability to convey the emotion and drama essential for a television show in India is spot on. I have worked closely with both Ekta and Rajubhai, and I am well aware of the immense dedication they both invest in Kyunki."
Kyunki isn't the first legacy IP to make a comeback though, other properties such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (original: 2004, reboot: 2017), Khichdi (original: 2002, reboot: 2018), Hum Paanch (original: 1995, reboot: 2005), Office Office (original: 2001, reboot: 2006), CID (original: 1998, reboot: 2024), and Bade Acche Lagte Hain (original: 2011, reboot: 2021 and 2025) have also undergone reboots; however, most have received lukewarm responses.
Interest from advertisers
The Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhu Bahu Thi 2 poster not only showcases the show’s refreshed appearance but also reflects the confidence of advertisers in it. The poster features P&G Tide as the presenting sponsor, with Fortune Refined Soyabean Oil and Colgate listed as co-powered TV sponsors.
Additionally, although not included on the poster, Fortune Chakki Atta has secured co-powered digital streaming sponsorship. In total, Kyunki has 13 sponsorship slots available for advertisers.
Arjun Bhatia, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Matrimony.com Limited, also expressed interest in associating with Kyunki.
“Both platforms celebrate Indian family values and the importance of marriage. This collaboration could help us connect with families who appreciate tradition and are seeking meaningful relationships for their children,” he said.
According to Bhatia, other family-oriented brand categories, such as jewellery, automobiles, BSFI (Banking, Financial Services, Insurance), and real estate, may also express interest in the show.
“Yes, of course,” was the response from Dabur’s head of media, Rajiv Dubey, when asked by afaqs! about the brand’s interest in Kyunki. Dabur's focus on women in its communications suggests that Kyunki could significantly enhance the brand's visibility.
Krishna Rao Buddha, a marketing specialist and former senior category head at Parle, also shared insights on advertisers’ interest. He drew a comparison between the Kyunki reboot and the re-runs of Mahabharata and Ramayana that aired on linear TV during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Those re-runs were backed by significant interest, particularly from advertisers,” he said.
Many women who watched the first season of Kyunki when they were in their teens or early twenties are now likely over 40, whether they are working professionals or homemakers, and possess spending power.
Therefore, according to Buddha, brands that focus on women would be more appealing.
Hindustan Unilever, Imami, Godrej, Parle, Britannia, ITC, Dabur and Marico can be included among the potential advertisers for Kyunki, according to Buddha.
As the festive season approaches with the arrival of Raksha Bandhan, he said that interest from brands will extend beyond the FMCG category. While traditional sectors such as FMCG and automobiles are likely to show greater interest, e-commerce and quick commerce brands will also be keen to advertise on the show.
Managing expectations
Buddha, however, offered a word of caution: "During the pandemic, there was no new content" for the re-runs to compete against, a situation that will not apply to the reboot of Kyunki. The jury is still out on how the audience will receive the show."
“It is not unprecedented for a TV channel to attempt to revive an old asset,” said Paritosh Joshi, principal at Provocateur Advisory, an independent media and communications consultancy.
He drew a parallel with the Bournvita Quiz Contest, which has experienced "various iterations" since the early 1970s and continues into the 21st century, transitioning from radio to YouTube.
Joshi also drew a comparison between Kyunki and the "middle-class" shows from his youth, such as Hum Log and Nukkad, which catered to what he described as "gareeb India".
Because, alongside Kaun Banega Crorepati and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki (which he recalled as a "wonderful trifecta"), marked a significant shift from middle-class India to the “post-liberalisation India, where the aspiration for all the good things in life was brought to TV," he noted.
Characters "walking around in what you would now recognise as Manyavar and Mohey at all times", catering to "a burgeoning middle class that wanted to spend money and look glamorous", was novel in the early 2000s, but it is no longer the case.
While Kyunki generated "water cooler conversations" in an era of fewer channels and communal family viewing, Joshi acknowledged that these "advantages have now faded into the background" due to fragmented viewership with the ubiquity of mobile devices. Nevertheless, he considered the reboot to be a fair experimental opportunity for the channel.
Matcha lattes, labubu dolls and micro-dramas may be the staples of pop culture in 2025, but Kyunki comprised the original pop culture of India, popularising the ‘saas-bahu’ genre that dominated almost every Indian household. Hence, it remains to be seen whether the nostalgia cheat code works for the property or signals creative bankruptcy for the media industry.
/afaqs/media/agency_attachments/2024-10-10t065829449z-afaqs_640x480.png)
/afaqs/media/member_avatars/2025/04/17/2025-04-17t130410170z-img_20250316_164032.jpg )
Follow Us/afaqs/media/media_files/2025/07/29/mixcollage-29-jul-2025-09-14-pm-1265-2025-07-29-21-15-34.jpg)