Zee TV bets on 'Kahaani Har Ghar Ki' to redefine reality TV & 'disrupt' prime time

Zee TV is launching a new reality TV show titled Kahaani Har Ghar Ki, hosted by Juhi Parmar of Kumkum fame. It is a talk show that will give Indian women a safe platform to discuss issues they face in the patriarchal setup, such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, unfair familial expectations, etc. The show will air at 6:30 PM from Monday to Friday on ZeeTV and Zee5, starting September 1, 2025. 

Positioned as a "clutter-breaking" daily reality show, it breaks away from the conventional talent or competition-centric reality formats such as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Dance India Dance or Shabaash India. It focuses on unscripted, real-life issues faced by women across the country.

Zee TV, along with Zee5 (OTT), Zee Studios (film production and distribution), Zee Music Company and Zee Live (live entertainment), falls under the larger Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) group.

According to its annual report, ZEEL earned Rs 82,941 million in revenue in the financial year ending in March 2025. Zee TV contributed Rs 75,172 million to it, comprising 90% of the overall revenue, whereas Zee5 and Zee Studios contributed only 11.77% and 5.35%, respectively. Revenues for Zee Music Company and Zee Live were not separately disclosed. 

According to Mangesh Kulkarni, chief channel officer at Zee TV, Kahaani Har Ghar Ki is a true reflection of Zee’s philosophy and its recently rebranded identity, ‘Aapka Apna Zee TV’.

"Kahaani Har Ghar Ki is a show about real people, real life, real expressions, real experiences and real emotions," he says.

"This is a show about conversations that are often left unsaid within Indian households that cannot happen without trust and appnapan."

“We don't make heroes come on our shows; we make heroes out of common people,” asserts Kulkarni while addressing the women who will be interviewed by Parmar in the talk show. 

Navigating the challenges of unscripted content

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According to Kulkarni, one of the greatest challenges for a show of such a sensitive nature is not just getting women to open up about their struggles but also getting the perpetrators to come talk about it on national television. The channel’s team has undertaken a mammoth task of scouting and convincing participants to appear on TV.

"Our teams have been at it for months." Kulkarni reveals that what viewers will see at the show is the result of extensive efforts by numerous teams working across multiple states and over several months.

Furthermore, most reality TV shows air weekly, but since Kahaani Har Ghar Ki will air on all weekdays, audience engagement remains a priority for Zee TV. 

“We are aware of the fact that in a scripted show, it's a lot easier for anyone to spike up the engagements by creating drama. That is not possible in this format at all,” explains Kulkarni.

“However, this show has the possibility of striking far deeper conversations. The thing is, there was big research published in an international journal about how soap operas themselves end up empowering women in navigating their daily struggles about relationships, careers and everything else,” says Kulkarni, citing research titled Television Soap Operas As A Tool For Women Empowerment: A Case Study Of Serials ‘Udaan Zindagi Ki’ And ‘Nimki Mukhiya’ by Aabshar Abbasi.

Creating an early prime time

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From a content strategy perspective, the show’s placement at 6:30 PM is designed to be a "disruption" that creates an earlier prime time slot before the conventional 7 PM, setting the stage for the rest of the prime time shows that Zee TV has to offer, like Chhoriyan Chali Gaon that airs at 7:00 PM.

Explaining the need to adapt in an OTT world, Kulkarni notes, “Everybody is aware of the fact that as a category, GECs (General Entertainment Channels) now need a different way of connecting to the audience. It needs a different way of expression. And it also needs to have life beyond its fixed hours, and the core of that is disruption.”

“It's going to be a 6:30 PM show, where women, at their comparative leisure, will be able to engage in such conversation, which will help us create a lead-in into the rest of the prime time shows.”

While the primary target audience remains women, the show’s focus on family dynamics gives it the potential to appeal to a wider demographic.

Purposeful entertainment and advertiser appeal

The channel is confident that the show’s unique format will also attract advertisers looking for a different kind of engagement. While many brands focus their budgets on the festive season, Zee TV has a separate calendar of events to maintain year-long momentum. 

The channel's festive calendar does not apply to Kahaani Har Ghar Ki owing to the sensitive subject matter it deals with, but an action-packed festive calendar awaits advertisers and media planners for all other offerings across Zee TV.

"This show is also about getting a family to come together," says Kulkarni. "So we are also hopeful that this excites advertisers in a different light and gets them to participate." The channel is currently involved in "a few conversations (with advertisers) in a very, very advanced stage."

"This show for us comes with a lot of purpose," adds Kulkarni. "We at Zee TV aim to create entertainment, but entertainment that is purposeful."