Gone are the times when women on the small screen were limited to playing homely bahus or green-eyed vamps. There is a host of strong characters emerging that make a difference. These a real women who battle real issues including pregnancy woes, husband worries, and son problems, and yet staying within the broader purview of the saas-bahu saga.

A recent example is the show Hamariwali Good news, where a highlight is a mother-in-law (saas) who gets pregnant because her daughter-in-law (Bahu) cannot conceive. Srishti Jain, who stars in the serial, says: "I feel that nowadays TV is a great medium to be part of as the content is no longer regressive. In my show, my mother-in-law gets pregnant because I, playing her daughter-in-law, am not able to conceive. It's such an interesting concept and is being loved by our audience. It also gives me the chance to explore my acting abilities," she says.