25 years ago when Ekta Kapoor Because mother-in-law is always daughter-in-law The filmโs premiere broke the shackles around many taboo topics. What worked was the risk of making women the protagonists of the central narrative โ a rare occurrence in prime-time television dominated by men.
The storyline covered highly controversial topics โ children born out of wedlock, a Mother India-style euthanasia arc, widow remarriage and the importance of female education. But the storyline that rocked the landscape was the showโs depiction of marital rape.
And history seems to have repeated itself, continued Because mother-in-law is always daughter-in-law 2Premiering in 2025, it has already delivered its most amazing episode yet. Times have changed, but Kyunki the commitment to reflecting the horrors of society remains unchanged. Once again, marital rape is part of the storyline and the episode will give you goosebumps just like it did 25 years ago.
Reality today
In the ongoing sequel Because mother-in-law is always daughter-in-law 2The evil side of Karan (Hiten Tejwani) and Nandiniโs (Gauri Pradhan) son Parth (Sohil Singh Jhuti) has come out. His wife Vaishnavi (Swati Sharma) learns of his intention to sell the family heritage and informs Tulsi.
Tulsi catches him red-handed attacking a Vaishnavi and sees his true colors. He quickly changes color when his parents defend him and blame Tulsi instead.
What left audiences in shock was last nightโs episode when the taboo of marital rape was again featured on the same show that made the bold statement years ago.
Parth takes Vaishnavi to Khandala and continues to beat and intimidate her, scaring her so that she does not reveal his secrets to the family. He drugs her and then loses his temper when she refuses to sign the agreement papers and then tries to rape her.
The episode alternates between flashbacks and current events, where Tulsi, like many years ago, came to Nandiniโs aid. This time she saves Vaishnavi.
When Tulsi rushes in and slaps Parth, this only incites him further and he attacks Tulsi. Tulsi claims that if she had killed her son Ansh, she would not have hesitated to kill her grandson for the same reason. Parth lunges and strangles Tulsi; To save Vaishnavi, Tulsi hits him with an iron rod. Once they find a way to escape, Tulsi leaves with Vaishnavi.
Parth appears to be dead, but he is not โ he wakes up completely awake. The irony in this is that many years ago, it was Nandini, Parthโs mother, who was in the same situation as Vaishnavi.
The sequel is set to take a leap with Tulsi returning from jail after 10 years, leaving the ending open-ended so that viewers can anticipate whether Parth will meet Anshโs fate. And what exactly happened 25 years ago that made this episode such a huge blow?
Story
To refresh your memory, Ansh (Akashdeep Saigal) was one of the most despised characters on Indian television. The rebellious son of Tulsi (Smriti Irani) and Mihir Virani (Amar Upadhyay), he was manipulative, ruthless and a threat to the family. He was kidnapped and raised elsewhere, and when he finally returned, he was difficult to recognize.
Then something unprecedented happened. In the 2000s, when โmarital rapeโ was far beyond popular imagination, Because bent the shape.
Ansh rapes Nandini (Gauri Pradhan), his wife, as punishment for rejecting his advances and trying to leave him with Karan (Hitesh Tejwani).
Tulsi, known for her fight for truth, supported her daughter-in-law over her son and shot Ansh. The storyline then revealed that Nandini gave birth to a daughter, Bhoomi, due to the attack and subsequently fell into a coma during childbirth.
The graphic image left the public in shock.
Ekta Kapoor has been summoned before the Womenโs Representation Commission. The producer defended it by saying, โNo skin was shown and the scene was not meant to titillate but to portray the plight of a rape victimโ and stressed that this is the actual reality of society.
Now, years later, the familyโs past horrors have returned. The saddest part: Nandini and Karanโs son Parth (Sohil Singh Jhuti) becomes a predator.
For a heinous crime like marital rape, Anshโs death last time was the final consequence. So, will history repeat itself until the very end? Will justice prevail?
Only time will tell. And again Smriti Irani Because mother-in-law is always daughter-in-law 2 for 25 years, it has remained true to what made the show iconic: addressing real-life issues, portraying them sensitively and, most importantly, starting a conversation. This happened many years ago, and yesterdayโs episode struck a chord again.
ALSO READ | Akashdeep Saigal reacts to his comeback Because mother-in-law is always daughter-in-law 2: โSome chapters donโt closeโ