Mumbai, Nov 3 (PTI) It will be curtains down for popular Hindi TV serial 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kahi Bahu Thi' this Thursday after the Bombay High Court today declined to stay the termination notice served by Star TV to the producers of one of India's longest running soaps on the small screen.
The court order was given after the serial's producer Balaji Telefilms -- headed by Ekta Kapoor -- moved the vacation bench of the Bombay High Court last week seeking stay of the termination notice.
"Such relief is not possible", Justice J H Bhatia said.
Star has decided to scrap the serial following a drop in its Television Rating Points(TRP) between July and September this year. The serial is slated to end on November six when the last episode will be telecast.
" The programme has outlived its life. We had no motive to hurt Balaji," Star's counsel Ravi Kadam Kadam told the court. The serial has to be taken off the air because the channel was losing viewers of prime time slot to other channels, he said.
But Balaji's counsel Ram Jethmalani argued that the agreement between the two parties provided that the show will run at least upto March 2009.
The iconic family saga spread over three generations ruled the small screen for several years since it was launched in 2000 and struck a chord with Indian viewers worldwide.
The serial gained popularity as an early hindi soap and was centred on daughter-in-law Tulsi played by actor-politician Smriti Irani. Over 1,500 episodes spanning eight years have been telecast making Tulsi and Mihir Virani household names. PTI
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End of the road for 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'
By Shilpa Jamkhandikar
MUMBAI (Reuters) - 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,' once the top-rated show on Indian TV, goes off air this week after the Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed its producers' plea for an injunction halting the serial's cancellation.
Television content provider Balaji Telefilms Ltd had sought legal remedy last month after SGL Entertainment Ltd, a Star Group unit, terminated sourcing and telecasting the eight-year-old soap on the Star Plus channel.
"The High Court has dismissed Balaji's injunction," Ravi Kadam, who represented the Star Group in court, told Reuters.
"While they can still appeal to a division bench of the High Court, as of now the serial will go off air from November 6."
A Balaji Telefilms official did not comment.
'Kyunki' gained popularity with its central character of a daughter-in-law, 'Tulsi', played by actress Smriti Irani. The serial was one of Indian television's most-watched shows for several years, with more than 1500 episodes.
But its ratings slipped after newer shows caught the public imagination. In October, the Star Group said it was terminating the show.
Many viewers in Afghanistan were also addicted to the family drama, which made its debut on local TV in 2006, having being dubbed in the Dari language.
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