Kyunkii the kahani came to an end

These serials made some of the most successful stars on television

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A still from Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

People laughed and cried with Tulsi and Parvati, rejoiced with them during festivals and applauded when they won awards at various functions. Both the soaps Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki which came into existence together in the year 2000, and ran for eight long years, have now drawn to a close. While Kahani... was pulled off air on October 16, 2008, Kyunkii... went off air on November 10. Both the serials achieved iconic status and defined an era in Indian television. They made it 'in' and interesting to be the bahu of the family, and wove a thousand dreams in the eyes of the millions of middle class bahus across the country. And now with the curtains coming down on the shows, it's nostalgia time not just for the viewers, but also the actors – many of who have visited Jaipur during the course of the eight years, and some fond memories to share.

"I remember it was long back when Kahani... was on air that I got to visit Ajmer, and the flood of fans followed me. It was such a loving gesture that they sat beside me and spoke to me about the characters from the show. I was in Jaipur for a while and was amazed to meet the people there," says Kiran Karmarkar who played Om in Kahani... . Infact, even now fans come up to him to say how much they miss the serial.

Agrees Hiten Tejwani who was one of the most loved characters from Kyunkii ... "The serial gave me some of the most memorable moments of my life. There was no stopping fans who would find ways and means to reach us... I remember once when I was in Jaipur on a personal visit, people were walking up to me every few minutes to tell me that they loved me and how much they liked the show."

But that was another time, most avid viewers of these serials in Jaipur, JT spoke to, felt that the serials were wrapped up at the right time. "I was an avid viewer of both the soaps when it had begun. However, as the years passed by I started losing interest as they became very monotonous with the same kind of plot and reaction of the characters to the incidents. It is good that the serials have ended," says business woman Anuroopa Banerjee, who however caught the last episode

of both soaps as a mark of nostalgia.

Geetanjali Rathore, a professional, is of the same opinion, "The audience needs a change. Both the serials had become very mundane. Though I used to watch them before but since the last few months they had stopped entertaining me."
And with many Kyunkii... and Kahani... loyalists switching channels, even actors feel that the curtains should come down on the shows. "I think more people know me today by the name of Aryan rather than my real name. I am happy that the show has ended as it was the right time for it to end. But I still cherish the love of my fans. And as far as my fans from Rajasthan are concerned they are extremely warm and I am sure that even now if I will visit the any part of the state they will give me the same kind of love and warmth as they did while the show was on air," said actor Ali Asgar of kahani