Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani

*Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani*
Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani
	Niki Aneja Walia in the opening credits
Directed by	Ajai Sinha
Starring	see below
Theme music composer	Pritam
Opening theme	"Astitva" by Mahalaxmi Iyer
Country of origin	India
No. of episodes	668
Production
Producer	Sangita Sinha
Running time	≈ 22 minutes
Original release
Network	Zee TV; 9X
Release	17 November 2002 –; 13 January 2006

Astitva – Ek Prem Kahani (transl. 'Existence – a love story') is a Hindi soap opera and drama that aired on the Zee TV channel from 17 November 2002 to 13 January 2006. The story focuses the character of Dr. Simran, who navigates struggles in her personal and professional life. She is a gynecologist who enters a complex situation when she marries a man ten years younger than herself.^[2]

Synopsis

Dr. Simran Mathur, a renowned gynecologist, is the eldest child of senior government officer Saurabh and homemaker Padma. Simran has two younger sisters, Kavita and Rashmi, and Simran’s parents worry about their eldest daughter being unmarried and in her mid-thirties. The show progresses with Simran falling in love, with a man ten years younger than her, named Abhi.

Simran and Abhi eventually face problems in their relationship, and face criticism for their age difference and choices throughout the show. The series covers the issues of gender roles, marital issues, familial relationships, and personal identity.

Cast

Niki Aneja Walia as Dr. Simran Mathur / Dr. Simran Saxena, Saurabh and Padma's daughter Abhi's first and fourth wife, Sia's original mother, Aastha and Yash's adopted mother
Varun Badola as Abhimanyu Saxena a.k.a. Abhi (Dr. Simran's husband) / Writer Anand, Simran's, Kiran's and Neha's husband, Saurabh and Padma's son-in-law, Sia, Yash and Aastha's father
Ajit Mehra as Mr. Mehta (Mehta Sab) (Abhimanyu Saxena / Anand and Bhavani's publisher) in Goa
Komal Kumari as Baby Aastha
Yuvika Chaudhary as Aastha Saxena (Abhi and Neha's daughter - dead, died in bomb blast)
Upasana Shukla as Sia Saxena / Aastha Saxena / Aastha Siddhant Awasthi (Abhi and Simran's daughter; she changes her name from Sia to Aastha in memory of her late sister Aastha)
Vineeta Thakur as Neha (Abhi's third wife - dead, died soon after pregnancy and giving birth to Aastha)
Rajendra Chawla as Bhavani Shankar; Abhimanyu Saxena (Anand)'s friend
Alok Nath as Saurabh Mathur (Padma's husband, Simran, Kavita and Rashmi's father, Abhi, Rohit and Pranay's father-in-law)
Harshada Khanvilkar as Shaguna (Simran's housekeeper)
Harsh Chhaya as Dr. Manas Awasthi (Simran's friend, Urmila's husband and Sid's father)
Bhairavi Raichura as Urmila (Manas's wife, Sid's mother)
Neeru Bajwa / Kamya Panjabi as Kiran (Abhi's second wife and Yash's mother)
Abbas Khan / Vishal Singh as Dr. Siddhant Awasthi a.k.a. Sid (Manas and Urmila's son; Aastha (Siya)'s husband; Abhi and Simran's son-in-law)
Susheel Parashar as Mr. Saxena (Abhi's father, Simran's father-in-law)
Kanika Shivpuri as Mrs. Saxena (Abhi's mother, Simran's mother-in-law)
Parmeet Sethi as Dr. Brian
Himani Shivpuri as Radha; Neha's mother, Aastha's (Abhi and Neha's daughter)'s grandmother
Mahesh Thakur as Dr. Abhimanyu Joshi a.k.a. Manu
Sindhu Tolani / Aanchal Saxena / Firdaus Dadi as Rashmi; Simran's sister
Nitesh Pandey as Dr. Pranay (Rashmi's second husband)
Resham Tipnis / Payal Nair as Kavita (Simran's sister) - dead, died soon after pregnancy
Sanjeev Seth as Rohit (Kavita's husband)
Nandita Puri as Padma (Saurabh's wife, Simran, Kavita and Rashmi's mother, Abhi, Rohit and Pranay's mother-in-law) - dead, died in sleep
Sunita (TV actress)|Sunita as Anandi; Mr. and Mrs. Saxena's daughter; Abhi's sister - dead, died soon after pregnancy
Ninad Kamat as Anandi's husband
Iqbal Azad/Imran Khan as Dr. Ashwin (Urmila's lover) - dead
Sonica Handa as Naghma (Manu's wife)
Anjali Mukhi as Gauri Joshi (Manu's sister)
Naveen Bawa as Dr. Abhimanyu Joshi's elder brother
Shalini Arora as Dr. Abhimanyu Joshi's sister-in-law
Manju (actress)|Manju as Dr. Meena
Monaz Mevawala as Amisha Dalaal
Abha Dhulia as Dr. Sarla Dalaal
Neena Cheema as Sulochana
Pallavi Joshi as Leela
Mrinal Kulkarni as Dr. Sakshi, Yash's girlfriend - dead, died in car accident
Raja Sevak as Dr. Sakshi's husband
Amit Raj as Yash Saxena, Abhi and Kiran's son; Dr. Sakshi's boyfriend; Simran's adoptive son
Malvika Shivpuri / Ananya Banerjee as Poonam
Nagesh Bhonsle as Shankar, Shaguna's husband
Mushtaq Merchant as Nishant
Trishna Vivek as Hospital Receptionist
Tisca Chopra as Rhea
Kiran Randhawa as Kiran's landlady
Kavita Vaid as Nurse Leela
Kunal Kumar as Rahul
Mukesh Tiwari as Rashmi's father-in-law
Seema Shinde as Dr. Simran Mathur / Dr. Simran Saxena's assistant
Naresh Suri as Satya, Amla's husband; Saurabh's brother-in-law
Anju Mahendru as Amla, Satya's wife; Saurabh's sister; Simran, Kavita and Rashmi's aunt
Vivek Gomber as Harsh
Suzanne Bernert as Catherine
Shalaka Ranadive as Archana Sareen - Sia (Aastha's kidnapper) dead, died in hospital after a car accident
Seema Bhargava as Archana's mother, Sia's grandmother
Natasha Rana as Dr. Brian's wife
Akshay Anand as Anil Shourey, Kiran's ex-boyfriend
Daya Shankar Pandey as Inspector
Richa Bhattacharya as Patient
Romit Raj as Yash Kapoor (Saxena)
Avdhesh Kushwaha (Supporting Role)

Production

The series had a crossover with Reth.^[3]

Awards

2003 3rd Indian Television Academy Awards

Best Actress (Drama) - Niki Aneja Walia as Dr. Simran Mathur

Best Director (Drama) - Ajai Sinha

2005 2nd Apsara Awards

Best Drama Series - Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani

Best Actress - Niki Aneja Walia as Dr. Simran Mathur / Saxena

Best Actor - Varun Badola as Abhimanyu Saxena / Anand

2005 Indian Television Academy Awards

Best Actor (Drama) - Varun Badola as Abhimanyu Saxena / Anand

Best Teleplay - Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani - Gajra Kottary & Purnendu Shekhar

References

^ "Society belongs to women as much as it does to men: Ajai Sinha". The Indian Express. 31 January 2016. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
^ "Astitva Ek Prem Kahani TV Serial - Watch Astitva Ek Prem Kahani Online All Episodes (1-668) on ZEE5". ZEE5. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
^ "Adding to the content". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020.

External links

[1] "Society belongs to women as much as it does to men: Ajai Sinha". The Indian Express. 31 January 2016. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

[2] "Astitva Ek Prem Kahani TV Serial - Watch Astitva Ek Prem Kahani Online All Episodes (1-668) on ZEE5". ZEE5. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

[3] "Adding to the content". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020.

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