‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ reboot opens with 2.5 TVR

The reboot of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, which premiered on July 29 on Star Plus and JioHotstar, opened with a 2.5 TVR, making it the highest-rated Hindi GEC fiction launch in the past five years, according to BARC data.

In a fragmented viewership landscape, this number stands out, especially at a time when most fiction shows struggle to cross the 2 TVR mark in their opening week.

The show, which airs at 10.30 PM on weekdays, a late prime-time slot, and is also available for streaming, marks the return of Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay in their iconic roles as Tulsi and Mihir Virani, along with a new generation of the Virani family.

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Backed by aggressive promotion across TV and digital, the reboot attracted eight major sponsors before its premiere. According to sources close to the development, four more advertisers signed on just a day before the launch, after seeing the pre-release buzz and projected viewership numbers.

The late additions reportedly included brands from categories such as consumer electronics, insurance, and household goods, though official names have not been disclosed.

Ajit Varghese on Kyunki 

In a LinkedIn post, Piyush Goyal, TV Distribution Head at JioStar, called the 2.5 TVR a “milestone” and thanked cable and DTH partners for their support.

“Together, we’ve made Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi the biggest Hindi GEC fiction show launch in the last five years,” he said. He added that this success was shared with the distribution ecosystem that helped amplify the show’s reach.

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The reboot leaned heavily on nostalgia in its promotions, reintroducing characters and using the original title track to attract older viewers who watched the original in the early 2000s. The first episode also included tributes to iconic characters like Baa and Savita Virani.

A day before its premiere of the show, JioStar had announced that eight leading brands have already signed on as sponsors.

On Star Plus, the show is co-presented by Tide+, Kalyan Jewellers, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, followed by co-powered by sponsors including Fortune Soyabean Oil, Colgate, along with SMART Bazaar. On JioHotstar, Kalyan Jewellers and Maruti Suzuki India Limited continue their presence as co-presenting sponsors, along with Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta, UTI Mutual Fund and SMART Bazaar as co-powered by sponsors, bringing the total brand count to eight across platforms.

According to the channel, the show is offering a diverse set of opportunities for brands and advertisers. On television, brands benefit from robust presence through show integrations, graphic placements, integrated logo units, and promo tags. On digital, the impact is extended through branded feature trays, in-episode graphical placements (astons and branded windows), co-branded vignettes, CTV pause ads, 3D breakout billboard, and fence ads. From visibility to interaction, the digital ecosystem offers full-funnel coverage, from branded quizzes to immersive, long-form narrative assets.

Returning as a daily prime-time property, ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ brings back beloved characters like Tulsi Virani, played by Smriti Irani and Mihir Virani, played by Amar Upadhyay, while introducing a new generation and fresh narratives rooted in the values that made the show iconic. The seven-day-a-week release schedule, combined with Star Plus’s scale and JioHotstar’s digital precision, positions the show as a tentpole opportunity for brands looking to drive both visibility and resonance.

Produced by Balaji Telefilms, the show celebrates 25 years since its original debut and brings with it a renewed relevance for today’s audience, offering a rare blend of legacy, emotion, and modern-day connection. With limited episodes and a wide brand interest already locked in, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is poised to be a media landmark of 2025.

However, initial social media reactions were mixed. While long-time viewers expressed emotional attachment, younger audiences commented on the show’s old-school treatment and over-the-top drama. Whether the show evolves in its storytelling to cater to a more contemporary audience remains to be seen.

The return of Kyunki is part of a broader content push by JioStar to revive proven IPs as appointment-viewing properties that can cut through OTT clutter. The company has backed the show with a hybrid distribution model—traditional prime-time TV supported by simultaneous digital availability.

The performance of Kyunki will likely influence the programming strategies of other broadcasters as well, many of whom have struggled to find a winning formula amid sliding ratings and a slowdown in FMCG-led advertising.