Top 10 Longest Running Shows on Indian Television Ever till 2023

By Nida Naaz Sat, 28 Jan 2023

The two greatest forms of entertainment in our lives are movies and daily soaps! We have continued to find solace in our everyday realities in television serials. Television shows continue to be well-liked despite the derailment of views and the significant shift towards OTT platforms. We continue to enjoy watching daily soap operas and reality TV. In fact, there is a long list of the longest Indian television shows ever till 2023 that you need to know about.

  1. Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

The former Textile Minister, Ms. Smriti Irani, played the role of Tulsi Virani, the protagonist, in the first scene of this Indian drama that aired on television in July 2000. Delivered by Shobha and Ekta Kapoor, the programme quickly gained popularity and found its way into every family and social discussion. In the end, the characters essentially became descriptions of people. The TV show is based on the typical family dramatisation, in which three young in-laws try to impose themselves upon the family by exerting pressure on their uncomplicated grandma-in-law, Amba.

  1. Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma

The longest-running TV comedy programme in India is known by the abbreviation TMKOC. The programme, created by Neela Telefilms, attempts to convey significant social messages through each episode while adding humour. One of the best Indian television programmes to watch with your friends is this one. The show was added to the Limca Book of World Records after completing its 1,700th episode.

  1. Sasural Simar Ka

The protagonist of this tale, Simar, marries and eventually becomes a member of a blended family that also includes her younger sister. It is the archetypal family drama, with two sisters getting married to two other siblings. Nevertheless, it was the journalists' imaginative curve that unexpectedly and drastically altered the sequential that caught the viewers' attention. The sequential continues to become very popular among viewers despite the heavenly events and overwhelming depiction of certain characters. 

  1. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

The saas-bahu relationship is the focal point of the conventional Hindi serial drama in many Indian homes. In January 2009, the first season debuted. Akshara and Naitik, who play a married couple navigating the highs and lows of marriage in a large Marwari family, are the main protagonists. The show centres on how the two eventually struggle to keep their relationship strong while navigating conflicting family values and other situations. For more than 60 seasons, the programme has been a huge success and has garnered numerous accolades.

  1. Balika Vadhu

This show began to receive a lot of attention from the audience because it highlighted a significant social issue, such as child marriage, which is still prevalent in many regions of India. When Jagya was only eight years old, Anandi was presented to her. As they both become more established, they start to realise what is really going on in their lives and realise that they don't truly cherish each other. At that point, the saas-bahu dramatisations begin, along with various obstacles that Anandi must overcome. The serial acts as a genuinely necessary mirror, illuminating the monstrosities that young children who are married off too soon in life must experience.

  1. Saath Nibhana Saathiya

Two sisters, who are cousins, are married into a similar family in this family drama. There are some obvious advantages and disadvantages to such an arrangement. However, given that one of the sisters utterly despises the other and constantly plots to ruin her life, the situation is even worse in this case. The viewers' attention for the serial remains consistently high.

  1. Yeh Hai Mohabbatein

This enthusiastic love and dramatisation drama, which made its television debut in December 2003 under the Balaji Telefilms banner, was well on its way to reaching the milestone of 2000 scenes. It was modified from Manju Kapur's "Authority," an English epic. The couple Raman, a CEO from Punjab, and Ishita Iyer, a dental specialist from Tamil, are the heroes. After Ishita and Raman's child with his ex, Ruhi, becomes monstrously joined to one another, their relationship creates and grows over time. After getting married, Raman and Ishita eventually develop passionate feelings for one another.

  1. Uttaran

This well-known drama's debut episode debuted on Colors TV in January 2015. It is one of India's longest-running series by the number of episodes and the third longest-running television show in India under the Colors TV brand. The relationship between two girls from very different socioeconomic backgrounds is the central theme of the story. One is a maid's daughter, and the other is a spoilt brat from a wealthy family. They complement each other because of their shared experiences and upbringing. This bond quickly turns into one based on enmity, dread, and hatred.

  1. Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki

Another family drama that was produced at the same time as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is this one. This show, which was produced by the same production company, Balaji Telefilms, went on to achieve enormous success thanks to its two main characters, Parvati and Om Agarwal. In the midst of all the show of a joint family, this couple's wonderful marriage can be seen.

  1. C.I.D.

Production of the police procedural that the current generation has grown up watching is handled by B.P. Singh through Fireworks Productions. The longest-running Hindi programme is C.I.D. Since 21 January 1998, Sony has broadcast it. The quantity of telecasts each week varies continuously. Additionally, the programme frequently airs reruns of some of its well-known episodes.