No More ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ for Indian TV, Show Goes Off Air

‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ goes off air following petitions against the controversial show.

Pehredaar Piya Ki, one of Indian television’s most controversial daily soaps in recent times, has been taken off air with effect from August 28, following petitions demanding the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ban the show for its regressive storyline.

An official statement issued by Sony TV confirms the same.

Effective from August 28 2017, we are pulling off our programme Pehredaar Piya Ki, from television. While we understand that the decision to end this serial will be disappointing to those whose creative energies are vested in it, namely, its crew and cast, we (as a channel) are convinced that we will be better served by focusing instead on developing viewer interest in our upcoming shows. We are grateful to all the artists, producers and fans of our shows and request you to graciously support the viewership of our new ventures.

Official statement issued by SONY TV

The show’s last episode was aired on August 28. The show will not be available for viewing on the channel’s online platform either.

Also Read: Suhaag Raat to Ghar Sasur: ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ Sinks Even Lower

A certain section of viewers have been voicing their concern regarding the regressive storyline of Pehredaar Piya Ki, a show that revolves around the marriage between a 9-year-old prince named Ratan (played by Afaan Khan) and and 18-year-old princess Diya (played by Tejaswi Prakash). A much publicised change.org petition demanded that Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani place a ban on the show. The petition also demanded the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) to change its time slot and even run a disclaimer saying the show doesn’t promote child marriage.

Also Read: Tejaswi Prakash Defends ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ Against a Ban Petition

Following this, the show’s prime time slot was shifted from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm. According to reports, Shashi and Sumeet Mittal, the makers of the show, have vehemently defended their content saying that it has been misunderstood by all and that they are proud of what they’ve made.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Suyyash Rai, one of the actors on the show, said that he was disappointed with the decision.

Also Read: Are the Liberals Losing Their Own Battle With ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’?

If this is happening, then I am shocked. I was waiting to re-enter the show after the leap. Tejaswi is a close friend so I wanted to be a support to her and work with her. I wanted the show to do well as a lot of hard work goes into a show when it is launched. So many people including technicians will lose their jobs when the show shuts.

Suyyash Rai, Actor

(#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to [e-mail] or WhatsApp @ [phone].)