Indian television content has gone through a lot of change over the years. And one of them includes the portrayal of women. We have seen some very powerful characters in the good old days of Doordarshan too — Rupa Ganguly in Mahabharat, Neena Gupta (Saans), Madira Bedi (Shanti), Navneet Nishan (Tara), Kitu Gidwani in (Swabhimaan), Renuka Shahane in (Kora Kagaaz) and many others. 

But later, for a few years we witnessed a shift in the way the female characters were written. They were either ‘sati savitri’ or the ‘vamp’. TV writers and makers seemed to have lost touch with relatable women characters. 

We catch up with popular TV actresses to know their views...

Earlier women on TV would always be shown as the ones managing the house or getting involved in kitchen politics etc, but now women are totally ruling the screen! From being leads of supernaturals dramas to playing cops and businesswomen etc, women are doing it all and that is really showcasing well on screen.”
— Debina Bonnerjee

I feel that female protagonists on television have been quite different from one another. Even going back to my time, be it Prerna, Parvati or Tulsi, each one of these characters was quite different; each showcased a different strength and quality. So I would say that over the years, the strength, mannerisms and qualities of women on Indian television have really evolved more than anything else. 
— Urvashi Dholakia

The portrayal of a female protagonist has definitely changed on screen today. There are shows now being made solely on women. The woman is at times being portrayed as both the hero and the heroine in quite a few shows across television, which is wonderful! Shows like Bahu Hamari Rajni kant, Udaan, Beyadh and others have showcased the female as the sole strength of the story. 
— Arti Singh

Indian television is evolving and so are the roles of women. Earlier, women were always showcased as the ones in trouble, who would need to be rescued all the time. But things have changed and women are now being portrayed as the ones who are in fact rescuing others. Their roles are being a lot more bold, strong and power-packed, which I feel is wonderful progress! 
— Erica Fernandes

Indian television has always been dominated by women, but earlier the roles women portrayed were the typical saas bahu ones. I am glad to see things evolving, which is honestly quite refreshing. With shows like Beyadh and a few others, women are finally being shown in stronger light and that is great! Though we still do have a long way to go, some change is definitely better than no change at all.
— Vahbiz Dorabjee