TV shows that celebrate second-chance romances: 'Yeh Hain Mohabbatein,' 'Katha Ankahee,' and more

“Hum ek baar jeetein hain, ek baar marte hain, shaadi bhi ek hi baar hota hain aur pyaar bhi ek hi baar hota hain”, who can forget Rahul Khanna’s iconic dialogue from 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hain' that convinced an entire generation that love only happens once. Ironically, Rahul, played by Shah Rukh Khan, who strongly believed in the saying, couldn't help falling in love with his college friend, Anjali (Kajol), after his wife Tina’s(Rani Mukherjee’s) demise.And Rahul alone hasn’t witnessed this change of heart. Over the years, as conversations around divorce and single parenthood have become more open, society and Indian television have also evolved. Indian television has given us some swoonworthy romantic tales where love has arrived to stay after a devastating loss. From estranged couples rediscovering each other to widows and single parents rekindling romance, several TV serials have proved that second-chance romances come with depth that the first love often doesn't carry. 'Katha Ankahee' Starring Aditi Sharma and Adnan Khan in the titular roles, 'Katha Ankahee' portrays second-chance in romance beautifully. Katha, played by Sharma, is a single mother battling societal odds, her only cheerleader being her son Aarav. Her boss, Viaan, played by Adnan, carries scars of the past, which lead him to be skeptical about women. Katha fakes her identity of being unmarried to secure a job at Viaan’s company. Things take a U-turn when Aarav is diagnosed with cancer, and Katha has no option but to turn to Viaan to seek monetary help for her son's treatment. As Katha navigates her struggle alone, she finds herself slowly falling for Viaan. Viaan helping Katha to make amends with her troubled past, her challenging present, and her uncertain future is sure to leave viewers misty-eyed. 'Mere Dad Ki Dulhan'To his neighbors, Amber Sharma is a grumpy and weird old man, but to his daughter Niya, he is the doting dad. The father-daughter duo talks about everything under the sun. But the real challenge arises when Niya has to leave for her further studies in the US. Enter Guneet Sikka, a free-spirited single woman who is convinced by Niya to be their tenant. Amber and Guneet clash at first, only to secretly fall in love with one another through a dating app. The serial beautifully portrays middle-aged romances, which often come with depth and the growing need for longing that only gets deeper with age. Amber and Guneet’s evolving chemistry in the show proves that love takes physical, mental, social, and emotional effort to survive, sustain, and grow. 'Patiala Babes' After being cheated and abandoned by her husband, Babita is shattered. It’s her 17-year-old daughter, Mini, who pushes her to seek a divorce and rediscover freedom. However, nearly two decades later, she once again feels butterflies in her stomach upon meeting police inspector Hanuman Singh. While Hanuman has laid out his arms open for Babita, the latter is skeptical due to the scars of her past. Babita’s reluctance to concede her feelings for Hanuman says a lot about societal stereotypes. Hanuman’s efforts to persuade Babita to take a chance at love convey a powerful message that love, coupled with patience, is never unrequited. 'Yeh Hain Mohabbatein' Based on the famous novel 'Custody' by Manju Kapur, 'Yeh Hai Mohabbatein' is sure to make you teary-eyed. Raman Bhalla is a single father fighting for the custody of his children, Roohi and Arjun. Raman finds hope of reuniting with his kids when he meets dentist Ishita, who is healing from her own painful past. While Raman and Ishita are both nursing broken hearts, they can’t ignore the love blossoming between them. How they find solace in each other’s company and slowly kindle a romance forms the emotional core of the story. Raman and Ishita’s developing relationship in the story testifies that love can heal wounds you thought would never fade.'Swaragini'Swara is a modern, opinionated Bengali girl living with her mother, Sharmishtha, and her Naani, Shobha. Her neighbor Ragini, on the other hand, is a traditional Marwari girl living with her widower dad, Shekhar, and Daadi, Parvati. A long time ago, Shekhar and Sharmishtha had been lovers, but could not end up together because of cultural differences. A cruel shock awaits Ragini as she discovers Swara is her father and Sharmishtha’s love child born out of wedlock. The two sisters then embark on a journey to unite the estranged lovers. While second-chance romance remains the core theme of Swaragini, the show also deals with greed, jealousy, complex family dynamics, and their ill effects on a blossoming romantic relationship.