COLORS is joining hands with Rajshri Productions (P) Ltd. to present ‘Manpasand Ki Shaadi’, a contemporary marital drama that promises to blend tradition with evolving modern values. Moving beyond the conventional love-versus-arranged marriage narrative, the show introduces a ‘third route’ — one where couples choose their partners with the active support of their families, creating harmony between ‘parents’ pasand’ (choice) and ‘couples’ pasand’.

According to a press release, the series will premiere on August 11 on the TV channel and air Monday to Friday at 10pm on COLORS. Starring Esha Suryawanshi as Aarohi and Akshun Mahajan as Abhishek, ‘Manpasand Ki Shaadi’ aims to offer a warm yet thought-provoking portrayal of how Indian marriages are evolving, while retaining the cultural authenticity that audiences have long associated with Rajshri’s storytelling.

Produced by the banner that has given India some of its most beloved family sagas, the show sets out to reshape the age-old ‘shaadi ka laddoo’ metaphor into something more inclusive and personal, a shared journey between couples and their families.

Alok Jain of JioStar said, “At COLORS, we’ve always held a mirror to the changing times, and with ‘Manpasand Ki Shaadi’, we’re bridging tradition and modernity in the definition of marriage. India is evolving, and so are its relationships. With Rajshri Productions as our collaborator, we’re bringing together their legacy of timeless storytelling and our instinct for capturing the audience’s emotional pulse.”

Director Sooraj Barjatya described the collaboration as a creative reunion. “For over three decades, Rajshri stories have celebrated pyaar, parivaar and parampara. With ‘Manpasand Ki Shaadi’, we are proud to bring that legacy to television with the firepower of pasand. Today’s generation is not rejecting values; they’re reinterpreting them with awareness and agency. This show is our tribute to that evolution,” he said.

Set in Indore, the story follows Aarohi Shinde, a brilliant engineer from a modest, cowshed-running family where women’s voices matter. Determined to choose her life partner on her own terms, she rejects the suitor her family picks during Gudi Padwa. A twist of fate brings her face-to-face with Abhishek Dewan, the pampered heir to a masala empire. Their first encounter — when Abhishek selflessly saves her calf — sparks a connection rooted not in grand gestures but genuine values.