Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir (transl.What Shall We Name This Love? Once Again) is an Indian romantic drama television series created and produced by Sunjoy Waddhwa under Sphere Origins. The series aired on StarPlus from 26 August 2013 to 13 June 2015, completing a total of 542 episodes. The show stars Avinash Sachdev and Shrenu Parikh as Shlok and Aastha, respectively. It is the second installment in the Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? series.
Set and filmed in Pune, Maharastra, the show revolves around Shlok Agnihotri (played by Avinash Sachdev) and Aastha Kirloskar (played by Shrenu Parikh). It tells the story of Shlok, a cunning business executive struggling with a recent breakup, which shapes his chauvinistic personality and actions. Shlok becomes entangled in a world of chauvinistic beliefs and disdain for love. Aastha, a progressive and liberal woman committed to driving change and fostering equality, crosses paths with Shlok, who becomes increasingly irritated by her nature. Shlok feigns love and marries Aastha, primarily driven by a desire for revenge, mistakenly believing she has caused reputational damage to him and his family. The show navigates the tension between his intent for revenge and the evolving emotions of love. The series also portrays domestic violence, addressing this prevalent social issue.
The show’s co-stars include Manish Wadhwa and Geetanjali Tikekar as Shlok's parents, Niranjan Agnihotri and Anjali Agnihotri, and Tushar Dalvi and Prachi Shah as Aastha's parents, Avdhoot Kirloskar and Kalindi Kirloskar. The two families have vastly different beliefs about gender equality. Other notable characters include Aarav Chowdhary and Dolly Minhas as Indrajeet Sarkar and Ahilya Vinas, who, after settling in Pune, devise a deceitful plan to take over the Agnihotris' wealth.
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir was the first television series on StarPlus to be broadcast in a non-prime time slot at 6:00 PM (IST). The show garnered higher-than-expected viewership in its initial weeks, setting a trend for the new prime-time slot.
Aastha is a cheerful, lively, passionate, and charming woman who values relationships and supports equality. In contrast, Shlok is an arrogant, reserved, and business-minded man who prioritizes wealth over relationships. His difficult past ultimately led to his arrogance. When Shlok is informed about a breach of academic integrity at one of his universities, he suspends the boys involved but expels the girl. Later, the Agnihotris are invited to an award event recognizing their reputation in the education industry. Aastha discovers that Shlok treated the girl unfairly. At the event, she publicly questions Shlok about his negligence, and the incident is recorded live, exposing it to the public. As a result, the public labels Shlok and his family as supporters of inequality, which leads to a raid on their business.
Shlok mistakenly believes Aastha is responsible for his family's repeated humiliation, especially his father’s, and decides to take revenge. He pretends to love Aastha and marries her under false pretenses. On the night of their Suhag Raat, Shlok breaks Aastha's wedding necklace and reveals that he never loved her, marrying her solely for revenge, leaving her heartbroken. He angrily admits that his love was fake, motivated by the desire to avenge the insult to himself and his father. Shlok even threatens Aastha, warning that if she reveals the truth, he will frame her father in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, Anjali insists that Aastha must fully adapt to the Agnihotri family traditions. Varad arranges a honeymoon for Shlok and Aastha, and despite Aastha’s attempts to cancel the trip, they leave. On the way, Aastha escapes and gets lost in a jungle. While searching for her, Shlok finds her, and they end up spending their planned "honeymoon" in the jungle, trying to find their way out. During this time, Aastha learns that her father, Avdhoot, has been imprisoned, and she assumes that Shlok is responsible, leading her to vent her anger at him.
In response, Shlok tries to prove his innocence, insisting that he did not have her father jailed. Disappointed, Aastha reveals the truth about her marriage and Shlok's revenge plan to both her family and in-laws, leaving them shocked. Kalindi urges Aastha to file for divorce. At the first court hearing, the court orders Aastha to stay with Shlok for six months. During this time, Aastha uncovers Shlok's painful past and realizes that he is actually a kind and innocent person. She learns that Shlok was once in love with a girl named Swati, and their breakup led to his hatred of women.
It is revealed that Niranjan had ordered Anjali to oppose Swati simply because Swati was against the Agnihotri traditions, which ultimately led to Shlok’s breakup. Shlok blames Anjali for this, leaving him heartbroken ever since. While trying to bring back Shlok's true personality, Aastha falls in love with him and eventually confesses her feelings.
Meanwhile, Aditi, the daughter of one of Niranjan’s close friends, arrives at the Agnihotri mansion, posing as an imposter with the intent to separate Shlok and Aastha. She attempts to kill Aastha multiple times, but Shlok saves her each time. Aditi eventually kidnaps Aastha, but Shlok rescues her just as Aditi is about to shoot her. It is revealed that Aditi is actually Swati’s sister, and her main motive was to kill Aastha to make Shlok suffer, as she believes Shlok is responsible for Swati’s deteriorating health. Shlok is shocked when he finally sees Swati, who soon passes away. Realizing his love for Aastha, Shlok confesses his feelings to her.
Shlok and Aastha consummate their marriage. At the end of the six months, both Shlok and Aastha decide they do not want to divorce each other.
Shlok's sister, Jyoti, runs away from her misogynistic in-laws after they demand an abortion for the third time for her unborn baby girl. While fleeing, she meets the charming Siddharth, who is Aastha's cousin. Unaware of Jyoti's situation, Siddharth cares for her and sends her to Kalindi's house, where Kalindi is shocked to see her. Jyoti explains her situation to Kalindi.
Abhay and Sulbha devise a plan to convince the Agnihotri family that they are innocent and that Jyoti has simply run away. Meanwhile, Siddharth gradually falls in love with Jyoti. During Anjali's birthday celebration, Abhay finds Jyoti, and the family is stunned to see her. Jyoti pleads with Niranjan to allow her to stay with them.
Aastha manages to have Abhay arrested and witnesses Niranjan's violent behavior toward Anjali. She learns the truth about Niranjan's true nature and how he manipulates Anjali to conceal his own malevolent desires.
When Aastha confronts Anjali about their relationship, both become emotional as Anjali admits that Niranjan has her helpless. Aastha promises to reveal Niranjan's true nature and clear Anjali's name. Niranjan wants Abhay released from jail and asks Anjali to make Jyoti sign the bail papers. Jyoti begins to resent her mother. When Niranjan indirectly pressures Jyoti into signing the bail papers, Abhay insists on taking her home. Anjali intervenes, infuriating Niranjan. However, Jyoti starts to see Anjali's kind nature.
Abhay kidnaps Jyoti's daughter, leading Shlok to beat him up. After convincing the family, Siddharth and Jyoti marry. Aastha attempts several times to expose Niranjan's true identity to Shlok, but he does not believe her. She manages to obtain a recording of Niranjan confessing his malicious intentions, but he destroys the evidence. Fearing Aastha might succeed in exposing him, Niranjan creates misunderstandings between Shlok and Aastha.
Aastha accuses Niranjan of controlling Anjali and neglecting Jyoti, which angers Shlok. He orders Aastha to stay in a separate part of the house. Anjali joins Aastha and also blames Niranjan for deceiving everyone. Niranjan is stunned by Anjali's defiance. Jyoti then witnesses Niranjan admitting his wrongdoings and speaking ill of Anjali. Devastated, she joins Aastha and Anjali, and tells Shlok that he is being deceived.
Niranjan learns that Aastha has evidence against him and destroys it. He has Aastha kidnapped and tied to a statue set to be burned. Niranjan prevents Anjali from saving her and takes her away. Anjali criticizes Niranjan, and Shlok rescues Aastha. They confront Niranjan, who confesses his wrongdoings to Anjali. Shlok finally learns the truth about his father and is devastated. He regrets his past mistreatment of Anjali and his misunderstandings with Aastha. Shlok embraces Anjali, calling her his mother, and they both become emotional.
The next day, Shlok, Aastha, and Anjali leave the Agnihotri mansion. They start a modest life by operating a food truck business. Niranjan, feeling lonely, regrets his actions. Varad foolishly signs a contract with Indrajeet Sarkar, leading to the loss of the Agnihotri's business and house. Desperate to find Shlok, Niranjan eventually locates him, Aastha, and Anjali, asking for forgiveness, which they grant. Varad also seeks forgiveness for his mistakes and is forgiven.
The reunited Agnihotri family lives together in a small house. They devise a plan to reclaim their assets from the Sarkars. Shlok and Aastha disguise themselves as Balvankar Singh and Sapna to retrieve their lost assets; Aastha works as Indrajeet’s assistant while Shlok takes care of his children. They successfully obtain the Power of Attorney documents. On the day they recover everything, the Sarkars reveal a shocking truth that devastates Anjali and shocks the rest of the family.
Shortly after, Shlok, Anjali, and Aastha are involved in an accident. Shlok falls into a coma, Anjali dies, and Aastha loses her memory. Niranjan, overwhelmed by Anjali’s death, becomes insane and never recovers.
6 months later
When Shlok wakes up from the coma, he is devastated to learn that Anjali died in the accident. He asks about Aastha, and Varad informs him that she is missing. After a desperate search, Shlok finally finds Aastha, but she is unable to recognize him, leaving him heartbroken. It is revealed that Indrajeet has taken advantage of Aastha's memory loss, leading her to believe that he is her husband.
Determined to help Aastha regain her memory, Shlok begins to recreate past events, which angers Indrajeet. On the day of Aastha's marriage to Indrajeet, he has Shlok abducted. As Aastha slowly starts to recall her past, her mother, Kalindi, assists her in remembering. Shlok manages to stop the wedding and rescues Aastha, who is overjoyed to see him. Indrajeet is arrested, and Shlok and Aastha adopt his children, finally living happily together.
Cast
Main
Avinash Sachdev as Shlok Agnihotri: Aastha's husband and the president and CEO of Agnihotri Educational Trust Inc. After a painful breakup, he becomes a troubled, chauvinistic business tycoon who often discourages and degrades women's achievements. As his character evolves, Shlok gains a fabricated reputation for opening educational institutions for the less fortunate. (2013-2015)
Shrenu Parikh as Aastha Agnihotri (née Kirloskar): Shlok's wife, a fearless, liberal, and optimistic woman who strives to promote equality. She navigates the complexities of the Agnihotri residence with determination to bring about change. Aastha holds passionate beliefs about equality and inspires the women in her family to recognize their importance. (2013-2015)
Recurring
Manish Wadhwa as Niranjan Agnihotri: Shlok's father and Anjali's husband, a wealthy businessman who increasingly resorts to violence and deception to control his family. He escalates domestic violence against his wife to impose regressive household traditions. Niranjan is portrayed as a master of manipulation and deceit, holding misogynistic beliefs and using his wife to achieve his goals. (2013-2015)
Geetanjali Tikekar as Anjali Agnihotri (née Godbole): Shlok's mother and Niranjan's wife, initially portrayed as a strict and controlling mother-in-law. She is later revealed to be suffering from spousal dominance, which causes her to unwittingly devalue women and promote inferior household traditions. Anjali's true emotions toward her children emerge through Aastha’s persistent efforts to foster change, ultimately provoking anger in Niranjan. (2013-2015)
Samir Sharma as Varad Agnihotri: Shlok’s elder brother and Sojal's husband, a media director. (2013-2015)
Shalmalee Desai as Sojal Agnihotri: Varad's wife and Kavya's mother. (2013-2015)
Grace Girdhar as Kavya Agnihotri: Varad and Sojal's daughter. (2013-2015)
Sachin Parikh as Vinayak Agnihotri: Niranjan's younger brother, a talented artist with a friendly personality who is often seen as unassociated with the other men in the Agnihotri family. He does not support or participate in regressive traditions. (2013-2014)
Manjushree Kulkarni as Jaya: Sojal's mother, a foodie with an obsession for material pleasures, who often provides comic relief in the series. (2013-2015)
Tushar Dalvi as Avdhoot Kirloskar: Aastha's father and Kalindi's husband. (2013-2015)
Prachee Shah as Kalindi Kirloskar: Aastha’s mother and Avdhoot's wife. (2013-2015)
Minal Karpe as Ajju: Aastha’s grandmother and Avdhoot’s mother. (2013-2015)
Deep Jaitley as Abhay Deshmukh: Jyoti's ex-husband, a cruel and aggressively violent man who verbally, physically, and emotionally tortures his wife due to his own dissatisfaction. Abhay uses his wife to release checks issued by Shlok, wrongfully seeking financial stability. (2013-2014)
Sheetal Dabholkar as Jyoti Lokhande (née Agnihotri) (formerly Deshmukh): Shlok’s sister, Abhay’s ex-wife, and Siddharth’s wife. Suffering from abuse, she reluctantly undergoes illegal abortions twice, ultimately compelling her to escape from her misogynistic and abusive in-laws, who plan to abort her third unborn child based on gender. (2013-2015)
Pratibha Goregaonkar as Sulabha Deshmukh: Jyoti's ex-mother-in-law and Abhay’s mother, who seeks to acquire jewelry for monetary gain from the Agnihotris while assisting Abhay in creating an unpleasant atmosphere around Jyoti. (2013-2014)
Karan Gangwal as Suresh: Shlok's assistant. (2013-2014)
Shivani Tomar as Swati: Shlok's ex-girlfriend, who breaks up with him after Anjali insists that she adapt to Agnihotri traditions, forcing her to end the relationship abruptly. (2013-2014)
Neha Sargam as Aditi: Shlok and Aastha’s enemy and Swati's sister. Initially shrouded in mystery, she attempts to separate Shlok and Aastha. It is later revealed that her motivation stems from an obsessive desire to eliminate love from Shlok’s life, as she holds him responsible for Swati's unstable health condition. (2014)
Ankit Modgil as Siddharth Lokhande: Jyoti's second husband and Aastha’s cousin. A humble, joyful, and charming man, he enters Jyoti’s life as a source of relief, providing her accommodation after she runs away from her in-laws during her pregnancy. Siddharth supports Jyoti, striving to make her feel happy and at ease, and eventually falls in love with her. (2014-2015)
Nupur Alankar as Renuka Lokhande: Siddharth's mother. (2014-2015)
Sharmin Kazi as Riya Lokhande: Siddharth's sister. (2014)
Kabeer Maira as Ankush Joshi: Aastha's half-brother and Kalindi's son, an undisciplined and unmannered young man required to reside with Kalindi indefinitely to obtain his inheritance. During his stay, he causes disruption and mischief to irritate Kalindi and her family. (2014-2015)
Anchal Sabharwal as Mansi: Varad’s extramarital affair. (2014-2015)
Aakshi Khari as Apsara: A chirpy village girl who is self-obsessed with her looks. (2014-2015)
Priya Raina as Dr Surbhi: Shlok's childhood friend and a medical doctor who treats Aastha’s memory loss. (2015)
Aarav Chowdhary as Indrajeet Sarkar: An ambitious businessman who illegitimately obtains the Power of Attorney over all of the Agnihotris' assets through deception, motivated to defame their earned reputation. Indrajeet takes advantage of Aastha’s memory loss and poses as her husband, illegally changing her identity to Barkha. (2015)
Dolly Minhas as Ahilya Vinas: A woman who deliberately attempts to destroy Niranjan and his family while dishonestly claiming ownership of his properties. (2015)
Roma Bali as Kavita Vinas: Ahilya's daughter. (2015)
Swati Rajput as Poornima Sarkar: Indrajeet's sister. (2015)
Lakshya Wahi as Shantanu Sarkar: Indrajeet's son. (2015)
Reet Sharma as Mishti Sarkar: Indrajeet's daughter. (2015)
Satish Sharma as Pradeep Vinas: Indrajeet's uncle. (2015)
Jaanvi Sangwan as Mousami Vinas: Indrajeet's aunt. (2015)
Production
Conception
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir was created by Sunjoy Waddhwa, who aimed to develop a series distinct from the first season. He acknowledged that creating a sequel for the television industry is challenging, stating, "Viewers may watch the first couple of episodes out of curiosity but will stop if there is no quality content." Both StarPlus and Waddhwa considered this when planning the new series, introducing viewers to a fresh story, characters, and themes.[1]
Development
Filming of the series began in April 2013. The show's name was not finalized until months into production, as StarPlus was considering various tentative titles. Initially, the production team considered titles such as Dard-E-Dil, Iss Dil Ka Kya Karoon, and Aastha, but ultimately chose Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir. This decision made it the second installment in the Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? franchise. In August 2013, StarPlus announced that the series would premiere later that month. The network expected Waddhwa to produce a character or theme-driven storyline, claiming that audience expectations are higher for sequels.[2][3]
Casting
Avinash Sachdev was selected to play Shlok Agnihotri. He auditioned for the show in January 2013 but did not begin shooting until April 2013. Sachdev stated that his preparation for the role was difficult, as portraying an anti-hero while simultaneously illustrating a love story posed significant challenges. Shrenu Parikh was chosen to portray Aastha Agnihotri.[4][5]
The first promo for Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir’s was released on 13 August 2013. It featured Sachdev and Parikh, primarily depicting Shlok’s defamatory actions towards women as they attempted to rise in the corporate and political industries. Additional promos were later released, showcasing a similar theme.[7]
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir premiered its first episode on 26 August 2013 on StarPlus. It initially aired Monday to Friday at 6:00 PM (IST). In 2014, the network changed the schedule to a six-day format, airing the series from Monday through Saturday. On 26 January 2015, StarPlus shifted the show’s telecast to an earlier time slot at 5:30 PM (IST) after being granted an extension. The network announced that this decision was based on the series performing well in non-prime slots, aiming to capture more viewers by experimenting with earlier timings.[8]
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir was made digitally available on 11 February 2015 on the video-on-demand streaming service Disney+ Hotstar.[9]
Reception
Critical response
India TV described the series as “capitalising on domestic violence to attract viewers” and criticized the character of Niranjan Agnihotri (Manish Wadhwa), for featuring some of the most intimidating scenes. They observed Niranjan as someone who “hides and manipulates the truth about himself, uses his wife to impose his regressive rules, and undermines his family members behind their backs.” The Times of India noted that the depiction of aggressive husbands is becoming a popular narrative.[10][11]
Viewership
Despite airing at an early time slot, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir managed to achieve good ratings throughout its run. The show's audience increased from 1.39 to 2.61 million viewers. In week 50 of 2013, the show experienced another spike, rising from 2.61 to 3.40 million impressions. Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir set a trend as the new prime time slot for daily television shows, beginning as early as 6:00 PM (IST).[12][13][14]
In the first week of 2014, the series gained a TVR of 1.70. In week 23 of 2014, the show attracted an audience of 2.80 million, achieving a TVR of 1.30. In the following week, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir drew 3.0 million viewers with a TVR of 1.40. By week 30 of 2014, the show held an average audience of 3.10 million viewers, an increase from 2.80 million the previous week.[15][16]
With the show's change in storyline near the end of 2014, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir saw a drop in its TRP, leading StarPlus to announce a potential off-air date in February 2015. However, the filmmakers improved the ratings, and the show ultimately received an extension until June 2015.[17]
In the United Kingdom, on 8 April 2014, the channel recorded a viewership of 178.5K impressions. As the weeks progressed, the ratings further increased to 214.7K impressions. Thus, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir became the first show on the UK Asian television channel to achieve a record-high rating in its respective time slot.[18]
National and international broadcast
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir inspired several multilingual dubs.
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