This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed.(October 2025) |
| Jhanak | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Genre | Romance |
| Created by | Leena Gangopadhyay |
| Written by | Leena Gangopadhyay (dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Leena Gangopadhyay |
| Story by | Leena Gangopadhyay |
| Directed by |
|
| Creative director | Garima Dimri |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Debojyoti Mishra |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 622 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Debolina Mukhopadhyay & Arabinda Dasgupta (Magic Moments Motion Pictures) Taniya, Supriyo & Shayak (StarPlus) |
| Producers | Shaibal Banerjee Leena Gangopadhyay |
| Cinematography | Pankaj Saha |
| Editor | Janak Chauhan |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 40 minutes |
| Production company | Magic Moments Motion Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | StarPlus |
| Release | 20 November 2023 – present |
| Related | |
Jhanak is an Indian Hindi-language television drama series that premiered on StarPlus on 20 November 2023 and streams digitally on Disney+ Hotstar. [1] [2]
Produced under Magic Moments Motion Pictures, it is inspired by the Star Jalsha Bengali series Jol Nupur . The series originally starred Hiba Nawab and Krushal Ahuja in the lead roles. [3]
Since June 2025, the show has featured Riya Sharma in the titular role as Jhanak (the daughter of Jhanak, previously portrayed by Hiba Nawab), along with Arjit Taneja and Twinkle Arora. [4]
The second-generation storyline is a loose adaptation of Star Jalsha's Bengali series Ishti Kutum . The show also featured Megha Chakraborty as Ishani in a parallel storyline. [5]
Following the positive response to Ishani’s storyline, it was developed into a standalone series titled Ishani , which started premiering from 3 July 2025 and was ended on 27 October 2025 due to low TRPs. [6]
After her mother’s death, Jhanak is forced to marry her cousin Arshi’s fiancé, Aniruddh, to escape her stalker, Tejas. Although Aniruddh and Arshi have been together for seven years, Jhanak enters their lives under distressing circumstances and begins working as a maid in the Bose household. While some family members treat her kindly, others constantly insult and belittle her. Despite Arshi’s presence, Jhanak and Aniruddh grow close and become intimate when he is intoxicated during a trip to Kashmir.
Their secret marriage is later exposed, causing major tension within the family. Though humiliated, Arshi decides to stay. Jhanak moves to Mumbai to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer and later returns, claiming to be pregnant with Aniruddh’s child. However, it is later revealed to be a tumour. Aniruddh suffers a heart attack, and Jhanak is presumed dead after being targeted by Srishti and Tejas. She is rescued by Kulbhushan, Brijbhushan’s lookalike, and soon learns that Brijbhushan is her biological father. Kulbhushan, with the help of Srishti and Urvashi, had stolen Brijbhushan’s identity. Determined to expose them, Jhanak returns disguised as Nutan. During an anniversary celebration, their truth is revealed. Kulbhushan murders Brijbhushan, and Aniruddh, still in love with Jhanak, falsely claims to have cancer to marry her. Upon discovering the truth, a heartbroken Jhanak leaves for Mumbai with Aditya Kapoor.
Kulbhushan’s men later kidnap Jhanak, but she manages to escape. Meanwhile, property disputes erupt in the Bose family, and Jhanak ends up in Gujarat disguised as Vihaan’s late wife, Avni. She is shocked to discover that Aniruddh is Vihaan’s close friend. At a family wedding, Arshi exposes Jhanak’s true identity. A marriage is arranged between Jhanak and Vihaan, but she flees before the ceremony.
Jhanak is captured again by Kulbhushan’s men but is saved by an elderly couple. She ends up in a red-light area and escapes to a police station, where Choton finds her and brings her back to the Bose house, shocking everyone. During Arshi’s baby shower, Srishti publicly apologises and claims to be Jhanak’s mother. Later, Jhanak becomes the caretaker of Arshi’s baby but continues to face humiliation and abuse from the family. Jhanak eventually learns that Arshi’s baby was swapped at birth. During the Holi festival, she exposes the truth and begins searching for the real child. Meanwhile, Laal divorces Bipasha after her father, Sarveshwar, reappears. Bipasha conspires with him to send Jhanak to Banaras.
Jhanak tracks down the man responsible for stealing Arshi’s baby and attempts to expose him. Meanwhile, Mimi and Anirban plan their wedding, and a false case is filed against Jhanak. She is arrested, but Aniruddh and Mimi testify in her defence, revealing the constant mental abuse she endured in the Bose household. Inspector Sanjay Sarkar uncovers that several police officers helped Shubho, Tanuja, and Arshi frame Jhanak by suppressing evidence. The judge ultimately dismisses the case due to lack of evidence and clears Jhanak of all charges. Shubho, Tanuja, and Arshi are left humiliated as the truth comes to light, and justice finally prevails for Jhanak.
Later, Arshi meets Siddharth Chatterjee and quickly falls in love with him, while Aniruddh leaves the Bose house to live in a live-in relationship with Jhanak. When Aniruddh learns of Arshi’s growing closeness with Siddharth, he insists that Arshi divorce him so that he can marry Jhanak and she can be with Siddharth. The divorce proceedings nearly reach completion, but Siddharth betrays Arshi and elopes with his girlfriend, leaving her devastated. Aniruddh and Jhanak return to the Bose house and begin their wedding preparations. However, on the wedding day, Arshi returns and refuses to grant the divorce. Heartbroken, Jhanak runs away and, on her journey, finds Arshi and Aniruddh’s kidnapped daughter, Aditi, affectionately nicknamed “Moon.” She rescues her, boards a bus, and meets Parashar, who saves them both from Kulbhushan’s goons and takes them to Shimulbuni. Over time, Jhanak and Parashar grow close as he supports her and helps raise Moon as his own daughter.
Although Aniruddh and Arshi remain married, their relationship turns cold and distant. Aniruddh continues to live in the memories of Jhanak, while in Shimulbuni, Parashar becomes a father figure to Moon, and Jhanak raises her as her own child. Unaware of Jhanak’s presence in Shimulbuni, Aniruddh arrives there for an office project. The two reunite and share an intimate moment. The next day, Aniruddh hears rumours that Jhanak is Parashar’s wife and feels deeply betrayed. Jhanak then reveals the truth—that Moon is actually Aniruddh and Arshi’s biological daughter.
Wanting the best for Moon, Jhanak sends her away with Aniruddh to Kolkata despite her heartbreak. Soon after, Jhanak is poisoned in the village and rushed to the hospital by Parashar and the villagers. Aniruddh arrives, learns that Jhanak and Parashar were never married, and decides to marry Jhanak in the village. Parashar, secretly in love with Jhanak, is heartbroken but hides his pain and supports their union.
Aniruddh and Jhanak eventually marry, and Jhanak later reveals that she is pregnant with his child. However, Aniruddh refuses to believe her and accuses Parashar of being the father. Devastated by his mistrust and accusations, Jhanak severs all ties with him, realising that Aniruddh is unworthy of her love. The two part ways forever.
Years later, Jhanak has renamed herself Nutan and is raising her and Aniruddh’s daughter, Jhanak—affectionately nicknamed “Phool”—with love and care. Phool aspires to become an officer to give her mother a better life. Meanwhile, Arshi and Aniruddh have shifted to London with the Bose family. A grown-up Aditi (Moon) is now in a relationship with a police officer named Rishi.
Jhanak is produced by Leena Gangopadhyay and Saibal Banerjee under Magic Moments Motion Pictures. [7] It is inspired from Jol Nupur. [8] [9]
Hiba Nawab was cast in the titular role of Jhanak. [10] [11] Krushal Ahuja was cast as Aniruddha Bose opposite Hiba Nawab. [12] Chandni Sharma was cast as Arshi, the parallel lead. [13] [14] Dolly Sohi was cast as Arshi's mother Srishti, [15] while Kajal Pisal was cast as Aniruddh's mother Tanuja. [16] [17] Rishi Kaushik was cast as Tejas, Jhanak's obsessive lover. [18] [19]
In January 2024, Sohi quit the show and was replaced by Poorva Gokhale. [20] [21] In April 2024, Deepali Pansare was cast as Mrinalini, opposite Puneet Panjwani. [22]
Zohaib Siddiqui and Erica Fernandes [23] were approached to play the new leads post the generation leap, but Riya Sharma, Arjit Taneja and Twinkle Arora were finalized. [24] Krushal Ahuja was replaced by Sumeet Sachdev as the older Anirudh, while Parvati Sehgal took over the role of the older Jhanak, replacing Nawab. Ashlesha Sawant replaced Chandni Sharma. [25]
The shooting of the series began in September 2023. [26] It was primarily based in Kashmir and Kolkata, and some initial episodes were shot in both locations. [27] [28]
Nawab had learned to row a shikara within two days for the role of Jhanak. [29]
In June 2025, A promo for the 20 year leap was released featuring Riya Sharma and Arjit Taneja as new leads, respectively playing Jhanak and Rishi. [30]