On Women's day, TV celebs talk about making a difference

While television is full of routine saas-bahu roles, very few characters stand out. It doesn’t happen often, but TV shows do feature strong women characters that you can not only relate with, but they also sometimes end up becoming role models for the audience. Here are some strong female characters on TV that have changed things for the better.

Inner strength is extremely aspirational: Sandhya Mridul

Nazeen Khan, in the show P.O.W- Bandi Yuddh Ke, stayed resilient and didn’t fall apart when her husband Imaan Khan went missing for 17 years. Giving up would have been easy, but she was strong enough to go on living and manage her family. She has a lot of inner strength, which I admire.

She held herself together, which I have done in my life as well. I felt Nazeen was more like my mother than myself, which is why I related with her. I find inner strength extremely aspirational, which is what the audience took away, too.

Women admire that Ishita stands up for her rights: Divyanka Tripathi

My character, Ishita in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, is the strongest woman I’ve seen. She’s a nurturer, a homemaker, a bread earner and a fighter. As a mother, she not only pampers and cares for her children, she has also made them strong enough to stand up and fight the world when they need to.

She knows her rights and doesn’t let anyone take advantage of her. Ishita is a strong role model for women as she’s capable of striking a perfect work-life balance. After playing Ishita for three years, I think I have adapted a lot of qualities from her, and vice versa. Women often tell me that they admire [the fact] that Ishita stands up for her rights.

Women want characters they can look up to: Erica Fernandes

Sona, in Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi, is a strong-minded, independent, mature and modern woman, which is why I think she has connected with the audience. Women want to see characters that they can look up to. She is now a mother, and after being estranged from her husband, she is ensuring that her daughter gets love from her father as well. That shows how practical and caring Sona is.

Working Indian women’s priority has to be their family: Deepika Singh Goyal

Diya Aur Baati Hum tells the story of Sooraj and Sandhya, and how he helps her achieve her dream of being an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer. While Sandhya was a modern woman, she married into a conservative family. Even after becoming an officer, she balanced her work, home, in-laws and kids very well. Sandhya’s story is of every Indian woman, as women in our society are expected to become homemakers after they marry, irrespective of their education.

An Indian woman’s top priority has to be her family, even if she is working. I related to Sandhya, as I am as dedicated and honest in my job. And even after I got married, I handled my personal and professional life well.