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Mera Balam Thanedaar is an Indian Hindi-language television series produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions. It is an official remake of Colors Marathi series Raja Ranichi Ga Jodi,^[1] and starring Shagun Pandey and Shruti Choudhary.^[2] It premiered on 3 January 2024 on Colors TV.

Summary

The story revolves around two individuals with contrasting morals: Bulbul Rajawat, a spirited teenager who believes that lying for a greater good is an act of kindness, and IPS Veerpratap "Veer" Singh, a police officer who despises lies and is dedicated to combating the treacherous underage marriage practice in his community. Veer and Bulbul are forced to marry each other. Bulbul learns a horrifying truth after their marriage, while hiding the truth, she has to protect Veer and their families, and fulfill her responsibilities as a wife and Daughter in law.

Plot

Bulbul comes from a complicated family of five. Her morally complicit father, Devendra Rajawat, belongs to a formerly noble clan and is plagued by ego issues, desiring to maintain a prestigious reputation in society, but distressed by the reality of his financial situation. Devendra resorted to gambling, and in the process, gets entangled in debt to his friend, Mangal Chauhan. Meanwhile, Bulbul's mother, Geeta Devendra Rajawat, is a housewife who struggles to manage the household due to her husband's financial problems. She discreetly sells pickles for a living with Bulbul's help. Bulbul has an older sister, Drishti Rajawat, who has been promised in marriage to Veer since childhood after Veer's mother was helped by the Rajawat family in the past. Although arrangedly engaged, Drishti and Veer are in love with each other. Drishti is preparing for her wedding with Veer while simultaneously applying to study abroad in London, which she is hiding from her family. Bulbul's elder brother, Amber Rajawat, is attending university in a different city.

Veer's family situation is similarly complex. He lives with his father, Vardhan Singh, while his mother is in coma in hospital. Veer's elder brother, Vishesh Singh, is a credible news anchor, and much like Veer himself who values honesty with strong hatred towards even the smallest lies. He is a widower and has a daughter, Varnika Singh who studies in the college. Veer has an elder sister, Vani, who became mentally unbalanced after a seemingly challenging marriage and pregnancy. Vani has a son with her estranged husband, Rajat Chundawat, named Vyom Singh. Veer claimed paternity to Vyom, who grew up believing Veer as his biological father while sometimes questioning his maternity.

Veer's family has a long-standing enmity with their neighbor, the Chundawat family, headed by the matriarch Bhavani Chundawat. Bhavani has cursed the Singh family in various opportunities, proclaimed that Lakshmi, symbolizing women's blessings in the form of daughter-in-law, will never enter their house. Bhavani is a powerful local politician who commands respect in society and has a significant numbers of supporters. She is the mother of Vani's deceased husband, Rajat Chundawat, and the paternal grandmother of Vyom. Bhavani has a living son, Inspector Rana Chundawat, who is Veer's enemy in the law enforcement. Rana is working on the same problem of underage marriages as Veer, but embodies the opposite integrity.

Veer was on duty in Krishnagarh, attempting to apprehend a human-trafficker named Ratan Chauhan who is forging birth certificates and selling underage girls as brides—when he first crossed paths with Bulbul, who was cosplaying as a police officer to intimidate a shop owner who had not paid the promised amount for her mother's pickles. At one point, Veer was chasing Ratan Chauhan, who ran in Bulbul's direction, and upon seeing Bulbul in a police uniform, Veer asked Bulbul to catch the criminal. However, as Bulbul was only a fake police officer, she was unable to complete the task and instead only threw a toy gun at Ratan. Veer soon discovered that Bulbul was a liar and impersonator, although she managed to escape him.

Bulbul encountered Veer again when she was decorating the rooftop of her house for Drishti's engagement ceremony. Veer mistook Bulbul as Drishti from behind and proposed to her on one knee. They were both surprised to see each other, but later received clarification from Drishti about their identities to each other. Prior to that, Bulbul had never seen Drishti's fiancé, and Veer was also unaware that Drishti has a sister.

Since that encounter, fate has been playing tricks on both of them. Many pre-wedding rituals for Drishti accidentally befall Bulbul instead, some of which occurred without anyone even noticing. But, Veer harbors a deep distrust towards Bulbul due to several lies she has told in order to protect her family. He tolerates her presence simply because she is Drishti's sister. Unbeknownst to Veer, Bulbul is actually his secret hero who constantly reports and helps him in his work against underage marriages. Meanwhile, Bulbul was also unaware that she has unknowingly been Veer's ally in his cause until later on.

However, the situation take a dramatic turn when Bulbul's father, Devendra, is persuaded by his friend Mangal to involve Bulbul in "Samuhik Vivah", a mass marriage program orchestrated by Bhavani for the impoverished community to gain their votes. In exchange, Mangal promises to release Devendra from his debt if he marries Bulbul off to Mangal's son, Ratan Chauhan. Devendra, who views daughters as burdens, eagerly agrees to give Bulbul's hand in marriage to Ratan and send her away, also to relieve himself of his debt to Mangal. However, there is a significant problem: Bulbul is actually a minor, a fact which Bulbul herself is unaware of, as her parents falsified her birth certificate to obtain a government benefit when she was younger.

Against Bulbul's will, she is engaged to Ratan, and is set to marry him in the mass marriage where many other underage girls with fabricated birth certificates will also be wedded. Upon learning the horrifying plight of Bulbul, Veer attempts to intervene, but Bulbul is relenting after emotionally blackmailed by Devendra, and at the same time, Ratan is backed by the influential Bhavani, who utilizes her power and her son, Inspector Rana, to impede Veer's efforts and fails his attempts to save Bulbul and other underage brides from the mass wedding. The fate of Bulbul's and the other underage brides rests on Veer's shoulders, but also on Bulbul's decision to either stand up against the injustice or succumb to it.

Bulbul stands up against the marriage and encourages other brides to also stand up against their families. Slowly, all the brides start telling their actual ages, and join Bulbul who sings a song while waiting for Veer. Veer arrives with the actual birth certificates of the brides which he had exchanged with fake ones and presents them in front of the media and the duo successfully stop the weddings. Bhavani blames it all on Ratan, presenting herself also unaware of the fact. Meanwhile, Inspector Rana is suspended from his position and Ratan is arrested.

Veer and Drishti’s marriage preparations are going on full swoop. Rana and Bhavani plan to take revenge against Veer, they schedule a fake London study entrace test on the same day as the wedding. Drishti abdons the wedding and leaves for the venue, where Rana’s goons kidnap Drishti. Afterwards, she is also kidnapped by Ratan who has run away from police custody. Veer is heartbroken knowing Drishti’s betrayal, he and his family return their house with the procession. On the way, he learns that Ratan has kidnapped Bulbul who had gone to search for Drishti. He goes to save her, where Ratan tries to forcefully marry BulBul. Then truth is revealed that Bulbul is the girl who helped Veer in stopping the Underage girl marriages. Police arrest Ratan, and he brings Bulbul home.

Society starts blaming Bulbul for breaking the marriages, and returning home with Veer, so he decides to marry Bulbul to protect her and his families name. He takes permission from his father who unaware of everything gives it. Geeta tries to stop the wedding by bringing Bulbul’s actual birth certificate but Devandar stops her by blackmailing her. In the end, Veer marries Bulbul, while the duo being unaware of Bulbul being underage. Geeta burns the real birth certificate and compromises to this union. Henceforth, Bulbul leaves for her new house where nobody welcomes her.

Drishti is released by the goons according to Rana’s orders, who later manipulates to create problem between Bulbul and Veer. But Bulbul and Veer stand against Rana and Drishti, bringing the truth in front of everyone. They decide to keep the relation and Bulbul ask Drishti to leave. Slowly, everyone starts accepting Bulbul except Varnika. Bulbul and Veer leave for her pagphera ceremony, and return to Pushkar. Veer asks for Bulbul birth certificate to register their marriage. He is about to see Bulbul fake birth certifcate but Devander destroys it. He offers to make new birth certificate then give it Veer. Bulbul starts doubting Geeta and Devander, hiding something from her, when Veer asks about her childhood photos. In the temple, she learns the truth from Geeta that she is a minor. Devander blackmails her to keep quite, or else not only her mother but even Veers family would be arrested for this marriage. Even, veer would be suspended from police. In fear, Bulbul decides to comply, and hides the truth from Veer and lies to him.

Bulbul is scared of her actual age coming in front of everyone and aftermath that Veer and his family would face, so she decides to leave Veer, and have him throw her out of the house. She tries to act drunk but instead of going away, she comes close to Veer. Meanwhile, Veer’s mother, Sulakshana comes out of coma, and arrives home. She is shocked to know about Veer and bulbuls marriage. She refuses to accept Bulbul as the daughter in law of family, and calls her Veer’s wife only. Sulkashana takes Bulbul tests and teaches her how to be good daughter in law, meanwhile Drishti and Kaveri creates problems for Bulbul to make her fail, even though she herself tries to fail but passes due to her own honesty, kindness and the rest families help. Kaveri and Drishti also manipulate Varnika as she believes Bulbul is taking her mother’s place in the family.

But Bulbul gets drunk and blurts the half truth to Veer, and he learns her plan of leaving of leaving him. This again breaks Veer heart who actually started to like her. After knowing this, he starts to ignore her and keep his distance from her. This hurts Bulbul and with her mother, Geeta guidance, she decides to stay in this relation. Her behavior confuses Veer, who demands answers. She asks him time till her birthdate when she will tell him the future of their relation. Veer believes her for the time being, he decides to make Bulbul independent and complete her further education, so that after her birthdate, if she leaves him, she would not have any issue in future. He gets her admitted to Varnika's college much to Sulakshna and Varnika's dislike. Bulbul decides to study seriously to make him proud.

Bulbul struggles to balance her college and responsibilities as daughter in law due to Drishti's interference. Bulbul stands up against Avinash and Varnika's other friends who were ragging other students. Avinash and Bulbul clash again but he could not much due to Bulbul being Veer's wife. Avinash starts to hate her and encourages Varnika to cheat in the surprise test which was being conducted due to Bulbul. Her chits are found and blame gets on Bulbul. Veer is disappointed to know that Bulbul has cheated and suspended from the college. Even the family blames her, but she keeps quite as she learns about Varnika. But Drishti gets to know about the cheating, and former informs Veer, but makes Varnika believe that it was Bulbul who told Veer. Veer clears Bulbul's name and decides to keep quite on Bulbul's behest, though everything has already caused a grudge between Varnika and Bulbul.

Avinash takes advantage of the situation and has Riya call Varnika out for hanging. Bulbul tries to stop Varnika many times, but she does not believe her. He is successful in drugging her, and takes dirty pictures and videos of Varnika. He starts blackmailing Varnika and she learns from Riya that Avinash has done this to a lot of girls in college, even herself. Riya is a lot guilty and she commits suicide by jumping from the roof of college. But she is saved by Bulbul who timely calls Veer who starts investigating Riya's suicide case. Avinash blackmails Varnika to bring Bulbul to him, so that he could control Veer and close the case, but scared, Varnika also tries to commit suicide. Bulbul arrives on time and saves her, she learns the complete truth from Varnika who threathens her to hide this from Veer or else she will kill herself. Now how will Bulbul handle her and Varnika's Secret? How will she able to brig justice to Varnika and other girls?

Cast

Main

• Shruti Choudhary^[2] as Bulbul Rajawat Singh: Devendra and Geeta's younger daughter; Drishti and Amber's younger sister;Ratan’s ex-fiancé; Veer's wife (2024–present)
• Shagun Pandey^[2] as IPS Veerpratap "Veer" Singh: Vardhan and Sulakshana's second son; Vishesh's younger brother;Vani and Vayu’s older brother; Vyom’s adoptive father and maternal uncle; Varnika’s paternal uncle, Drishti's ex-fiancé; Bulbul's husband (2024–present)

Recurring

• Srishti Singh as Drishti Rajawat: Bulbul and Amber's elder sister; Devendra and Geeta's elder daughter; Rudra’s fiancée; Veer's ex-fiancée turned obsessive lover (2024–present)
• Rishi Khurana^[3] as Devendra Rajawat: Patriarch of the Rajawat family; Bulbul, Drishti and Amber's father; Geeta's husband (2024–present)
• Aastha Chaudhary^[3] as Geeta Devendra Rajawat: Bulbul, Drishti and Amber's mother; Devendra's wife (2024–present)
• Jeevansh Chaddha^[4] as Amber Rajawat: Bulbul's elder brother and Drishti's younger brother; Devendra and Geeta's son (2024–present)
• Rajendra Chawla^[3] as Vardhan Singh: Patriarch of the Singh family; Sulakshana's husband; Veer,Vayu, vani abd Vishesh's father; Vyom and Varnika’s grandfather(2024–present)
• Vijay Bhatia^[3] as Vishesh Singh: Veer, Vani and Vayu’s elder brother; Vardhan and Sulakshana's elder son; a widower; Varnika’s father(2024–present)
• Neelu Vaghela^[5] as Bhavani Chundawat: Matriarch of the Chundawat family; Rajat and Rana's mother; enemy of the Singh family; Ratan's sponsor (2024)
• Devish Ahuja as Avinash Malhotra: Varnika's and other girls blackmailer (Dead) (2024)
• Honeyy Soni as Varnika: Vishesh’s daughter; Vani , Vayu and Veer’s niece; Vyom’s cousin (2024–present)
• Rajani Gupta as Kaveri (2024–present)
• Anuja Walhe as Vani (2024–present)
• Prateek Singh Parihar as Vaayu Singh (2024–present)
• Mohit Parmar as Advocate Rudra Chaudhary (2024–present)
• Ayush Anand as Inspector Rana Chundawat: Bhavani's younger son; Rajat's younger brother; Veer's enemy (2024)
• Supriya Shukla as Sulakshana Singh: Vardhan's wife; Vishesh, Vani, Vaayu and Veer's mother, Vyom and Varnika’s grandmother (2024–present)
• Siddharth Dhanda^[6] as Ratan Chauhan: Mangal's son; Bulbul's ex-fiancé (2024–present)
• Ankita Tiwari as Sneha: Bulbul's friend (2024-present)
• Maitri Bhanushali as Divya: Bulbul's friend (2024 present)
• Nirbhay Thakur as Vyom Singh (2024)
• Mehul Nisar as Jeevraj Shekhawat: Avinash's murderer (2024)

Adaptations

References