Thodi Si Zameen, Thoda Aasman

You can think of this show as the one that caused the split between Smriti Irani and Ekta Kapoor. No matter what they might say publicly, there is an incredible amount of buzz that it was the decision of Smriti Irani to turn producer and launch this serial (Thodi Si Zamee, Thoda Aasman) and Viruddh that caused the split between them. Initially Ekta was the co-producer of this show, but that soon stopped. And then the story of Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi was changed to accomodate a plastic surgery for Tulsi so that Smriti Irani could move away from the character.
Was this serial good enough that Smriti Irani gave up Kyunki... ? I would say no. Viruddh is far more powerful, this serial is much tamer than I thought it would be. The storyline is somewhat different from the others, although you have the familiar themes a rich family that covets the property (land) of poor people, of a conniving brother-in-law who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and of an autocractic mother-in-law who wants to get it all, and will not bear anybody in the household defying her.
Smriti Irani plays the role of Uma, a young girl/woman living in a slum cluster, where the people were dependent on a mill that has shut down. She is again more of an ideal woman, taking care of her family, and when married to Sudhanshu Jajodia (Kiran Karmarkar), who is a mentally unbalanced person. She takes care of him in the household after the marriage, over the schemes and bullying of her mother-in-law and brother-in-law Dushyant (Harsh Chayya). She is supported by her younger sister-in-law, Dushyant's wife who does not like the moral character of Dushyant. The Jajodia's want to get the slum land vacated, and Uma wants to resist this at all costs, as she does not want to make the people living their homeless.
The serials has all the usual twists and turns, although in this serial people do not casually mention loaning or borrowing Rs. 100 crores, but somehow the serial never catches on in terms of excitement. You get to see the pain, the adversity, but I don't think it is easy to identify with the character played by Uma. There are some unrealistic scenes such as the one where she is accused of having an affair with a helpful lawyer, and her mother does not believe her innocence.
And in twists, the lawyer has been murdered, and apparently killed by a number of people; further, Uma's husband has apparently turned against her, he wants to protect the Jajodia family name. Seems a bit ungrateful to give up a wife who has stood by you in thick and thin, but then that's a serial where there has to be masala added. The serial comes on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 PM on Star. I would not be surprised if it does not have good TRP's.