Television soap operas, with their high melodrama, dramatic close-ups and music, have a huge following in India, particularly among housewives or women who work as domestic help. —File Photo

MUMBAI An Indian woman successfully divorced her husband after he refused to allow her to watch television soap operas, a report said on Tuesday.

The Daily News and Analysis newspaper said the situation led to daily arguments between the couple from Pune, southeast of Mumbai, and she filed for divorce.

Television soap operas, with their high melodrama, dramatic close-ups and music, have a huge following in India, particularly among housewives or women who work as domestic help.

Granting her application, a family court judge said the husband had been picking arguments with his wife for more than four years 'on the ground that she was seeing Hindi serials on TV channels'.

It added 'The respondent (husband) was not allowing the petitioner (wife) to see programmes on TV as per her choice'.

The divorce ruling was given in August, but details had only recently emerged when the ex-husband applied to the high court to overturn the decision, which also gave the woman custody of the couple's six-year-old child.

His lawyers argued in court on Monday that the woman's claims of cruel treatment against her were false and were part of the normal 'wear and tear' of married life, the newspaper said.

Opinion

Editorial

PIA’s privatisation
Updated 01 Jul, 2026

PIA’s privatisation

THE management control of PIA has finally been transferred to a consortium comprising private investors and the ...
Rights beyond rulings
01 Jul, 2026

Rights beyond rulings

THE Supreme Court’s recent ruling that jewellery, bridal gifts and dowry articles given to a bride remain her...
Asia left behind
01 Jul, 2026

Asia left behind

ALARMING regression has been witnessed in the Asian teams at the FIFA World Cup. A record nine representatives from...
Resurgent threat
Updated 30 Jun, 2026

Resurgent threat

THE message from Islamabad to Kabul seems to be clear: any act of terrorism inside Pakistan found to be linked to...
Unchecked powers
30 Jun, 2026

Unchecked powers

THERE is little disagreement that Punjab needs stronger tools to combat organised crime, habitual offenders and...
Patriot Pass
30 Jun, 2026

Patriot Pass

IT must be a shared humanity that has bonded the ‘leader of the free world’ so closely with his counterparts in...