Loading…
Ormax Media Pvt. Ltd.

Not just nostalgia: Why legacy characters are dominating HGECs

Not just nostalgia: Why legacy characters are dominating HGECs

Not just nostalgia: Why legacy characters are dominating HGECs

Despite not featuring in the show since 2017, Daya (Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah) continues to enjoy immense popularity among Hindi GEC audiences. Her enduring success highlights a category trend
Published on June 02, 2025   •   3 mins read
Share this Insight
Summary
  • Data from our monthly character popularity track Ormax Characters India Loves (OCIL) reveals that legacy characters continue to rule the HGEC fiction space, even as newer characters find it increasingly hard to break through
  • A case in point is the character of Daya from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, who continues to feature in the OCIL Top 3 in recent months, despite making her last appearance in the show 7.5 years ago, in September 2017!
  • Daya's case is not an isolated one. The enduring popularity of long-established characters exposes a vacuum in the Hindi GEC fiction landscape: a lack of breakout characters who can rival the cultural footprint of legacy figures

In a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape, one might assume that fresh faces and newer narratives would dominate the viewer’s imagination. But fiction content trends on linear Hindi television (Hindi GEC) tells a different story. One where audience tastes are more rooted in emotional familiarity than in change.

Over the last few years, Hindi GEC fiction content has witnessed a striking trend: longevity and legacy matter more than novelty. A closer look at the data from our monthly character popularity track Ormax Characters India Loves (OCIL) reveals that legacy characters continue to rule, even as newer characters find it increasingly hard to break through. The list of Top 10 fiction characters in any month is  dominated by characters from long-running shows. The chart below captures the count of new fiction characters who entered the Top 10 in at least one month in each year since 2016. As can be seen, 2024 has set a new low on this parameter. And while 2023 may seem like an aberration, four out of the six new entries that year were characters from existing, long-running shows, rather than new shows.

Daya1.png

This trend reflects a deeper shift in viewer behaviour: audiences are becoming less experimental and more emotionally conservative, when it comes to Hindi GEC content. They prefer to invest in characters they already have known and loved over an extended period of time.

One of the best examples of this trend is the character of Daya from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, who continues to feature in the OCIL Top 10 despite making her last appearance in the show 7.5 years ago, in September 2017 (and a fleeting appearance in an episode in August 2018). While she can be seen on the channel (Sony SAB) via reruns, there hasn’t been an original episode featuring the character all these years. Yet, Daya has featured not just in the Top 10 but even in the Top 5, and more recently, in the Top 3 fiction characters on Hindi GECs, behind only Jethalal (her on-screen husband) and Anupama!

Daya2.png
Daya’s lasting popularity can be attributed not just to her comic timing, but also to her multifaceted role that offers a blend of humor, tradition and relatability, without slipping into the ‘television bahu’ stereotype.

But Daya’s case is not isolated. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai contributes three characters to the current OCIL Top 10: Akshara, Naira, and Abhira, each representing a different generation within the same family tree. This kind of cross-generational relevance is rare, and speaks volumes about the show’s storytelling strength. It also reflects a smart creative approach, where generational leaps are used not to disrupt but to evolve the narrative. Instead of asking viewers to reset, the show allows them to continue a journey with characters that feel like family.

Daya3.png

The enduring popularity of characters from shows like Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, and Anupama exposes a vacuum in the Hindi GEC fiction landscape: a lack of breakout characters who can rival the cultural footprint of legacy figures like Daya and Akshara.

It’s been half a decade since Anupama emerged as the last true breakout hit. In today’s era of inertia-driven television (read more here), the timeline for the next big breakthrough remains uncertain. Until then, audiences seem content to revisit familiar faces - like the irrepressible Daya - whose legacy continues to shine, even years after she left the screen.

Characters Ormax Characters India Loves Hindi GEC Indian Television Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah... Viewing Behaviour
Share this Insight

Author

Aakriti Bhatia

Aakriti Bhatia

Aakriti is a Group Head in the Insights team at Ormax Media. She manages the functioning of Ormax Media's proprietary tracking tools like Ormax Stream Track, Ormax Showbuzz, and Ormax Characters India Loves, among others, apart from handling custom research projects, especially in the streaming domain. She is also in charge of client servicing for some of the prominent business partners of the company.

Before joining Ormax Media, Aakriti worked as a Strategy Consultant at Deloitte, and then an Account Manager with T-Series. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Calcutta University, and a Masters in Global Business from SP Jain School of Global Management. She enjoys listening to music and is an ardent OTT viewer who loves to binge-watch shows.

Aakriti Bhatia

Aakriti is a Group Head in the Insights team at Ormax Media. She manages the functioning of Ormax Media's proprietary tracking tools like Ormax Stream Track, Ormax Showbuzz, and Ormax Characters India Loves, among others, apart from handling custom research projects, especially in the streaming domain. She is also in charge of client servicing for some of the prominent business partners of the company.

Before joining Ormax Media, Aakriti worked as a Strategy Consultant at Deloitte, and then an Account Manager with T-Series. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Calcutta University, and a Masters in Global Business from SP Jain School of Global Management. She enjoys listening to music and is an ardent OTT viewer who loves to binge-watch shows.

Related Insights

Ormax Mpact case study: Bandhan Mutual Fund on India Today TV

Ormax Mpact case study: Bandhan Mutual Fund on India Today TV

This case study, based on the integration executed by Bandhan Mutual Fund on English news channel India Today, showcases our Brand Lift measurement tool Ormax Mpact

Brand Lift measurement tool: Ormax Mpact

Brand Lift measurement tool: Ormax Mpact

An overview of Ormax Mpact, a state-of-the-art Brand Lift Measurement tool designed to help marketers and advertisers evaluate the impact of their media campaigns, collaborations, and innovations

Certificate Program in Indian Media Business

Certificate Program in Indian Media Business

All the details - curriculum, schedule, faculty, course fee, and more - about our Certificate Program in Indian Media Business, which will be conducted from Feb 22 to Mar 15, 2025

Subscribe to stay updated with our latest insights Ormax Media Pvt. Ltd.

Subscribe to stay updated with our latest insights

Ormax Media Pvt. Ltd. Privacy Policy

We use cookies to improve your experience on this site. To find out more, read our Privacy Policy