Ishti Kutum is a Bengali television serial that aired from 24 October 2011 to 13 December 2015 on Star Jalsha.
[2] It began telecasting daily from 3 May 2015 and was in the same slot 6:30 PM IST from the beginning to the end.
The show was a big hit after its launch and was constantly performing well in TRP charts and it is a very popular serial in Bengal.
Baha, Archi and Kamalika became household names back then in whole Kolkata and in other parts of Bengal.
In August 2014, Raneeta Das had to resign from the show for medical reasons and her studies.
A legal issue also happened with Star Jalsha when she discontinued Ishti Kutum.
It led to declining TRP and viewers boycotted the show due to Ranita's exit.
But destiny ties her into a forced marriage, and thus begins the saga of love and betrayals.
The story revolves around the life of an 18 year old Munda speaking tribal love-child Bahamoni Soren from a secluded region called Palashboni in rural West Bengal and her wish to marry a Bengali speaking high caste person from Mukherjee clan.
Bahamoni (Baha), who had just completed her 11th standard upon scoring star marks and wants to attend college, is brought up by her mother Konkamoni (Konka) and stepfather Satyakam who is also a tribal activist and leader.
Rupanjana stays at her paternal home after an argument with her in-laws and was in a trauma after her marriage, as a result she had to return and was unable to adjust with her family.
A famous journalist from the city of Kolkata, Archisman Mukherjee, visits Palashboni to interview Satyakam.
Archi, who has a six-year-long love relationship with Kamalika, refuses to recognize the ceremony and asks Baha to decide what she wants to do.
Baha then comes to Kolkata with Archi as a maidservant, but the family members treat her as the daughter of that house.
Baha sees Archi's bike lying on the road and grows made her suspicious and informs the police.
Archi and the Mukherjees get worried for Baha but she calles Hiranmoy and tells his she if save and in her village.
Meanwhile, Kamalika grows restless having not been able to contact Archi and decides to go to her mother's house for a few days.
While crossing the road, Hiranmoy spots her and asks her to come to the Mukherjee home, but she refuses and says she will stay at the hostel.
Archi gets to know this and goes and meets Baha and asks how could she refuse Hiranmoy like this who treated her as his daughter.
The Mukherjees and the Majumdars go out for Baha's award ceremony for her brilliant result and she shares a speech that left everyone speechless and emotional.
Kamalika attempts suicide and Anushree calls and blames the Mukherjees in anger for her condition.
Dibyojyoti and Anushree plan to take Baha to their place for a few days and the Mukherjees start crying at her departure.
Kamalika was still madly in love with him saves Archi's career, reputation, and jail-time by lying to everyone that she herself is not interested in this marriage.
Archi grows jealous of Baha's intimacy with Prakash, her friend and professor, but later realises she is innocent and becomes possessive of her.
But Dhrubo's first wife Rusha, who had run away and was missing for many years, suddenly returns leaving Kamalika shocked.
She meets Bikram (her true lover) who falls in love with her and accepts her unborn child.
Kamalika finally decides to marry Bikram and gives birth to a son, Aasmaan.
Baha realizes no matter how much she tries Archi will never forget his first love Kamalika and leaves finally.
The show also promoted adultery, extramarital affair through its storyline as most Leena Gangopadhyay serials always do .
Though the channel denied all charges, there was an uproar from the audience regarding the themes of cheating women, and domestic violence, provocation of suicide etc.