In what was then, well a first (in all probability), the mother-in-law was not shown as a daughter-in-law hating vamp. Riding high on the show's popularity was Smriti Irani who as Tulsi Virani epitomised the ideal Indian bahu. To hazard a guess, while every saas wanted a bahu like her, every bahu wanted to be like her.

However, when it comes to the real world there is more to a saas-bahu relationship than glycerine induced tears. "I share a love-hate relationship with my mother-in-law; we have our good days and our bad days," says media professional Farzana Khan.

"Ours was a love marriage and my in-laws never really accepted me, more so my mother-in-law. In the beginning, we were so polite to each other that it was quite funny in a way. Three years later and after moving to a new city, things are more or less the same between us," she adds.

In real life, especially when young couples live with their parents / in-laws, several issues and differences crop up that need to be resolved amicably.

Reveals Reena Fernandes, "After running the house for three decades, my mom-in-law found it a tad difficult to change from her set pattern - be it meal times and menu to household chores. Slowly but surely, I was successful in making a few changes."

Reena experienced her mother-in-laws' tender, caring side recently when she came down with a back problem. "She not only made sure I was well rested but also used to rub warm oil on my back every night to ease the pain. Even my mom has never done that!"

But what happens when couples live separately? Does the saas-bahu relationship grow at all or do they meet as strangers for family functions?

Ashwini Gorey (right) with her mom-in-law

Ashwini Gorey puts forth an interesting perspective. "Coming from a close-knit joint family, I am used to having uncles, aunts and cousins around at all times. A month after my wedding, we moved to Pune. During that initial period, my mother-in-law and my mom helped me set up my new home. Needless to say, those first few months helped me forge a strong bond with my mother-in-law."

Inter-community marriages make matters more interesting due to the obvious differences in customs and traditions. "When my son married his college sweetheart, a Christian girl, I was apprehensive on whether she would fit into our family. Thankfully, not only did she fit right in, she also brought us together as a family," says Padma Ahire.

Her daughter-in-law not only learnt traditional Maharashtrian dishes but also follows the customs as well. Padma on her part enjoys the annual Christmas dinner, not to mention the marzipan and milk sweets, with much gusto!

From reel to real, the saas-bahu kahani has its share of ups and downs. But it takes love and understanding from both sides to nurture it.