Astitva Ek Pehchaan premiered on channel Doordarshan DD National DD 1 in 2008. It was a half-hourly drama show telecasted on weekdays at 21:00 hours. It quickly became the number 2 show on DD National regarding TRPs (Television Rating points). However, it was unable to retain that spot. The Brands, Maaza, and Sunsilk were sponsors of this show. Tarun Verma was the producer of the show. Alok Nath Dixit directed this daily soap. The cast included renowned stars as Amit Behl and Rohitash Gaud. Amit Behl has acted in movies such as Lakshya and Singh is King. Rohitash Gaud has also starred in hit films such as Munnabhai MBBS and PK. The show had a strong storyline with the star cast including the likes of Shweta Gautam, Zarina Wahab, and Ashok Pandey. The story revolves around two sisters: Tanvi and Kajal.
Tanvi also wanted to be an artist. But her family did not allow her to pursue her dreams. She makes the decision of running away from her family and starting her art school. The serial also talks about how the successes of artists are always discussed but never their hardships. The artists always have to fight their family and the monetary constraints to make their living. The issue of society sidelining the artists and treating them like outsiders is also discussed. Meanwhile, Tanvi’s sister Kajal gets married. She is happy and content in her life. But her happiness is short-lived.
Unfortunately, her husband dies in an accident. But instead of feeling hopeless, she starts living with her sister Tanvi. The story also focuses on her hardships of being a widow. The issue of second marriage is also discussed. The lives of the students in her art school also get intertwined with Tanvi’s life. Her student Mansi belongs to a rich and affluent family. She is one of the most popular girls in the college. Her friends always hang out with her. Her life has always been easy, and she gets everything she wants. That changes when she falls in love with her classmate Abbas. But to her dismay, Abbas is in love with Divya, who is their common friend.
The show also explores this arc of a love triangle. The show ended in 2013. The opening sequence of the show is still remembered. Veena Pandit lent her voice to this song. Some of the stars of the show went on to do various movies and television shows.