There are people who are pre-disposed to being grumpy and grouchy, and others who are not originally short-fused, stern and cold, but become that way as a result of the trying circumstances of life.

Premiering Nov. 7, Zee TV’s latest primetime offering “Hitler Didi” is about Indira Sharma, who has forgotten what it means to smile, dream and love somewhere along the path of life. Weighed down by the responsibility of single-handedly providing for her large family, Indira throws herself into this sole agenda in life. In facing the daily challenges thrown her way on both the home and work front, she loses her sense of humor and her ability to feel finer emotions and becomes a regimental disciplinarian, a workaholic and a perfectionist who is almost always on the verge of losing her cool.

Enter Rishi, a tenant whose smile, light-hearted wit and jovial spirit comes like a breath of fresh air for a family that is beginning to feel exasperated under the reign of their “Hitler Didi.” Will Rishi be successful in getting Indira to smile, dream and love all over again?  

The ensemble cast includes veterans like Rituraj Singh, Sejal Shah and well-known faces such as Sandeep Baswana, Smita Singh and Gargi Sharma. Rishi is played by Sumit Vats. The show is written and produced by Ila Bedi of Trilogy Krikos Productions and the dialogues are by Satyam Tripathi.

Indira is portrayed by Rati Pandey. Says Rati, “It’s been a challenge for me to enact the role of a serious woman who has forgotten how to smile. I can strongly identify with her, though I am completely different from what she is.”