MUMBAI: Hold onto your remotes, India! JioStar’s Colors Rishtey has slithered back onto DD FreeDish, popping up on channel 50. After a three-year hiatus, the channel is returning with iconic shows, all for free, kicking off on 1 April That’s no April fool’s joke.

The channel management has lined up a string of  its hit soaps  and drama series in the hope of pulling in the eyeballs.. Expect the serpentine shenanigans of Naagin, starring Mouni Roy and Arjun Bijlaani, and Naagin - Insaaf Ki Jung,  featuring Surbhi Jyoti, Anita Hassanandani, and Karishma Tanna. Family feuds and kitchen sink dramas abound in Sasural Simar Ka, with Avika Gor and Dipika Kakar, and Sasural Simar Ka - Ek Naya Adhyay,  starring Radhika Muthukumar and Avinash Mukherjee. For a dose of social drama, there's Doree, featuring Amar Upadhya and Sudha Chandran, and for a laugh, Khatra Khatra Khatra, with Haarsh Limbachiyaa and Bharti Singh. And for those seeking a touch of the divine, Mahakali-Ant Hi Arambh Hein and Mahaveer Hanuman are on hand to deliver some timeless devotional sagas.

Colors Rishtey head of linear TV business Arnab Das is over the moon. "We're thrilled to reintroduce the magic of iconic shows, all for free!" he exclaimed. "We're bringing back the golden days of TV – full of drama, family stories, and moments that everyone in the family can enjoy."

The return of Colors Rishtey is a major win for DD FreeDish viewers, who've been missing their fix of classic television. Now, they can settle in for hours of free entertainment, proving that even in the age of streaming, good old-fashioned television still packs a punch. It's a proper telly tale.