Ek Packet Umeed is a weekly show that airs on NDTV Imagine

NDTV Imagine

Imagine TV is a Hindi general entertainment channel, owned by Turner Broadcasting System based in Mumbai.- History :The channel was established by NDTV Group under the stewardship of former STAR India CEO Sameer Nair. The channel, was launched in India on January 21, 2008 as NDTV Imagine...

 every Tuesday.

Plot

The story focuses on Ambika Dharamraj and 15 other members who have all chosen to make a change. Despite having undergone so much misery they now live a happy life in a home they can call their own and with a family of their choice! With a never-say-die attitude, each of the characters have taken it upon themselves to bring joy and happiness through the packets of food like masalas, aachar, papads, jams that they make and sell every day.

End

While the show was anticipated to make significant progress, the storyline failed to captivate the attention of the audience and was ultimately terminated after airing 33 episodes. The producers faulted the timing and dynamics of the show, as the show was aired only once a week, which with the fleeting memory of the audience and the available competition of other shows, prevented Ek Packet Umeed from being successful.

Characters

Character	Role
Ambika Dharamraj	(played by Neena Kulkarni) is the 50 year old Head of Umeed Bhavan. She has a strict demeanor with a strong sense of what she believes in as right and wrong and hence she is very fair and objective in all her decisions . At the same time she is extremely loving and caring towards all the women of Umeed Bhavan.
Sujata	(played by Rupali Ganguly Rupali Ganguly Rupali Ganguly is an Indian television and theatre actress. She became popular after her role as Dr. Simran Chopra in the STAR Plus serial Sanjivani and later Sarabhai VS Sarabhai... ) is the 25 year old vivacious daughter of Ambika Dharamraj. She is a typical youngster who is happy with life in general and also has quite a stubborn streak in her. She is loved by one and all at Umeed Bhavan
Bakuben & Shakuben	(played by Suhas Joshi & Sulbha Deshpande) are the grandmothers of Umeed Bhavan .They are in charge of making and rolling papads. They are best of friends, love watching movies, dressing up and behave more like young school girls, constantly giggling and sharing secrets. They are the quintessential old women who have great zest for food ,make-up ,clothes and life in general.
Farzana	(played by Trishna Vivek Trishna Vivek Trishna Vivek is an Indian television actress.-Career:She has appeared in the television series Ek Packet Umeed on NDTV Imagine and in the television series Shree on Zee TV. currently she is acting in sanjog se bani sangini as ketki.... ) is Kanchan’s assistant. She idolizes TV stars and loves dressing up like them and speaks horrible Urdu. She is more concerned about her looks than her cooking. Farzana is often reprimanded by Kanchan for being lazy and inefficient but it hardly ever affects her .She loves living in her strange world of fantasy.
Maggie	(played by Meher Acharia-Dar) is the 35 year old Catholic who is in charge of the Jams and Marmalade Division at Umeed Bhavan. She speaks atrocious Hindi and loves narrating stories that are constantly out of context. She is the constant source of amusement and support for all at Umeed Bhavan.
Sundari	played by Aatisha Naik Aatisha Naik Aatisha Naik is an Indian television actress. She is currently acting in the television show Ek Packet Umeed on NDTV Imagine.-External links:... ) is the 35 years old former Lavani dancer with a great sense of humor and a carefree attitude. She lives life on her own terms and doesn’t take anything too seriously. She also constantly teases both Paroma and Kanchan and makes jokes about them with all.
Anuj	(played by Rakesh Bapat Rakesh Bapat Rakesh Bapat, now known as Raqesh Vashisth, is an Indian film and TV serial actor.-Career:A Grasim Mr. India first runner-up title holder, Raqesh made his screen debut together with Himanshu Malik in Anubhav Sinha's Tum Bin... ) is a 27 year old MBA graduate who helps run Umeed Bhavan and works there as well. Sujata and he have been friends for a long time and share a great comfort level with each other. Sujata is not aware of Anuj’s love for her and Anuj is too shy to ever express it. Anuj also happens to be a great photographer and loves taking candid pictures of Sujata.
Kanchan	(played by Sucheta Twivedi) is the head cook of Umeed Bhavan and she is always shooting Farzana.

The Indian Telly Awards

Winner

In 2008

• Best Weekly Programme