Naamkarann (international title: naming ceremony) is an Indian drama television series which premiered 12 September 2016 on Star Plus Inspired by the 1998 Bollywood film Zakhm, it was based on the life of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.
The show initially starred child actor Arsheen Naamdaar as Avni Mehta, Viraf Patel, Barkha Sengupta, Sayantani Ghosh and Reema Lagoo from September 2016 to March 2017. It then took a 15-year leap and focused on the story Avni Ayesha (Aditi Rathore) and Neil Khanna (Zain Imam). In May 2017, Ragini Shah replaced Reema Lagoo due to the latter's death. The show ended on 18 May 2018 completing 463 episodes.
Plot 9-year-old Avni lives with her mother, Ayesha Haider who is a film actress. Avni's father who is a film director, Ashish Mehta, meets them in secret because of his mother, Dayawanti, a deeply religious hindu yet a corrupt woman. The plot begins with how Ashish and Ayesha meet in Kashmir fall in love as Ashish launches her career, Ayesha becomes a film star and later gives birth to Avni. Dayawanti hates Ayesha because of her being a Muslim and rejects Avni due to the fact that she was born out of wedlock, to this day Avni has not had her Naamkaran (Naming Ceremony) and therefore goes by the name Avni Ayesha. Ashish is forced to marry Neela Parikh a kind hearted women, who develops a motherly bond with Avni and stands up against Dayawanti.
Later, Ayesha gives birth to a son, Aman. Dayawanti kills Ayesha and takes Aman, framing Avni for Ayesha's death. Believing Dayawanti, Ashish gets Avni arrested. Neela bails Avni out and leaves with her, divorcing Ashish. After Avni's release, Dayawanti tricks Avni into meeting her in the woods, claiming she can see her brother Aman there. When Avni arrives, Dayawanti shoots her and runs away with Aman, renaming him Amol Mehta. Neela finds Avni and saves her. Avni is presumed dead.
15 Years Later
Avni is now grown up raised by Neela under the identity of Ananya Verma. She vows revenge against Dayawanti Mehta for taking her younger brother away from her and determines to bring him back. Ananya steals money from wealthy people and donates it to poor patients in hospitals.
Meanwhile, ACP Neil Khanna is a police officer who is investigating her case known as "Case 123", unaware that the theif he is searching for is actually Avni. The two eventually meet at a cliff, where they accidentally fall into the sea. Neil saves Ananya, and the two find themselves stranded together on an island. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start as they constantly argue with each other.
Neela and Avni begin plotting against Dayawanti. Avni learns that her cousin Riya Mehta is getting engaged to Neil and decides to use the opportunity to enter the Mehta house. Dayawanti, who has now become financially unstable, plans Riya's marriage to Neil as a business arrangement with Neil's father, Prakash Khanna, in an attempt to save herself from bankruptcy. Avni befriends Riya and enters the Mehta house by introducing herself as Riya's best friend. She eventually sabotages Riya and Neil's engagement by replacing their engagement bangles with fake ones.
Neil becomes suspicious of Ananya. During the Holi celebrations, the Mehta and Khanna families reunite, while Neil and Ananya gradually begin growing closer. Meanwhile, Avni's childhood best friend Ali has been waiting for her from fifteen years now is in love with her. As children, Avni and Ali had dreamed of opening a cafe together when they grew up. Keeping their childhood promise alive, Ali opens a cafe named Chamko Cafe in her memory, hoping that one day Avni will return. Ali is also Neil's close friend. When Ali meets Ananya, she hides her identity from him.
Ananya learns that her brother Aman is returning from London. Aman, now known as Amol Mehta, has grown into a spoiled brat. He causes an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol, injuring Neil. Avni sees Aman and is devastated by what he has become, but saves Neil. Amol kidnaps Neela to prevent Ananya from giving a statement against him. Avni is shocked by her brother's actions. Neil arrests Amol for the accident and his drunk-driving charges.
Dayawanti urges Ananya to withdraw the case against Amol. Ananya agrees on the condition that she will remain in the Mehta household until Amol changes his behaviour. Ananya enters the Mehta house which irks all the family members and the they gradually turn against her. Dayawanti's daughter Diksha repeatedly poisons Riya's mind against Ananya and Neil, making her suspicious of their growing closeness. Amol continues to trouble Ananya, while Neil repeatedly protects her.
Neil purposely grows closer to Ananya because he suspects that she is connected to Case 123. During a family celebration, Amol locks himself inside a room, and Ananya saves him. Ali realizes that Ananya is actually Avni. They both reunite, but Ali agrees to keep her identity secret. Neil's suspicions about Ananya continue to grow. Meanwhile, his marriage to Riya is arranged. During one of the wedding functions, the Mehtas and Neil's mother Shweta insult Ananya and question her character. Neil takes a stand for her, upsetting Riya and causing the family to question the relationship between Neil and Ananya. Neil later discovers a DNA report matching Ananya with Nanno, Avni's maternal grandmother, further strengthening his suspicions about Ananya being Avni and case 123.
Riya becomes confused about marrying Neil as she realizes that she and Neil doesn't love each other. She tries to elope, but Dayawanti threatens her. With Dayawanti completely bankrupt and having even lost the Mehta house, she plans to leave the country with Amol. Seeing no other way to rescue her brother, Avni decides to kill Dayawanti. However, Neela intervenes to prevent Avni from becoming a criminal. To stop Dayawanti from getting Prakash to sign the business deal papers and to protect the Khanna family, Neela replaces Riya with Avni as the bride and asks her to marry Neil. Avni reluctantly agrees for her brother Amol and marries Neil.
After discovering what has happened, an enraged Neil initially refuses to accept Ananya as his wife. Shweta discovers the truth behind Dayawanti's business deal and burns the agreement papers. Prakash accepts Ananya as his daughter-in-law. Neil learns about Avni's traumatic childhood from Neela and discovers the injustice she suffered at Dayawanti's hands and from society. He begins developing a soft corner for her and promises Neela that he will bring Dayawanti to justice. Neil purchases the Mehta mansion at auction, forcing the Mehtas to leave the house. Neil's grandmother Bebe (Harleen Khanna) arrives and disapproves of Shweta's behaviour since Prakash had married Shweta against her wish but accepts Ananya into the family seeing her honest and sweet nature. Neil and Avni agree to remain married only until Dayawanti is arrested. Dayawanti eventually discovers that Ananya is actually Avni. Avni, Neil, Neela plan to expose Dayawanti's crimes.
Avni continues to resent her father, Ashish, for blindly believing his mother and for allowing her to be arrested for Ayesha's murder. Neil gives Avni a letter written by Ashish, in which he apologizes for never giving his name to Avni and for not supporting her and Ayesha. Avni initially refuses to accept his apology. Dayawanti kidnaps Avni and attempts to burn her alive, but Neil rescues her. It is then revealed that fifteen years ago, Ashish had discovered Dayawanti's involvement in Ayesha's death. During a confrontation between Dayawanti and her younger son Ketan, Ashish was accidentally killed.
Avni is devastated upon learning the truth about her father's death and vows to kill Dayawanti. Neil stops her and arrests Dayawanti. Amol eventually learns the truth about Dayawanti and begins to realize the extent of her crimes. Avni later rescues Prakash's sister Maddy from her abusive husband and chooses to remain with the Khanna family for Bebe. Riya reveals Avni's truth to Shweta. Determined to separate Neil and Avni, Shweta along with Riya plot against Avni. Meanwhile, Neil is investigating a new case to capture the criminal Raghu Pandit, who is later revealed to be a woman named Ragini Pandit, she runs a human trafficking racket, who kidnaps girls from their homes and colleges.
During their honeymoon, Neil and Avni grow closer. Ali, who has developed feelings for Avni, decides to confess his love but backs away after seeing how close she has become to Neil. During Prakash and Shweta's wedding anniversary celebrations, Shweta discovers Avni's birth certificate and plans to reveal the truth before Bebe and the family. Unknown to Neil who is away on a mission with his team to capture Ragini Pandit, Avni is publicly humiliated, and Bebe asks her to leave after learning the circumstances of her birth. Amol and Ali, however stands up for Avni. Avni finally accepts Aman as her brother and ties a Rakhi to him.
From prison, Dayawanti conspires with Ragini Pandit to kill Neil during the Dahi Handi festival. Avni and Neela discover that a bomb has been planted inside the Dahi Handi and attempt to save Neil but he is injured in the explosion. Neil is admitted to the hospital and requires an immediate liver transplant. Avni arranges for a suitable liver donor on time and saves Neil's life. Realizing Avni's devotion towards Neil and the lengths she went to save him, Bebe regrets her earlier actions and apologizes to Avni. It is eventually revealed that Amol has secretly been working with Dayawanti and has planned the entire bomb blast against Neil and Avni. Neil decides to leave the Khanna house with Avni protecting her self respect and dignity shocking Shweta. After witnessing Avni repeatedly risk her life for him, Neil begins to realize his feelings for her and falls in love with her.
Shweta once again plots against Avni with Riya and asks Avni to organize the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Although Neil is hurt by the circumstances, he attends the celebration for Avni. He later reveals to Avni that five years ago he loved a woman named Juhi, whom he believed had died in an accident on Ganesh Chaturthi. It is later revealed that Juhi is actually alive and has become a victim of Ragini Pandit's human-trafficking racket. Without knowing Juhi's connection to Neil, Avni decides to help her. Neil eventually sees Avni with Juhi and is shocked to discover that she is alive and has been held captive by Ragini Pandit. Dayawanti and Ragini continue plotting against Neil and Avni and eventually kidnap Ali. To rescue Ali, Juhi and free the other girls being held captive, Avni and Neil devise a plan to infiltrate Ragini Pandit's Rang Mahal. Avni falls into Dayawanti and Ragini's trap and she is kidnapped. Meanwhile Neil tells Shweta that he loves Avni and has moved on from Juhi as he doesn't love her anymore. He urges Shweta to accept Avni as her daughter in law. On the day of Dussehra, Neil enters Rang Mahal with his police force to capture Ragini and Dayawanti. He rescues both Avni and Juhi.