The soap tackles controversial issues, such as rape, homosexuality, adultery, and deadly diseases. The viewers of this soap are varied, ranging from small children to senior citizens. Zabranjena ljubav is a remake of Australiansoap operaSons and Daughters, initially based on that serial's original story and character outlines, before diverging as the new series progressed. In April 2008, RTL Televizijaannounced that the highly popular soap opera would end its run after 4 years that fall in its time slot 7:30 PM.
History
The original story begins by introducing a handsome 22-year-old Danijel Lončarcoming home to Zagreb, on his 22nd birthday, after losing his job in Italy. At the railway station, he bumps into a beautiful girl. They both feel immediate attraction. Danijel doesn’t even get the chance to ask for her name as they are greeted by their friends and family. The girl is Petra Novak who also returned home, after studying photography in London, funny enough, on a present-day she also celebrates her 22nd birthday. It soon transpires that Danijel and Petra were twins separated at birth. Danijel had initially been raised by the wise Nada Horvat before returning to his father Josip Lončar, and Petra raised by her mother Viktorija Novak who had married into money to a rich aristocrate widower Stjepan Novak. The parents of the twins had each married other people and raised families which had other adult children. The Lončar family comprised Danijel's father Josip Lončar, a construction worker; and Josip's wife Biserka Lončar, a warm-hearted, down-to-earth housewife. Their children were Iva Lončar and Matija, Iva had just started a romantic involvement with Igor Carević and Matija started seeing his class member Lana Kos. Petra had grown up with her mother Viktorija, Viktorija's husband Stjepan who was a successful wineyard owner and businessman, and Stjepan's son from an earlier marriage, the spiteful Borna Novak. After Danijel's investigation into Petra's whereabouts, he slowly enters the world of the powerful Novak family by landing a job as a gardener, not knowing he is working for his biological mother, nor that he has fallen in love with his own sister. Other major characters include Lidija Bauer who has always had strong feelings for Stjepan, but who stepped away out of respect towards the family and her children. Lidija has two children of her own: the spoiled and stubborn teenager Tina Bauer and the good-natured medical student Leon Bauer, who was betrothed to Petra at Viktorija's instigation only for the wedding to be cancelled after a revelation about his homosexuality. Viktorija's best friend, the dizzy socialite Stela Vidak, was introduced as a minor figure during the show's early days as someone to whom Viktorija could recite expository dialogue about her latest scheme to, but soon emerged as a key character.
