Behnein on Star Plus at 8.30pm 'Tere Mere Sapne moved to noon.

The promo of Hats Off Production's new show on Star Plus has been on air for few week now. The channel is has now decided to launch the show on February 8th at the 8.30pm slot.
Star Plus plans to bring in fresh programming line up at its prime time, and launch of Behnein is just the beginning.

With Behnein taking the 8.30pm slot, Sphere Origins' Tere Mere Sapne is getting moved. With Tuj Sang Preet Lagai Sajana ending on 5th February Tere Mere Sapne is likely to take 1pm slot from February 8."

When contacted Sanjay Wadhwa , producer of Tere Mere Sapne said, "Tere Mere Sapne will mostly be shifted to the afternoon slot of 1. However, a final decision on this will be taken on Monday."

Recently Tere Mere Sapne had got into yet another tangle with the main lead Saurabh Pandey being axed from the show and replaced by Yash Pandit.

Behnein is a tale of four sisters, the role of which are being played by Ada ,Ojashree Oberoi, Siju Kataria and Alisha. Sudeep Sahir, Mukul Chablani, Ajay Chaudhary, Dolly Minas, Shruti Ulfat, Darshan Jariwala also play pivotal roles in the show.

Let's see whether Behnein can help the channel in increasing its GRP.

Cupid strikes Abigale and Vishal Singh

Abigail Jain and Vishal Singh of Kasam Se fame seems to be next happening couple from television.

Abigale and Vishal Singh struck a chord form the very first day of shoot when they were paired together in Tuj Sang Preet Lagai Sajana.

According to our source, "Abigail and Vishal have been seeing together at public parties for quite a long time now they have been seeing each other for the past two years, but are not coming clear with their relationship in public as they aim to focus on their career."

When we called Abigail she denied the news and said "Yes, we are just good friends and help each other when in need."

Vishal Singh on the other hand refuse to comment.

Jay Soni bags lead role

Star Plus' show in the pipeline, temporarily titled Sasural Genda Phool,produced by Ravi Ojha has found its male lead in Jay Soni.

Says our source, "Many had auditioned but Jay Soni fit the bill perfectly. He was the only one who could do justice to the character. So he has been chosen as the male lead paired opposite Ragini Khanna."

Adds the source, "Other veteran actors in the show are Supriya Pilgaonkar, Mahesh Thakur and Shruti Ulfat.Pooja Kanwal (Pavni of Sony's Palampur Express) too returns to the telly scene after her break which she took for her wedding."

We called Jay Soni, but he refused to make any comments.

Ravi Ojha is the man behind Bengali soap Ogo Bondhu Sundori,which is the highest TRP earning show, till date on Star Jalsa. Apparently, Sasural Genda Phool is the Hindi adaptation of it and the expectations are high from this show.

Ragini Khanna says, "I'm happy to be playing the lead role in the show."

Pooja Kanwal Mahtani says, "When Sony had its major revamp, I and Ragini were amongst the main faces of the revamp. This time too we both are getting together on the same channel and more interestingly on the same show!"

The promos for the show will be shot very soon and the launch date is expected to be on 22nd of February.

Happy days ahead in Bidaai

The great depression in Star Plus’ Bidaai has come to an end and viewers can look out for happy days ahead…

Star Plus' and Rajan Shahi's Sapna Babul ka Bidaai, was going through a season of blues recently. However, now we can look forward to sunshine.

According to our source, "Ranveer (Kinshuk Mahajan) has now returned from jail. However, he finds that Ragini (Parul Chauhan) has changed a lot. She is now under severe depression because of two reasons. One, that her hubby had to go to jail and two, as she suffered a miscarriage."

The source adds, "As Ranveer is trying to find ways to bring the smile on Ragini's face back, Sadhana(Sara Khan) helps out by telling Ranveer that Ragini will smile if she returns to her first love of dancing. So Ranveer gifts her membership in the dance class. Tonight's episode will see her dance on the number Rang Deni from the movie Dev. Besides this, Alekh (Angad Hasija) and Sadhana's love story will also gradually develop".

Kinshuk Mahajan aka Ranveer says, "Yes, I will take Ragini to the dance class where our love actually blosommed. I'm trying hard to cheer her up and thanks to Sadhana I've got a very good way to do that."

Adds Kinshuk,"Now all the rona-dhona will come to an end and the family will be shown happy. You can look forward to a lot of song sequences in Bidaai now."

Watch out for the renewal of romance between Ragini and Ranveer.

Swati, Aashka Goradia in Laagi Tujhse Lagan

The COLORS show Laagi Tujhse Lagan, produced by Playtime Creations saw the entry of its main lead Dutta Patil (Mishal Raheja) last night. In the coming weeks, viewers will see Dutta Patil's family too entering.

Dutta Patil has a loving mother and three sisters, of whom two are married and one is unmarried.

According to our source, " who was last seen playing Thakuraiyan in Star Plus Mitwa – Phool Kamal Ke will essay the role of Dutta's mom. Popular actress Aashka Goradia will play the eldest sister of Dutta who is married. The actor to play Dutta's two other sisters have not been finalized".

"The youngest sister of Dutta will also have a love angle with Dutta's right hand Bajirao (Vinay Rohrra)," adds our source.

When contacted, Swati Chitnis confirmed the news and said, " Yes its true that I am playing the loving and protective mother of Dutta. Dutta is the apple of my eye, and mine is a long running role. As the story develops, I will go on to like Nakusha (Mahi Vij) too".

We tried calling Aashka Goradia but she remained unavailable. Aashka was last seen in Sony's Specials @10.

Swati Chitnis already started shooting, while Aashka will start shoot soon.

"My son loves the fact that I'm an actor!" Chinmayee Sumeet

Chinmayee Sumeet returns to television after a brief hiatus with Colors and Playtime Creations' Laagi Tujhse Lagan. She plays the role of Baabi, a housemaid and mother of three.

Here, Chinmayee talks about how the timing couldn't have been better for her to return to small screen and more…

How does it feel to comeback after so long?
I will not call this a 'comeback' because I never went anywhere! I was always busy with acting. It's just that I've been working in theater.

What do you feel has changed within these years in television?
As a person from theater, I used to feel, once upon a time, that TV is synthetic and theater is more real. But now it has changed. Now we get to see something real and tangible on television too. Therefore, I decided that it won't be a bad thing to take up this offer.

What made you take up this role?
This is a strong character. Plus, nobody offered me something so interesting before, so can't really say that I had many choices.

Was it a conscious decision to stay away from television?
Yes, it was my conscious decision to stay away from television because as you know the schedule gets very hectic with TV soaps. I wanted to watch my children grow up. Now, my children are so grown up that they are too independent. Now they are like- What's this. Mamma is always at home. Ugh! (laughs). Apart from this, my son loves the fact that I'm an actor. When I'm in the green room and doing my make-up (for theater shows), he just looks at me in awe and questions why I'm not doing serials. So his encouragement plays a big hand for me to take up this show.

What was your first reaction towards your character?
When I went for the audition, the brief that was given to me, just took me over. It sort of kept pulling me towards this character. I felt an instant connection with the character of Baabi.

Didn't you have any reservations about playing mom?
I'm thirty – nine! Going by the current trend of television, they should have offered me a granny's role (laughs). So I'm happy I got to play a mother. It very well goes with my real-life age and experience.

Don't you miss getting decked-up for the camera as your character doesn't require it?
I'm so very happy that I'm not loaded with ornaments here. Even my mom told me that in this show at least the make-up is so minimal that she can make out that its indeed her daughter who's on the screen (laughs).

So now that you've started working for television, do you feel you're giving less time to family?
Well, what can I say? I have two families now (laughs). Sometimes I'm with one family and sometimes I'm with my other family.

Why did you choose to do such a stern character like Baabi and not go for comedy like your husband Sumeet Raghavan?
Umm…I guess there's a sort of division of labor. Onscreen my husband does comedy and I'm serious. At home I'm more jovial and my husband is the straight-faced guy.

According to you what is more difficult? Comedy or serious roles?
Definitely, comedy is more difficult.

What's your rapport with your onscreen kids?
Both my onscreen kids, Nakusha and Sethji(Jay Thakkar), are very possessive of me. They are always keen to be around me.

The show's release says, your character has a quirky, friend-like relationship with God. What about your personal relationship with God?
I too have a very friend-like relationship with God. Umm…I guess I have a give and take policy with God. I say to God, if I get this I will spend so much time in your presence. If I don't get this I will not talk to you for this many days.

Nakusha's real face to be revealed..

The new COLORS show Laagi Tujhse Lagan, produced by Playtime Creations has opened to a good response, with the viewers developing a soft corner for the protagonist Nakusha in the very first week!!

The girl who has been subject to many a humiliations, courtesy her ugly and untidy look will go thro' the much-talked-about makeover, this week. According to our source, "On January 7th, Nakusha's real face will be revealed for the first time".

As we had reported earlier, Nakusha is basically a very beautiful girl who is forced by her mother to don an ugly look so that she is safe from the bad eyes of the society.

As per our source, Setji (Ajay Thakkar) and Nakusha are escaping from the clutches of the inspector More (Pawan Malhotra), when they hide themselves in a cement pool made in a construction site. More catches them red-handed and in order to know who the culprits are, asks his hawaldars to open water from a pipe on them.

And to everybody's surprise, there comes out the real face of Nakusha who is simply gorgeous, and More cannot believe what he has just seen!!

The channel and production house have tried their best to keep Mahi Vij's name a secret, as they wanted to bring her into the limelight only after this particular revelation in the story happens.

We tried calling Mahi Vij, but she remained unavailable.

When contacted, Producer Hemal Thakkar told us, "This particular episode is a big high point for us. You will have to watch to see how Nakusha's beauty gets revealed".

Well, bring it on Nakusha!!

Shweta Tiwari to grace wedding in Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo..

All is fair in love and war, and this is exactly what the protagonist of SAB TV's Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo, Apoorva (Sumeet Raghavan) must be saying, as he is all set to marry his love, Aarti played by Mugdha Chapekar!!

According to our source, "The wedding is being shot in a lavish manner, with many celebrities gracing the occasion. Many actors from the SAB family will also be seen wishing the couple. But the main attraction of the wedding will be the gorgeous Shweta Tiwari and her partner from Comedy Circus, Sudesh Lahiri. They also performed on a small act which left the people present there in raptures".

When contacted, Sudesh Lahiri confirmed the news and said, "Yes, we both are gracing the wedding as celebrity guests. We have performed an act together. But I can't divulge many details".

We tried calling Shweta Tiwari, but she remained unavailable.

Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo is produced by Optimystix.

So here comes one more opportunity to see Shweta in action!!

Ragini Khanna chali Bollywood!

Do you remember Bharti from ‘Bhaskar Bharati’, the daily show on Sony which recently went off air? Yes! It’s one and only rocking Ragini Khanna who is right now on top of the world is now planning for some thing more bigger. It can be said that big name, big fame, big banner and also big screen. Our sources inform, “Ragini Khanna will soon be seen on a 70 mm big screen. She has been approached for a movie by a big banner from the Indian film industry and is also been selected for essaying a lead role in the movie. The shoot for the same will be starting from first week of February.”

We called Ragini and she confirms, “Yes, I have been signed for a movie and I am going to be linked with a very big production banner from the film industry. But right now I can’t reveal much about the film but can only say that it is something like my dream come true and can make it sure that the film will be a brilliant movie.”

Well audience, get ready to see Ragini on a big screen and in a new avatar!

‘Shraddha’ pulled off air abruptly!

Shraddha, a fiction show on Star Plus based on the journey of a girl who wants to take her parents on a pilgrimage will be pulled off air within few days to replace the new reality show ‘Mahayatra’.

We called Neha Janpandit aka Shraddha of the show and she confirms, "Yes, the show is going off air to replace a reality. It can be also said that a pilgrim reality replaces a pilgrim fiction. It was really a shock when we heard about the show going off air."

"Actually we thought that our show might change the time slot but finally the channel informed us that the show will be pulled off air. The whole team is now busy winding up the serial with happy endings and the shoot might get over by the 12th of this month," adds the actress in a very gloomy voice.

Does the channel have to convey a message here?

Rubina’s spoilt New Year

When the whole world was having a gala time celebrating the New Year Eve one person who was having a bad time was ‘Chhotti Bahu’ fame pretty actress Rubina Dilaik aka Radhika. This actress’s New Year plans got ruined due to heavy traffic jam.

“I was to go out for dinner with my family on New Year night but instead I ended up spending the New Year on roads. I was traveling back to Mumbai from Pune after an event and got stuck in a horrible traffic jam! It was frustrating as I was hungry but there was no motel or dhaba where I could go. I reached home at 2:15 in the night instead of the scheduled 11:30 pm so, eventually we had dinner at home” says Rubina recalling the bad experience.

It is indeed frustrating when one’s plans get ruined by such traffic problems, but how was the first day of New Year? “My first day was spent convincing my sister to speak to me as she wasn’t talking to me due to the New Year plan disaster. I also caught up on ‘3 idiots’ which was after about a year since my last movie watch ‘Fashion’.” Says Rubina.

Nothing can be more frustrating then getting stuck in traffic jam on a big night but anyway we wish you a Very smooth and Happy New Year ahead!

Upcoming Fiction shows in 2010

For the couch potato 2010 is sure to be a roller coaster ride with an entertaining line up of television programming all set to hit the sets. Along with the social dramas that are a hit nowadays, mythology, family fights and love tiffs are also in the race for the big, bad TRP battle.

Let’s take a quick peek into the upcoming schedule.

‘Kalki’ is Smita Thackeray’s ambitious show having Ashutosh Rana in lead while it has been rumoured that Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff had been approached for significant roles. It’s said to be mythological story about lord Vishnu’s 10 avatars. ‘Devi’ will air on NDTV Imagine which will have story of a girl-child who is considered as a goddess as her birth brings rains in the village after a long drought.

‘Do Saheliya’, which obviously is about two friends will mark Sudha Chandran’s comeback. JD Majethia’s untitled show once again brings a family drama which revolves around lives of four sisters. In competition is Asit Modi’s untitled show as he also brings a serious family drama.

Audience will be in splits as SAB TV comes up with a silent comedy ala Charlie Chaplin movies. NDTV’s funny Family show ‘Ghar Ki Baat Hai 2’ will tickle audience’s funny bone.

There are different genre shows coming up this year that may be breathers for audience from same old stuff like YRF’s ‘Seven’ a sci-fi fiction, ‘Powder’ a thriller chase drama based on underworld crime stories. Ekta Kapoor’s detective show will be competing with ‘Crime Patrol’ that returns back after long break for its second season and with similar themed show from the production house of Red Chillies.

Romance will also show its magic this year as shows like ‘Do Hanso Ka Joda’ and ‘Paheli’ are love stories with a difference which will compete to gain audience attention. YRF’s ‘Rishta.Com’ has two partners of a matchmaking company falling in love while ‘Mahi Way’ is the story of a cute, fat girl who doesn’t believe that being fat will obstruct her from meeting her dream boy and will mark Sharon Prabakar’s TV debut.

Social Dramas will also be seen on TV with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ having Rajesh Kumar playing lead role of fat man with some obsessions and ‘Traffic Signal’ where three different women share their life experiences will be aired. ‘Visarjan’ on ‘Colors’ has the story of a village girl marrying a rich old guy to protect her identity will also compete in this category.

Seems like 2010 will be a treat with numerous kind of shows coming up and all set to impress viewers and gain viewership. So, viewers get set to watch the drama, romance, reality, comedy and let the begin!

Fake Nepal in ‘Agle Janam…’!

As known by all that the crew of ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo’ had a Nepal trip few days before and they are also back from there but still we see that the serial shows us incidents that are happening in Nepal, but to tell you the truth the cast is no longer shooting at Nepal for the recent episodes.

Our source from the sets says," The whole cast is back from Nepal two weeks before after shooting there till the sequence where Shekhar (Abhishekh Rawat) asks his mother (Rupa Ganguly) to come and attend his and Laali’s wedding. But whatever has been telecast after that was all shot here in Mumbai at Film City and some at Mudh island."

"It was a kind of cheating the viewers because the cast had shot just the major part of the serial in Nepal and then came down to Mumbai for the remaining shoot as they were there for a long time. The major cast was shooting here in Mumbai, so it was difficult to take the whole cast and crew in Nepal for few shoots. Thus, this decision was taken," adds the source.

It can be also said that adjustments are just a daily thing for daily soaps, what say?

'Everyone looks nice in their natural skin' Sukirti Khandpal

Sukirti Khandpal shares her fashion ideas with us…

What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion means wearing something that accentuates your personality.

Which is the one attire that can never go out of fashion?
One piece cocktail dress

Your favorite designer
Raghavendra Rathore and Satya Paul.

Favorite perfume
Chanel Mademoiselle

Favorite line of bags and shoes
Bags by Guess and shoes by Charles & Keith.

Do you prefer make-up or being without it?
I like being without make-up. I think everyone looks nice just in their natural skin.

Which brand of make-up do you usually favor?
M.A.C for lipsticks and blushes, Bobbi Brown for foundation and Lacome for lip gloss.

Your favorite fashion destination?
Milan

Designer label or platform ka maal?
Both

What do you do on a bad hair day?
Just scrunch it up!

The accessories that you usually prefer…
A good watch, nice bangles, and occasionally earrings.

Do you feel the electronic gadgets we carry reflect our style statement?
Yes they do.

Who do you feel is the most influential trendsetter at present?
Kareena Kapoor.

Who is your style icon?
No one.

The hottest color this season…
Purple and aquamarine.

Do you take fashion advice from others or you follow your own instincts?
I make my own fashion decisions. Even while shopping I go alone.

'I hate paying my taxes' - Shruti Seth

Shruti Seth aka Isha Mirchandani in Sony’s Rishta.com takes our Quick Grills…

Which of the latest advertisements do you like?
I like the Aamir one for Smart Chips.

Anything you like to collect?
Jewelry

You like watching movies belonging to which genre?
I like happy endings, so I go for romantic and light hearted movies.

One invention you're waiting for?
A machine that would make me go invisible.

Do you believe in telepathy?
Absolutely.

Any strange request from fans?
I don't know if it's strange but certainly seems a dangerous request to me. The thing is some of my fans ask me to hold their babies and pose for pictures. It gets me really nervous because I am so not experienced in handling babies.

When do you think the world is going to end?
I really don't think about such morbid things.

Your favorite small car?
My Maruti Swift (smiles).

Any bad habit of yours that you want to get rid of?
I want to stop drinking aerated drinks.

Your favorite sports personality?
Steffi Graf and Sachin Tendulkar.

You do NOT like to spend on what things?
Taxes! I hate paying my taxes. Because to be honest, I don't feel I'm getting the kind of amenities that as a proper tax-paying citizen I deserve.

Have you encountered any near-death situations?
Fortunately no!

Do you like to be neutral or opinionated…generally?
I'm generally opinionated. But I'm pretty okay keeping them to myself.

Which section of a newspaper do you like to read?
World section.

Be honest and tell us one advice that you preach but don't follow.
The one to drink lots of water.

Vibha Anand in Sukh by Chance

Vibha Anand once again associates with JD Majethia's Hats Off Productions the second time after Shree with Sukh by Chance...

According to our source "She will be playing the girl opposite to Amit Mehta, played by Anuj Thakur. Now the track is that Amit Mehta's mom has some eye problem and they need to have an eye surgery done. Vibha Anand's father is a doctor and runs a hospital. He also happens to be an eye surgeon, so Vibha tells to the Mehta family that she will get the appointment for Amit's mother."

Vibha Anand says,"I am playing the character of Namrata. A rich girl who is in love with Amit Mehta. They also happen to be medical students studying in the same college. Everybody in the Mehta family is not aware that Amit and I are in love with each other."

Catch Vibha's entry in Sukh by Chance on Monday, the fourth of January at 9m on Sony TV.

Nakusha's guy - Toss-up between Mishal Raheja and Rohit Bakshi?

The search for the guy opposite Nakusha Mahi Vij) in COLORS' new show Laagi Tujhse Lagan, produced by Playtime Creations has been on for quite a while now!!

Earlier, the creative team had penned the lead guy's character to be of a strong, ugly looking guy, with a good physique. However, the production house and channel could not zero in on such a guy with a combination of good physique, and a bad look. So they were forced to revise their idea, and decided to go with a decent looking personality with a good body.

As per our source, "Lot many known actors and new faces have auditioned for the role till now. However, there is no final decision that has been arrived at. But it looks as though the channel and production house have zeroed in on two options and will choose one in the next few days".

Mishal Raheja, who was last seen in SAB TV's Love Story holds a good chance of bagging the lead role. Along with him, Rohit Bakshi who was last seen in Sony's Chittod Ki Rani Padmini Ka Johur also holds an equally good chance.

According to our source, "Mishal and Rohit happen to be the best choices available for the role. Now it is up to the channel and production house to choose their lead".

When called, Mishal Raheja told us, "Yes, I have auditioned for the show. But I have not got any intimation after that".

Rohit Bakshi on his part said, "I have auditioned for the role some one month back. I don't know what is happening there".

We tried calling Producer Hemal Thakkar, but he remained unavailable.

As per our source, there is still time for the entry of the male lead. His entry will be shown only after the initial 25+ episodes.

Now let's see who gets to play the prized role..