Kunal Verma Irked by Link-Up Reports

Kunal Verma and Pooja Bose are seeing each other. For long, it has been speculated. Some even joked (April Fool) that the two have secretly gotten married in Panchgani. Amidst these incessant speculative reports, the duo has always maintained that they are friends. Bose clarified this to us earlier. It’s now Verma who is seconding Bose’s claim. In fact, the actor, who usually is very reticent, is now tired of such gossip.

“There’s a prominent entertainment newspaper which wrote all these lies about my personal life. I’ve had enough of such gossip. Time and again, the media keeps coming up with such stories, but as always, there’s no truth in it,” said Verma.

Adding to that, he says, “Look, you develop a bond with your colleagues while shooting together. After all, most of the time you see the same faces. It’s not just with Pooja but also with my other colleagues from ‘Tujh Sangh Preet Lagayi Sajna’. I’m not the one to hide anything about my personal life. If at all, there’s a girl in my life, I will surely come and disclose it to the whole world. Presently, I’m solely concentrating on my career.”

Guess, it’s high time we (media) take the actor’s word and assume that he’s indeed very much single and eligible too. Hey girls, what you’re waiting for?

'Enacting comedy is like playing a song' - Divyanka Tripathi

Divyanka Tripathi who started her journey in television with Zee TV's Banoo Main Teri Dulhann makes a hilarious comeback with SAB TV's Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabad wale.

Here is Divyanka in an exclusive conversation with us as she shares all her thrilling instances, the hard efforts she has put in and her heartfelt contentment on playing Mrs. Rashmi Sharma..

How's the feeling of enacting the character of Mrs. Sharma?
Mrs. Sharma is definitely a difficult character for me to enact because I'm not all that hilarious and funny in my real life. You will not find me cracking jokes very often; so this element took a bit more time to sink in, but at the same time it's an enjoyable experience.

Also I was a bit apprehensive about the role because it was exactly opposite to my previous character. Earlier I used to return home completely exhausted after a whole day's shoot, but now with the comic atmosphere on sets I do not feel the work trauma anymore.

What kind of response have you been receiving just through the promotional advertisements of the serial?
The response has been very positive, though I haven't received many on a personal front. However, I have heard through my parents and native people in Bhopal that I am being liked. My father runs a medical store in Bhopal and the people who know me as his daughter share their responses with them.

Also my recent personal encounter was at Haji Ali where a woman recognized me to be a television actress. The best part was that she remembered the name of my previous serial, but identified me with my present role of Mrs. Sharma. So I was amazed to know that audience have already started relating to me as Mrs. Sharma. What more can an actor demand for!

How easy or difficult was it for you to do comedy after Banoo Main Teri Dulhann?
I won't regard it to be simple or difficult because once a person understands the concept and his/her character, things start falling in place. The one aspect which makes comedy stand out from the regular drama shows, is that the actor cannot cut and elaborate a dialogue depending on one's convenience when it comes to comedy. Performing comedy is like playing a song; if you miss a single tune the entire song gets spoilt. So in comedy detailing with timing plays a very important role.

How much more effort did you need to put towards this role?
Yes of course comedy demands for a constant high energy in every shot because I have to put in equal amount of humour in my supporting dialogues or punches too. It's an amazing experience as it gives me a feel of doing a stage performance.

How much homework did you do to enhance the character presentation?
Firstly I started observing the people of Allahabad. I did not have a big problem with dialect as I am good in Hindi; I had to just make few modifications here and there. And we also worked on the usage of some sweet words like Mr. Sharma is a very 'my dear person'. Then I started observing my local family women to inherit the innocence and simplicity in the character.

At the look test how did you feel about the entire attire of the character?
I loved it a lot and didn't have to work much myself as far as the look is concerned. I was very much happy with this long sleeved blouse, the big red flower in my hair and I any ways love to put Sindoor on my forehead. So the look was just perfect for me.

Apart from the character do you think such simple and innocent women do exist in real life in the present scenario?
Finding such women in Mumbai could be a bit difficult, but in local places like my native place Madhya Pradesh people are still that simple and innocent. It comes very easily to them. Basically the nature of a person depends on the surroundings in which he/she resides; so in Mumbai one has to be smart and fast in their work, so things differ.

As you said you too hail from a small town so have you met a character similar to Mrs. Sharma in real life?
No, I haven't met someone like her because people around me miss that fun element in them. They do carry certain nuances of Mrs. Sharma but I had nobody from whom I could take a leaf.

Neha Saxena in Balaji Telefilms' Tere Liye..

Star Plus' Tere Liye, produced by Balaji Telefilms is going to be the next biggie for the channel when it comes to fiction.

As we already know, Harshad Chopra and Rajat Tokas have been finalized to play the leads. Shakktii Aroraa who was last seen in Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo will play a pivotal role.

The latest is that Neha Saxena who impressed one and all as Dhani in Star Plus' Sajan Ghar Jaana Hain (till the time she was replaced by Barkha Bisht), has been finalized to play the parallel lead in Tere Liye.

According to our source, "Ekta Kapoor personally liked Neha Saxena a lot, and Ekta was the one who wanted Neha in the show. Neha will play the girl opposite Rajat Tokas".

When contacted, Neha Saxena confirmed that she is part of the show, but refused to talk more than this.

Geetanjali Tikekar and Nikhil Arya will also be essaying important roles in the show. Noted actor Supriya Shukla will also be seen in the show.

The promo of the show featuring the kids is on air at the moment. The show is expected to take a leap after the initial 20-30 episodes.

Pankit Thakker in Imagine's Rakt Sambandh..

Pankit Thakker is a happy man these days, after being nominated for the Best Comic Role in the Popular category at the Gold Awards to be held in Mumbai this time!!

Well, the actor is elated for another reason too, as he has bagged a meaty role in Imagine's upcoming show, produced by UTV Telly Talkies, titled Rakt Sambandh.

According to our source, "Pankit Thakker will be one of the leads in the multi-cast show. He is the guy opposite Sonali Nikam, who happens to be the third sister. His is a performance oriented role, which he has never attempted before".

As per our source, the role was earlier to be essayed by Prashant Chawla, but now it will be Pankit donning the character.

When contacted, confirmed the news and said, "Yes, I am part of Imagine's Rakt Sambhandh. It is a challenging role, and this is all that I can say at this moment".

The promo of the show featuring the five sisters Bhairavi Gupte, Sayantani Ghosh, Sonali Nikam, Gungun Uprari and Sriti Jha along with their father, to be played by South actor Kitty has been shot near Satara. The show has gone on floors yesterday.

The promo is expected to hit the screens very soon.

Newly weds, Romit Raj and Tina in Ghar Ghar Mein..

The newly weds, Romit Raj and Tina Kakkar will appear on television for the first time in Zee TV's Ghar Ghar Mein, which will provide a sneak-peak into the couple's life!!

Romit and Tina have already shot for the episode, and it will be aired soon.

When contacted, Romit said, "It was great fun to be part of the episode with Tina. We had a great time with the entire team of Ghar Ghar Mein. We talked about the manner in which we met, got married and about the memorable moments in our life so far. On the whole, it was a superb experience. We played games like Narial pani. We were accompanied by my close friend Hemant Thatte".

Ask him about Tina's first experience before the camera, and he said "She was very comfortable, and it never seemed that she was facing the camera for the first time (smiles)".

The couple got married in Pune on March 28th. The episode will be aired very soon.

Rohit Purohit gets a much-needed break

Rohit Purohit aka Aryaman of COLORS' Aise Karo Naa Vidaa is a happy man as he is taking a much-needed break after one and half years. The story in the show revolves around the love track between Reva (Aastha Chaudhary) and Yash (Anas Rashid), and this has given room for the character of Aryaman to take the back seat.

When contacted, Rohit Purohit told us, "I will not be there for the next 10-15 episodes. I am going on a break after one and half years. I have planned lots of things in this break, and am eagerly looking forward to it".

The first in the list of priorities is of course to go to Jaipur and meet his family. "Meeting my family is the first thing that I will be doing. I plan to join fight classes, dance classes etc", he states.

Before signing off, Rohit asserts, "I will be back soon in Aise Karo Naa Vidaa".

Dutta marries Nakusha in style..

It's a typical filmy shaadi of a gangster in COLORS' Laagi Tujhse Lagan, produced by Playtime Creations, as Dutta Bhau (Mishal Raheja) gets wedded to the dark beauty Nakusha (Mahhi Vij).

We have already seen Nakusha confessing her love to Bhau, and we wait with bathed breath to know how Dutta reacts to this. Well, Dutta the gangster decides to torture Nakusha by marrying her in the worst way possible.

According to our source, "Dutta is shocked to know that Nakku is in love with him. He in a drunken state decides to teach Nakku a lesson of a lifetime. With a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a gun on the other, he drags Nakusha to the mandap, which was decorated for his and Supriya's marriage. He instructs the Pandit to chant the mantra and threatens Nakku at gunpoint to follow his commands. An unbelievable Nakusha doesn't understand the situation and follows her master. Dutta lights the havan with alcohol and forcefully marries Nakusha!. He puts sindoor on her maang, and in typical Dutta style takes off his chain and puts it as mangalsutra on Nakku".

This scene was shot under the close watch of Producer Paresh Rawal who wanted to portray this wedding as a unique one, especially because it was the wedding of a gangster.

The dramatic wedding sequence will be aired in tonight's episode.

Mata Ki Chowki in 12/24 Karol Bagh; Richa Sharma to perform

Zee TV and Sunshine Productions' 12/24 Karol Bagh will soon have a Special Episode that will see the Sethi family performing Mata Ki Chowki.

This episode will be aired this Wednesday, wherein the very popular playback singer Richa Sharma will be seen singing praises of the Mata.

According to our source, "Richa Sharma will perform at the Mata ki Chowki in Karol Bagh. This is the second time that the Sethi family will be organizing a Mata Ki Chowki. There will be many twists that will happen in the episode. One of the high points that will be seen is that Nakul's bad intentions will be revealed".

When contacted, Producer Sudhir Sharma confirmed the news and said, "Yes, we are doing a Mata Ki Chowki and Richa Sharma who has sung many popular songs in Bollywood will be performing in the event. She will sing a Special Mata Bhajan too for the episode".

Richa Sharma's recent number Sajda from My Name is Khan won her lot of acclaim.

Sarvagunn Sampanna will raise questions related to culture-Ekta Kapoor

Ekta Kapoor, the Czarina of Television is back with an array of new fiction shows, of which the first in the line is the tale of Swara, a Lavni based dancer who possesses all the good qualities that a perfect bride can have, but still faces problems from the society who refuse to look beyond her art form and accept her to be Sarvagunn Sampanna.

Here is Ekta Kapoor as she talks of her new Imagine show, Sarvagunn Sampanna.

What was the idea behind the concept of Sarvagunn Sampanna?
Actually I was looking for a concept that has a background which is culturally rich, at the same time talks of certain disrespectful attributes prevalent in the society. Basically I was looking for a show based on background versus character, like the recent Marathi movie 'Natrang'. The entire credit for this concept of Lavani goes to my Creative Head Prashant Bhatt.

This is your second show after Pavitra Rishta based on Marathi cultural background, so what's your take on it?
Yes, Pavitra Rishta is doing good. So I thought of another project based on the same base. I feel Maharashtra is a state which has so much lifestyle variation within one culture. For instance lifestyle of a middle class in all respects differs from that person living in a village, so this is an attempt to portray the life of a rural cultural family.

Along with the ongoing shows, you have so many new shows lined up. How do you look at it?
I would say that leaves me with no time to exercise (smiles).

So how do you plan to strategize the different concepts of your upcoming shows?
See that is what needs to be worked out now. I'm planning to space out all the serials systematically, so that no serial feels left out at any point of time. We work for the audience with full dedication, so don't want the purpose to be defeated.

What do you think would be the USP of Sarvagunn Sampanna?
I feel Sarvagunn Sampanna will raise those questions which have never been raised by a layman suffering the trauma as this. Even today dance as an art form is looked down in some parts of the country, so this serial would raise such questions attached to the culture and will also try to detach the individual personality of a person from his/her background.

So the message and USP of the show would be to inculcate questions related to the concept of a perfect bride in society.

Why did you choose Pooja Bose as your lead again?
Basically we were looking for a face that has some facial structure resembling to those belonging to that particular cultural belt. We auditioned thousands of people for the same but then when Pooja came in for the look test, we found her perfect for the role. Above all, she is a Bharatnatyam dancer, so it gets easier for her to pick the Lavani form of dance faster.

Shakktii Aroraa now joins Harshad in the 'Tere Liye' team..

The list of new serials to be launched post IPL seems like a never ending rope, and so is Balaji Telefilms, in the quest of giving the audience yet another show on Star Plus, Tere Liye.

TellyBuzz had recently reported that Harshad Chopra has been finalized to play the lead in the show, and playing his younger version is Devarsh Thakkar. Joining the cast now will be Shakktii Aroraa who has almost been finalized to play a pivotal role in the show.

According to our source, "Shakktii Aroraa who was recently seen essaying a negative role in Zee TV's Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo has been finalized to essay a meaty role".

The story will revolve around three brothers, and Shakktii is expected to play one of the brothers.

When contacted, Shakktii Aroraa refused to comment. He essayed the role of Mukul in Zee's Agle Janam.

The production house plans to start shoot from May 16th, but all depends on the finalization of the rest of the cast. The female lead for the show has not been finalized yet.

Kritika working extra hard for Zara…

All the contestants of ‘Zara Nachke Dikha’ are geared up to set the stage on fire with their sizzling moves. But along with this burning desire, there is that fear of getting eliminated that is constantly on their minds. Kritika Kamra shares similar feelings.

“I am trying very hard and rehearsing day and night for the show as our second technical will held today and final shoot for 3rd episode will be completed tomorrow,” says an exhausted Kamra.

She told that performing in a reality show is not an easy job and requires lot of energy. She added that the audience will only see their performance and that they won’t know at what hour of day was it being recorded so one needs to show his/her vigor even if shoot is happening at odd hours.

“Its just the start and I am already feeling tired, let’s see how far I go in the race and how much the audience likes me and my dance,” signs off Kritika.

Well, we wish her and the entire ‘Zara Nachke Dikha’ crew all the best .

Surprise! Sarvagunn Sampann to air at 7.00 pm

For over a decade, Balaji Telefilms has achieved prime time loyalty. As a premier production house, Balaji has seldom settled for any other slot.

Over the last fortnight, the industry has been guessing the time slot for their new show, Sarvagunn Sampann, on Imagine. It was widely speculated that Imagine will have to bump off one of its existing shows to make way for Sarvagunn Sampann. However, the other shows can breathe easy as Balaji, surprisingly, has opted for the 7.00 pm slot.

“Sarvagunn Sampann will launch on 10th May and will air at 7.00 pm. It wasn’t an easy decision for either the channel or the production house. In the end, one had to settle with it. New shows are expected but so far there’s been no decision on which show to axe. In the given circumstances, the 7.00 pm slot was vacant, thus, Sarvagunn Sampann had to be accommodated there,” said a channel insider.

Meanwhile, speculation over Pooja Bose’s future in the show now appears to be a publicity stunt.

An actor from the show informs, “Pooja Bose has been shooting with us daily. I don’t think she’s being replaced. We’ll be leaving soon for Kolhapur, too.”

“Bandini reminds me of Kyunki” — Sumeet Sachdev

Sachdev, who managed quite a fan following as Gomzi, or Gautam, in ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, saw one of his shows, ‘Pyaar Ka Bandhan’, going off air this week. And with that Sumeet has now made an entry in ‘Bandini’ as Rudr, a close friend of Sarang’s. But it seems being on the sets of ‘Bandini’ is taking him on a trip into memory lane.

In a casual chat with us, the actor says, “We usually did individual shoots for ‘Pyaar Ka Bandhan’, but shooting for ‘Bandini’ is a lot like ‘Kyunki…’ where there were a lot of characters and all. Also, I have worked with Ronit earlier and we share a good rapport. There is a lot of energy on the sets as there are all youngsters.” He adds, laughing, “And I simply love wearing dhotis. I think I’m going to buy a couple of them soon.”

We found that Sumeet’s character in ‘Bandini’ has some gray shades, and when asked whether Rudr shares any similarities with Gautam, he says, "I wouldn’t say that. Gomzi was basically a spoilt brat but was not evil at heart. It was the circumstances and upbringing that made him what the kind of person he was. On the other hand, Rudr is caught in an obsession for Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi’s wife and because she keeps insulting him, it indirectly adds fuel to the fire. Also, he is from a city background and does not see the limitations of village culture.

Ratan Rajput in Debt

It is generally believed that actors lead a luxurious life. But that’s not true in the case of Ratan Rajput. Rajput better known as Laali of ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo’ on Zee TV has been borrowing money from her cousin to make her ends meet.

Before you jump to any conclusions, let us inform you that Rajput is not broke due to non payment from her production or suffering a loss in a bad investment; she has just lost her ATM card and is unable to pull money from her account.

A source informs us that Rajput lost her ATM card sometime back and has since been asking her cousin for money. This is not the first time that she has lost her ATM card; she had lost it once before too, but was lucky to find it then.

We contacted Rajput and she said, “Yes, I have been like a beggar asking for money from my cousin. Thank God for her!”

She added that she will go to the bank as soon as possible to fulfill all the formalities of getting a new ATM card and get rid of all the debts on her. "But I need a day off from shoot first!", says the busy actress.

We hear you, Ratan. We hope that you get a new ATM card soon, and don’t lose it anymore!

Pavitra Rishta, DID, propel Zee to No. 2 spot

The GEC warfare was mainly restricted to Star Plus and Colors, but the Indian Premier League has restored parity, thereby enabling other key players to up their ante. Cashing in on this is Zee TV, which has pushed Colors aside to reclaim the second spot.

Taking the charge for Zee TV are ‘Pavitra Rishta’ and ‘Dance India Dance 2′, especially the grand finale. The two shows clocked in a TVR of 5.7 and 5 respectively. While the former was the number two rated show, the latter came in tied at fifth with Star Plus’ Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. Zee TV’s ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’ and ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo’ occupied the eighth and ninth spot, respectively, for Week 17 (18-24 April).

Leading the pack once again is Star Plus with 298 GRPs followed by Zee TV (284) and Colors (276). Interestingly, Zee trailed Colors by just one GRP in the previous week, but this time it has gained 16 GRPs to Colors’ 7. Star Plus lost 19 GRPs but maintained its numero uno position.

Coming to the IPL, the first semifinal between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore on 21 April fetched a TVR of 7.4 while the second semifinal featuring Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers drew TVR of 5.8 across the country.

The rating of the IPL final will come next week but the Hindi GECs will now breathe easy as the IPL storm is over.

Sriti Jha bags the lead role; Naman Shaw in Rakt Sambandh..

Imagine and UTV Telly Talkies' upcoming show, Rakt Sambandh which talks about the blood ties of the five sisters even after they have moved towards their individual lives has finally found its female lead in Sriti Jha.

There were reports that Sriti Jha was the first option to play the role of the youngest sister. She was also the channel's favorite to play the role. However, the channel and production house were looking for other options, and according to the reports, Panchi Bora of Kayamath fame was also considered.

The latest on this is that, Sriti Jha has finally bagged the role, and has also signed the contract papers. Sachin Chabra will play the guy opposite her. The girl will also have another guy in her life, for which Naman Shaw has been finalized.

According to our source, "Sriti Jha who is presently seen in Imagine's Jyoti has been finalized for the youngest sister's role. Naman Shaw and Sachin Chabra will be playing the guys opposite her".

When contacted, Sriti Jha confirmed that she has taken up the show, but refused to divulge anything more than that.

We tried calling Naman Shaw, but he remained unavailable.

Naman Shaw presently plays the protagonist Ajinkya in Star One's Ssshhh Phir Koi Hai. Ssshhh Phir Koi Hai is expected to end in mid May.

Sony's Comedy Circus Maha Sangram gets its winning jodi..

Just as all viewers thought that the popular pair of Krushna Abhishek and Sudesh Lahiri was going to be declared winners in Sony's Comedy Circus Maha Sangram, the speculations have gone wrong.

Yes, you have heard it right, and it is Swapnil Joshi and VIP who have emerged victorious in the Grand Finale of the show.

According to our source, "Salim and Suleiman were the celebrity judges for the finale. Swapnil and VIP rendered a fabulous performance which was the biggest highpoint of the episode. Salim performed too with Swapnil and Bharti Singh, and it was a promotional act for Indian Idol 5. Krushna and Sudesh were the runners-up while Saloni Daini – Rajiv Thakur – Rashmi Desai was the second runners-up team".

The Grand Finale of Comedy Circus Maha Sangram will be aired on May 8th, Saturday.