Jhanak Promo: Riya Sharma as Jhanak differs sharply to Hiba Nawab's version, Arjit Taneja plays a Cop

The makers of Star Plus' show Jhanak has introduced a major storyline shift with a 20-year time leap. As part of this change, actors Riya Sharma and Arjit Taneja have been brought in as the new protagonists, replacing the previous leads, Hiba Nawab and Krushal Ahuja.

Well, the most anticipated new story line of the show remains under the wraps. However, to tease the upcoming track, Star Plus dropped the first promo of the show. In the latest promo, the audience is introduced to the new characters post-leap. Riya Sharma now plays the role of Jhanak, while Arjit Taneja appears as a police officer. The promo shows a brief but telling interaction: Jhanak is walking with her bicycle when it is accidentally pushed by a cop’s motorcycle. He offers an apology, which she refuses. He then tries to offer her money, which she finds offensive. In response, she says she will go to the police station to report the incident — pointing out that she will be complaining about a policeman himself. This scene sets the tone for the kind of dynamic the viewers can expect between the new characters.

Have a look at the promo here:

Before the leap, Hiba Nawab portrayed Jhanak, and Krushal Ahuja played Anirudh. Both actors have now exited the show. Hiba reportedly chose to leave as the story required her character to age significantly after the leap. She felt it would not be suitable for her to portray a much older version of Jhanak. The show was all set to head for a leap a few months ago, however, owing to the IPL season, the leap was eventually postponed and then cancelled altogether. But despite these changes, ratings of the show remained underwhelming.

With the introduction of Riya Sharma and Arjit Taneja, the show aims to explore a new storyline while maintaining continuity with the original plot. The leap marks a fresh chapter for Jhanak as it continues to air on its regular time slot on Star Plus.