When Neil Bhatt met the real Manjuji...

Neil Bhatt aka Abhi of Zee TV and Sunshine Productions' 12/24 Karol Bagh had an emotional moment when he met the 60 year old Manju Kumar who is presently getting treated for cancer at a hospital in Noida, Delhi. The lady happens to be an avid watcher of the show, and her personal favourite is the character of Abhi played by Neil Bhatt. She had in fact protested that she wanted a TV in her room, as she cannot stay without watching Karol Bagh.

According to our source, "The lady sent out a personal request to the Producers of the show, Seema and Sudhir that she wanted to meet Abhi. And Sudhir took time out from his hectic schedule and took Neil Bhatt to the hospital".

Coincidentally, the lady's name is also Manju, same as Simi's mother's name in the show. Manju Kumar too has three daughters, and lives in Delhi.

"Manjuji was excited when she got to know that Abhi was coming to the hospital to meet her. She even told Neil that she would have loved to wear a good dress, but since she was in the hospital she could not afford to do so. The lady chatted with Sudhir and Neil for nearly 2-3 hours, and requested the hospital staff to click her picture with her favourite character from television, Abhi".

When contacted, Neil Bhatt told us, "Yes, it was a very emotional moment for me, and felt happy on seeing her smile. She was super excited and was talking about how she wanted to dress. She also promised to cook Aloo ke Parathe for me once she gets out of the hospital. She blessed me and wanted me to keep in touch with her. I have also promised to keep in touch with her, and wished her a speedy recovery".

Producer Sudhir Sharma too described the pleasant experience and said, "The lady happens to be a friend of one of my family friends, and when she sent us a request, I readily took Neil Bhatt to the hospital. She is a big fan of his, and enjoyed every moment with him. She even promised to cook for us Aloo Ke Parathe once she gets discharged. God willing, we will be going again to meet her, taking with us others from the cast". 

This is indeed one special moment that Neil will cherish forever….

Reporter and Author: Srividya Rajesh