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It was family bonding at the Holi special episode shot for Antakshari-The Great Challenge on Star One. For the first time on TV, viewers will see famous singers with their family.While Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Ismail Darbar and Aadesh Srivastav came with their wives, Jaspinder brought her brother Bobby along.

Geet gaata chal

it's in our genes: Jasvinder Narula with brother Bobby

Ismail Darbar with wife Ayesha, Aadesh Srivastav with wife Vijeta Pandit, Abhijeet with wife Sumati and Jaspinder Narula with her brother Bobby performed for the Holi special episodes of Star One's Antakshari — The Great Challenge this weekend.

With a bunch of talented composers and singers in their midst, hosts Annu Kapoor and Juhi Parmar sure had something to sing along

mile sur humara tumhara: Ismail Darbar with wife Ayesha pic/ Anil Bhartiya

making music together: Vijeta Pandit with husband Adesh Srivastav

Annu kicks butt!
By: Shaheen Parkar
March 2, 2007

no more lights: Annu Kapoor After smoking for 32 long years, television anchor Annu Kapoor has given it up completely. "It's been two months since I lit a stick," claims the host of Star One's Antakshari — The Great Challenge. "By the grace of God and with support from my family, I have battled the withdrawal symptoms. To be without a cigarette after over three decades has been a novel experience for me. " Suppressing desire Overcoming the urge to light up was a tad difficult. Says Annu, "Your mind says it's time for a puff but then you have to remind yourself that you have stopped smoking. Initially, someone gave me a pack of Nicorettes from the US. It is supposed to be an anti-smoking chewing gum that suppresses nicotine craving. Now, I can manage without such things." New beginnings The decision to stop smoking was taken by Kapoor on New Year's Day. "It was January 1 and it was a Monday, the beginning of a new week. Though my family kept on telling me to give it up for years, I never listened to them. It was the usual talk about excessive smoking and the harm it causes. But 2007 dawned and I, myself, decided to call it quits." So what prompted him to make this move? "I am 51 years old and in the post-lunch session of my life," he says. "I need to take my body seriously. All these years I was in my post-breakfast stage. Now that I am going towards dinner, I have to take care of myself." Yoga has been of great help to Kapoor. "It makes you more focussed and helps you concentrate. I have reached that stage where even if someone is sitting next to me and smoking, it will not make me reach out for that stick." The one big difference that he has noticed after he quit smoking is an increased appetite. "I am eating more and I feel hungry often," he says. "But I can feel the difference already. I am eating healthy and am also big time into pranayam," adds Kapoor, who is currently shooting for the Holi special episodes of Antakshari this weekend. On the big screen, Kapoor features in Anand Surapur's Indo-Italian production The Fakir, which stars Don filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.

Holi ke Raang - Annu, Juhi ke sangg!


Holi Hai...!!! Colgate Maxfresh Antakshari - The Great Challenge celebrates Holi with some extra-colours! It's Holi Special this week from March 5 to 7 with celebs from the silver screen competing against each other. The participants include Aadesh Srivastav and his wife Vijeyta, Abhijeet and his wife Sumati, Ismail Darbar and his wife Ayesha and Jaspinder Narula along with her brother Bobby, who will battle it out on the Holi Special of Antakshari - The Great Challenge as they match tunes and their knowledge with each other to win the grand prize.

Juhi Parmar: No to Skin Show

Very few people actually live up to their own expectations and even excel in the same. Juhi Parmar or Kumkum of the small screen belongs to this category. Just in her early 20's, Juhi is co-hosting the very popular Antakshari, which his now being aired on Star One as "Colgate Maxfresh Antakhshari The Great Challenge" along with veteran Annu Kapoor whom she has grown up watching. In a recent chat with us Juhi speaks about her shows, movies, dream role and marriage. Here is the excerpt.

Q: How is it to anchor a show like Antakshari?
A: It is a great feeling to anchor Antakshari. But it is a great challenge as well. You have to be very spontaneous all the time. I knew I would have to work hard so I have pulled up my socks.

Q: But have you taken a cue from the previous anchors and set your benchmark?
A: No, not at all. I haven't taken a cue from any one at all. I thoroughly believe in originality. I really don't want to beat any one. I want to make my one identity.

Q: Did your viewing of Antakshari as an audience help you anyway?
A: That can't be possible at all. I was very small, probably 12 years when I watched it. So the question of taking a cue from the earlier show can't be possible at all. Moreover, I saw the show as an audience for mere entertainment.

Q: You are even acting in a daily soap simultaneously. Is it hampering your performance in Antakshari?
A: no, there are no problems at all. Kumkum is not suffering. Since both the shows being on Star they aren't not posing any problem. They take a lot of burden from the actors. I think I am quite lucky.

Q: Are you happy with the way your character is shaping up in Kumkum?
A: Oh yes, I am very happy with my role in Kumkum. I have got to play a lot of variety in just one serial itself. Moreover, I am very attached to the show it is like my baby. It has been five years since I have been doing this character. We recently completed 950 episodes of the show.

Q: Why can't we see you in any other show?
A: Actually, I don't have much time in hand. My entire month is divided between Antakshari and Kumkum. Therefore, there is no time for another show as of now. Maybe when Kumkum goes off-air or when there would be 50-60 days in a month this would be possible (laughs).

Q: Having been so successful in the show would you ever like to join films?
A: Surely, I would love to do films. But I am not comfortable with skin show and intimate scenes. That is why I have rejected a few offers also. I haven't been brought up in a way that such things become acceptable to me. The ones who do are bold enough to do so. I believe that one can prove his or her mettle by doing an intense role too, there's no need of unnecessary skin show.

Q: Then which kind of roles you would accept?
A: I have really loved Rani Mukherjee's role in Black. Anything like Sridevi's role in Sadma or in Chaalbaaz would be a perfect one for me. If a female version of Hera Pheri were ever made I would love to act in it.

Q: But what if it is a small role or just a guest appearance?
A: I started my career with a one-episode role in "Jee Sahib" on Zee. It is because of that role that I bagged the main lead in Kumkum. So the question of doing or not doing a role due to its length doesn't arise at all. Many big stars do such small roles. As long as they are able to make an impact it doesn't matter. The intensity is what matters a lot.

Q: Are there any marriage plans on the cards?
A: (Laughs) Life is what comes. When you are busy making other plans in life is useless. So you never know when it may happen. Maybe after a few days I will tell you that I am getting married the very next day!

Zee-Star war refuses to cease

For Zee Antakshari and Star Antakshari the battle lines were clearly drawn from day one itself. More recently, Zee claimed that as far as ratings go, they are way ahead of Star.

Juhi's dress stress
By: Tushar Joshi
March 3, 2007

so that's why you ran off? Juhi Parmar and Anu Kapoor Juhi Parmar had an embarassing problem on the sets of Star One's Antakshari a few days back. In the middle of the show, the actress realised that her top was going to fall off in front of the studio crowd. According to a source present on the set, "Juhi was wearing a tube top and a dupatta. In the middle of the shoot, we saw her running out and disappearing back stage. She later returned in a different ensemble." Wrong fit It is reported that the Neeta Lulla outfit Juhi was wearing came undone and the actress had to clutch it and run backstage to change. Juhi confirms, "Yes, I had some problem with my outfit. Luckily, my costume didn't fall off! From the moment I got into the outfit, I realised it wasn't fitting me well. It wasn't possible for me to move around in it or even stand properly. Thankfully, I had a spare churidar-kurta which I changed into. It would have been a big mess if I wasn't carrying another change with me that day." When asked about Neeta's costume she says, "I don't blame her for the fiasco, it's just that the outfit was ill fitting . We keep changing the designers. The goof-up happened because I hadn't tried the costume before. One can't fit into tailor-made outfits without trying them." Juhi adds, "Neeta's outfit was difficult to wear because I didn't know where to pin the dupatta. There was no way the dupatta would be pinned on to the top. It would have been a complete and total mess had I even tried to move around in it." Nobody caught on She happy that she was saved the embarrassment as not many people present on the set caught on to her wardrobe malfunction, "I don't know why everyone is calling it a wardrobe malfunction. And no one even realised that I ran back stage and got into another ensemble. It happened really quickly and there was no time for trial and error. We had to resume the shoot as that was the first priority."

'I cannot shed my clothes at the drop of a hat'

Juhi Parmar talks about her transition from acting to anchoring.

How do you find the transition from acting to anchoring a show like Antakshari?
I am anchoring for the first time in my life, a show like Antakshari, which is already extremely popular all over the world. It is a big challenge to me as an anchor, especially because I have to pull up my socks and work shoulder to shoulder with a great anchor like Annu Kapoor, who has been with the show right from day one.

In which earlier female anchor's shoes do you think you have to step in?
Every one earlier had done a good job. Neither do I see any one of them as my competitor nor do I think that I should step into any one of their shoes. I was in school when Antakshari came on air for the first time twelve years ago.

What is your approach as the anchor of Antakshari?
I believe in spontaneity as an anchor. I do not claim that I am setting any pattern as an anchor. I do get a brief from the director of the show Gajendra Singh but there is no script as far as Annuji and I am concerned. We have to go by the flow as anchors, depending upon the mood of the audiences as well as the participants of the show.

Is it true that the makers of the serial Kumkum are upset with you because you have started neglecting the serial since you are busy with Antakshari.
What rubbish? Kum Kum is my baby. Though I am busy for eight days every month with Antakshari as an anchor, Kum Kum is not suffering and will not suffer any losses because I just cannot forget the fact that I became well known only because of Kum Kum and I just cannot afford to neglect my own serial. It has become easier for me because Antakshari also has come on Star like Kum Kum. My experience with a channel like Star has been very wonderful. Touchwood!

Are you planning in terms of chalking out a career in films too, now that you have proved yourself on television?
I do not believe in planning because in life, where you have to face several difficulties in every step. You just cannot make plans. Though I would be lying if I were to state that I am not interested in acting in films, the bitter truth is that the kinds of films made these days, are just not my kind. I cannot be comfortable romping around in a skimpy outfits or a bikini.

You seem to have an aversion to taking up glamorous roles in films.
Look here. Glamour and blatant skin-show are two entirely different things. I am definitely ready to do a role, which requires me to be glamorous, but I am definitely against shedding my clothes at the drop of a hat. I am not blaming those actresses who have no qualms to do so but will not be able to carry off a role like that on my shoulder comfortably. I turned down an offer to act in a film similar to Murder because the director wanted me to expose a little like Mallika Sherawat. I am getting offers to act in films but I cannot tell the makers of Kum Kum that I am off in search of greener pastures or quit TV completely

You do not have any project besides Antakshari and Kum Kum. Why?
As a protagonist, I think it will be very difficult for me to cope up working in two different serials simultaneously. Besides the fact that I do not think I would be able to give justice to
both the serials as an actress, it will be unfair on my part to put the makers of Kum Kum in a quandary. It is for this reason that I said no to Balaji when I was offered the serial Koi Jaane Na.

You seem to be slotted as a serious and intense actress, as far as television is concerned. Is it a conscious choice?
It has been my experience from the time that I had started my career on television that no one notices you if you keep on doing only light and effervescent roles. To prove your mettle it is imperative that you start doing intense roles. I consider the fact that I have been bracketed as an intense actress as a plus point as far as I am concerned.

What kind of roles would you like to do in films?
Let me be frank. I have already worked in a film called Pehchan in which my co-stars were Vinod Khanna and Raveena Tandon. I am keen on doing roles like Rani Mukerjee did in Black, Sridevi did in Sadma, Chalbaaz and Mr India or for that matter Aishwarya Rai did in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I am also keen on doing the female versions of the roles, which Suneil Shetty and Akshay Kumar did in Hera Pheri

Does the length of the role in a film matter to you as an actress?
Whether your role in a film is a big one or a small one, if you do your role really well, people will definitely talk about it. Size or length of the role does not matter. What matters is the intensity of the role. All the major filmmakers noticed Divya Dutta when she gave a wonderful performance in Veer Zaara. Didn't Rani get critical acclaim for her performance in Veer Zaara, which was essentially a Shah Rukh Khan-Preity Zinta film? Hasn't Abhishek Bachchan done many minuscule roles in films before he hit it big time with Bluff Master and Dus?

How would you like to describe your growth as an actress till date?
I am proud of the fact that I have come up gradually. I am glad that I didn't shoot up overnight as a star and then vanish overnight all of a sudden. I remember I had started with weekly serial like Jee Saahib on TV. I feel that it is very important to reach where you reach by starting from the scratch or else it will be difficult to digest your success in this industry.

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