TOI: Replacements work in favour-Toral

Recently when actor Pratyusha Banerjee aka Anandi was unable to give the required time to the show Balika Vadhu, she was replaced by Toral Rasputra. There were fears that the TRPs could drop but viewers have accepted Toral as Anandi.

There are other recent examples as well where the TRPs have remained constant and even shot up for some, thus breaking the rule that a show loses its sheen, when a lead actor is replaced.

"Initially, when Avika was replaced by Pratyusha as a grown-up Anandi, the audience took time to accept the new face. But they gradually got used to it. I was nervous on the sets because there were high expectations but friendly co-stars helped me settle in," says Toral.

According to producer Yash Patnaik, films are star driven whereas shows are character/content driven. "In daily soaps, a show makes an actor bigger. Nobody knew Pratyusha Banerjee before Balika Vadhu orGiaa Manek before Saath Nibhana Saathiya. There are factors like a strong script, right promotion by the channel and a strong image that make a character popular," he explains.

Of course there have been shows that have been called off air after one of the characters quit. Like when Barun Sobti quit the show Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?. However, such examples are an exception rather than the norm now, feel actors and producers of shows. When Giaa aka Gopi bahu decided to leave Saath Nibhana... to take part in a dance reality show, there were rumours that the show might go off air. Initially the TRPs dropped but now it's been a year that the show has retained the same position (TRP:3-4).

Producer Rajan Shahi ( Kuch Toh Log Kahenge) admits it was a tough decision to replace Mohnish Behl. "But Sharad added his own style and personality to the show and over a period of time, we saw a rise in TRPs. The show's ratings have risen to 1.4 TVR in the 11 pm slot." He feels that replacements now add a certain freshness to the show and character.

Pintoo Guha, producer of Uttaran, agrees and says that replacements are now working in the favour of tele-serials. "It is circumstances that lead to replacements," Guha says. The key, says Shahi, is to find the right replacement. "A lot of time, energy and money is invested in creating a particular character," he says. The new actors do however go through constant comparison, at least for a short while which make the role more challenging.

Replacements that have sustained TRPs
Toral Rasputra replaced Pratyusha Banerjee in Balika Vadhu
Devoleena Bhattacharjee replaced Giaa Manek in Saath Nibhana Saathiya
Sharad Kelkar replaced Mohnish Behl in Kuch Toh Log Kahenge
Vikas Bhalla replaced Nandish Sandhu in Uttaran
Hiten Tejwani replaced Sushant Singh Rajput in Pavitra Rishta