Sniffing love?:Article

Romance is on the airwaves and even Ekta Kapoor, queen of the vicious saas-bahu fights and two-timing patidevs, has felt its heat. So much so that Saakshi Tanwar of the eight-year-old yawn..sorry yarn, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki told her viewers 'akhri shukriya' a week ago. 'Kahani...' bowed out reportedly due to falling TRPs and 'Kyunki...',that precursor of everything saas-bahu, is said to follow suit.

Speculation is that Ekta is filling the 'Kahani...' slot with a romance that's inspired by Subhash Ghai's 90s hit Saudagar. Proof that she too has woken up to the kahani pyar ki that's playing out now on all channels.

Now that we have suffered through family squabbles, sis-in-law machinations and extra-marital affairs, soaps have decided to turn all soppy. There's Star Plus' Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, a prince-meets-Cinderella story with newbies Kapil Nirmal and the 17-year-old Anjali Abrol playing the lead roles. The serial's steadily gaining TRPs, thanks to the lead pair's somewhat awkward chemistry and an Amar Chitra Katha kind of story about a raja, his good-and-evil ranis, handsome kunwars, selfish rajkumaris and loyal sevaks cavorting in a palace. Just don't ask what time period this particular story is set in ' a generous dose of suspension of disbelief is called for if you wish to enjoy its languid pace and storybook charm. Right after 'Raja ki...' comes 'Kis desh mein hai mera dil', another love story but this one in the typical high-octane low-logic Balaji mould.