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Sony unveils new line-up of programming.. Sony Entertainment Television will have a new look from May 25th, and here is Telly Buzz giving a gist of the new line-up of programs..

Ragini Khanna is Bharati

Ragini Khanna, who was last seen in Radha Ki Betiyan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi, has a very hatke role to play: she's going to star as Bharti, the man trapped in a woman's body, in Bhaskar Bharti. Ragini talks about her unusual role and the show in detail, pressure from the industry to be thin as well as her views on making passes at the opposite sex.

What was your first reaction when the role was offered to you?
I was like 'ok, let's do it'. On February 10, I finished with Radha Ki Betiyan. In March, I auditioned for this role as well as other shows. I was ready to accept whichever offer I received first. Deeya Singh (producer, DJ's Creative) called me and told me that she has something for me but she refused to tell me about the concept, saying that I would have to perform on the spot. I do not know how they managed it out of me!

The show is said to be based on the Argentinean show Lalola…
It is adapted but it is not like a scene-by-scene remake. The concept is very bold, it's about sexuality. I have not seen the original show but the makers of this one are very clear about what they want. This version will have its own essence.

Was it difficult to play a man trapped in a woman's body?
It is very difficult! However much of a tomboy someone is, she cannot be a man. The maximum she can do it talk like a guy. But the way Bhaskar sits and walks, no girl can copy. So that is tough. But, thanks to producer Deeya and script supervisor Kabir Sadanand it wasn't too trying. It's tough because the soul is of Bhaskar but the body is of a woman. So she thinks like Bhaskar, she behaves like Bhaskar and his body language and way of talking are Bhaskar's. It was very awkward. I had to take care that my portrayal did not look bad; it was a difficult transition for me. But Deeya managed it beautifully.

How did you prepare for the role?
I have not seen Lalola. I am working on my body language, speech and thought process in relation to Bhaskar. I saw the movie Mr. Ya Miss when I was in college but I don't even remember it. I think Antra Mali is a very hardworking girl; I respect the work she did for the movie. I have observed men and have watched Eijaz (Khan, who plays Bhaskar) keenly on the sets, even when he was not shooting. He is a very intelligent guy and he'd come up to me and give me tips on how to improve. So this helped me perform.

How has shooting been?
One day, I had to go to the gent's toilet as we were shooting for a scene there. It was stinking so badly! In another scene, Geeta, the girl who curses Bhaskar, and I are face to face. I had to go to Geeta, get down on my knee and ask, 'Tum mujhse shaadi karogi?' It was a really fun scene though I was very embarrassed to do it. This was on the first day of the shoot. I told them that I have never done something like this in my life!

Did you lose weight for the role?
Female actors are always expected to look pretty and somehow, nowadays, the criteria of being pretty is being thin, wearing hot clothes, having a particular hairstyle and wearing lots of make up. If the character requires me to be a size zero, then I am ready to do it. When Radha… was ending, I wanted to lose weight for Bhaskar Bharti as I was 67kgs at the time. I had to do it or there was no way I'd get any work in the industry. I think that my character should not look very thin; she should be a little curvy. The kind of costumes I am wearing in the show needs a fuller figure. She has to be a buxom beauty.

What's your family's reaction to the role?
My mom is my life and my spinal cord, my brother Amit has taught me every aspect of acting and my father has taught me every aspect of production, as he owns a production company. I am blessed to have such a lovely family. They were excited about this role; they told me that I should perform it with all my heart.

As you are trying to understand the psyche of a man, how would you react to a pass being made at you?
All men want to try their luck and today, even women have become bold enough to make passes. When you are attracted to someone, you do it…it's only natural as human beings; we all do it. I don't make any generalizations when it comes to men. My closest buddies have been male.

Lastly, Ragini says that she would hate for the curse that befell upon Bhaskar to hit her as she would not like turning into a man at all. However, is given a chance, she would like to see her favourite male actor play the role of a woman. She adds, "I would love for Shah Rukh Khan to transform into a woman. He's just fabulous!"

Ragini is a trained dancer and singer and is inspired by Michel Jackson. She has starred in over forty commercials and films and sang jingles for ads and shows before she bagged a role in Radha Ki Betiyan.

http://www.indya.com/news/newsDetails.aspx?xfile=2009/May/News_20090527_108

Eijaz Khan, the play boy in Bhaskar Bharti has taken off to Paris for a holiday after his transformation into a girl in the show..

Eijaz Khan, the perfect playboy of Sony's Bhaskar Bharti might be a sad man in the show because of his overnight transformation into a girl, courtesy the curse laid by one of the girls he ditched!!

However, the actor has taken full advantage of his absence in the show and has flown for a holiday to Paris.

According to our source, "Bhaskar Bharti, the 'Man' has turned into a woman in the show, and the lady version of the character is being played by Ragini Khanna. Now that Eijaz has no role to play and will be seen only in flashbacks, he is enjoying his holiday at Paris and will return only by 8th or 10th of June".

Well, spare a thought to the ardent fans of Eijaz who have been waiting to catch their star on television from a long time, and when the big moment eventually arrived, they managed to get just a glimpse of their favorite before he got changed to a woman!!

For the moment, girls can just pray for Bhaskar Bharti's sins to get wiped off so that they get to see their macho man on screen again!!

Reporter and Author: Srividya Rajesh

Aamir Ali who plays the role of Armaan Sir in Sony's Bhaskar Bharti talks about the show, prominence that his role will get and much more, in this Telly Buzz exclusive..

The handsome hunk, Aamir Ali makes a comeback to television with Sony's new show Bhaskar Bharti, produced by DJ's Creative Unit.

The actor plays the role of Armaan Sir who is the ace photographer with Men's Universe. Armaan is a nice guy who is very fun loving. He has a kid Suhaani, and his world revolves around his work and his little daughter.

Talking about the show, Aamir says, "With Bhaskar getting transformed into Bharti, the story will now focus on the journey of the girl and how she copes up with her problems in this fast world. The USP of the show is that the show conveys a serious message in a funny way".

Ask him about the prominence that his character will have, and he is quick to say, "Well, I can say that there is something about Armaan's past which will come out in the near future. You will know in 2-3 weeks on how the track will shape up and where it is leading to".

"I had done two romantic shows back to back in Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki and Kya Dill Mein Hai, so wanted to do something light. And then came my way Bhaskar Bharti and the fact that it was produced by one of my favorite production houses made me accept the show. DJ's are masters in making such kind of shows, and this is actually their forte. And above all, my gut feeling told me that I had a very good role in offer as the story moves on, and I trusted my producers", explains the actor.

He further adds, "As you might have observed, my role was not part of any publicity campaign and I did not talk to the media before my role came out in the open. I am a very secure guy; I took my producers' words as I know that there is something interesting coming in the story line for me. Now the onus is on them to keep this trust (smiles)".

The actor feels happy to have got a chance to work with creative people in his career whether it be Balaji, Rajshri or DJ's. "Even today, I am still remembered for the characters I have played and this gives me a nice feeling. But one needs to move on from one project to another", he states.

Ask him whether the abrupt end to Kya Dill Mein Hai on 9X upset him, and he quips, "My role in the show was in any case getting over in another 5-6 episodes. So that did not make much of a difference to me. But I really felt bad for the technical team who had to sit at home because of the channel getting non-functional", expresses Aamir.

When asked whether he is looking forward to share screen space with Sanjeeda again, he quips, "Well, she is chilling out at the moment. We would not mind doing a show together, but guess the producers and channels might be thinking that it will be big trouble to have both of us on the same show (smiles). They might be concerned because we are not yet married, and there is every chance for things going wrong between us (laughs)".

Tell him that this problem could be solved with them getting married, and he with a smile on his face concludes, "Marriage is not on cards at the moment. That will take few more years".

Reporter and Author: Srividya Rajesh

I never wanted to be an actor: Ragini

Eijaz & Anita to tie the knot this year