The New Tulsi- Moni Roy

By Subhash K Jha

She had almost given up. But now TV tycoon Ekta Kapoor has finally found her new Tulsi.

Reveals Ekta, "She's Moni Roy, a Bengali student from Delhi. She knows nothing about television. She went to the auditions for a lark with her friends. And she landed up getting the plum part. Now she's Krishna Tulsi.

I hope viewers accept her. She's very raw right now. That works to her advantage. Because she doesn't come across as someone who knows it all. More than acting it's your attitude that works with viewers. Moni has the right attitude. The rest is up to script and destiny."

A new boy is also being launched opposite Moni. "He has just been cast. He's called Pulkit. We've got him from Manish Goswami's show Sixer. Pulkit had a contract with them and it expired. Now he's in Kyunki Saas.

He was the last person to be cast. We didn't like any of the boys we auditioned. Then we heard Pulikit was a good guy. He was on in no time. We'll have shoot all the portions pertaining to Hardwar with him in Mumbai."

Ekta has written the first eight episodes of the gen-leap avatar of Kyunki. "Yup, we're all set. More than a birthday gift to fans of Kyunki this new-avatar of the soap is being done on June 7 because 7 is my lucky number.

I had planned it for April 7, then May 7. finally when we finally found our new Tulsi it's happening on my birthday June 7.

Two years ago I had launched the film Kya Kool Hain Hum on my birthday. It was a hit. And I had started Kyunki…. on my dad's birthday. Funnily, a day before our gen-leap on June 7, it's the Omen's day. So we strike a day after the devil."

It has been hell trying to find the right girl for the new Tulsi's role. "We had a number of auditions all over the country. We distributed pamphlets, did radio interviews…we short-listed eleven girls. None of them seemed to match up. I didn't know whom I wanted. But I did know I'd know her when I see her.

There was this one girl that wasn't in the short-list whom we wanted to cast in Kasauti Zindagi Kay. We flew her to Mumbai and completely styled her. And then I knew Kasauti couldn't have her. Moni was the new Kyunki's girl."

But Smriti Irani will continue to be the serial's pivot. "It's her story. That doesn't change. She moves to a new level in the plot. She'll continue to be the catalyst of Kyunki.

Krishna Tulsi will be a mirror image of Tulsi while Smriti Irani will now become Ba. When the serial started Tulsi's anchor was Ba. And today she's all set to take over the role of Ba."

Every other member of the cast remains. Plans to bump off 'Ba' Sudha Shivpuri's character have been put on holds due to her popularity. "She'll now be very old on the show. She'll celebrate her 108 th birthday on the soap.

People love Sudhaji so much. When she was shooting in Hardwar recently crowds of people genuflected before her, including grown-up men. Yes she'll die, but after 35 more episodes."

Ekta is looking forward to the leap. "For a long time we have been planning it. The first generation of Viranis lasted for only 360 episodes. But the second generation was for about 600 episodes. And now we hope the third generation will last for a 1000 episodes."

Ekta's Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka has become the first soap to be successful on Star One. "We shot for it in Mauritius last week. I was in the water all the time. It was awesome fun.

While the whole unit would shoot and then party, I'd be underwater, snorkeling. I saw an eel and nearly fainted underwater. I thought it was a snake. I took along two friends from Delhi, also my friends Natasha and Shabbir Boxwallah.

Speaking on her new filmmaking partnership with Sanjay Gupta Ekta says, "Sanjay Gupta is the coolest guy I've met. He's a rock star. I love the music in his films. When I saw Zinda I got his number to congratulate him. To collaborate with someone who's a master at production will be good fun."

Birthday plans on June 7? "Nothing. Just work work and more work. I rejoice in work. I'll get withdrawal symptoms if I don't work. I'm planning three-four more shows. I'll have my birthday party a month ahead on July 7 when I've some breathing space. I'd rather finish my workload and then enjoy my party."