the pak connection

Its destination Pakistan for most of our leading ladies in Tellydom. They are worshipped in India but the adulation does not end here. The actors are getting plum offers from the neighboring country and needless to say the remuneration is better than what they get here, what with the projects getting over effortlessly in no time.

Mona Vasu, from Millee plays the part of a Hindu girl called Neha in a serial called Rukhey Naina. But the lady has a stronger link across the border -- "The hometown of my grandparents is in Pakistan. It's in a place called Vasu which is only a few hours from Islamambad. I am dying to visit the place with my parents after shooting for Rookhey Naina. I am scheduled to go to Islamabad for a 13 episode serial around the end of November,." says a visibly excited Mona.

She is not the only actress to have made the journey acorss the border! Juhi Parmar,(Kumkum) played a strong character in a serial called Tere Ishq Mein. "Kumkum is one of the most popular characters in Pakistan and it was great shooting in Pakistan, its was so much fun. I get to act with Moin Sayed who is called the Shahrukh Khan of Pakistan," says Juhi, who feels that the serial makers there are very technically advanced and the icing on teh cake is that there are no unnecessary dragging of the stories.

Both the ladies agree that while the remuneration is great, that is not the only reason for their cross border ventures.

"Money is not the criteria for my doing the serial because I want to go there and experience the place and the people. The people there are so warm, they take you out for shopping and sight seeing besides the people there are known for their hospitality," points out Mona.

For Juhi it's the creative satisfaction over the 13 episodes that drew her to the project. While Juhi is considering two more Pakistani serials for which she is likely to go to Pakistan next month, Mona is yet to get a call from the producers after the Earthquake in Islamabad.

Then there are actresses who are doing serials made by Pakistani producers, shows that will not be be aired in Indian. Take the case of Deepshikha fro example. She is hosting a show based on Bollywood called Kuch Gup Kuch Such. "I get to speak heavy Hindi and Urdu words for the show and shoot two days per month with two episodes shot per day," claims Deepshikha.

Nausheen Ali Sardar (ex-Kkusum)had a brush with a Pak unit long back where she played Madina in Ana. "I shot with them a year back and it was a good experience. The dialogues, drama and emotions are loud in India while in Pakistan its more subtle and works at a very slow pace. I was opposite Humayun Sayed and my character was that of girl who gives a lot of emotional support and is the pillar of strength for her boyfriend," says Nausheen for whom the money is equally good and workable there.

Aamna Shariff, the petite Kashish of Kahii to Hoga, has has already worked for a serial called Ana for which she shot in Dubai and has recently completed another serial called Sun Lena.

Aamna plays a photographer in the love story. "I took up the role because it was convincing and different. The working style is very different and we are paid the amount we asked for. We shot for 12 days and completed the serial in Malaysia and Dubai" says Aamna excitedly.

While Kunika and Divya Dutta have also tested the waters across the border, it's their market value which decides their remuneration.
"It's just the border which makes all the difference, beyond that everything else is the same," says Nausheen proudly. Mona Vasu is raring to go to Islamabad for her grandparent's sake. Juhi had called up the people she worked with in Karachi to check up about their wellness and is waiting for relief work to come her way.

The ladies of tellydom are truely on their way to make their presence felt across the border....time for the men to make a move???

Perhaps so.