| Movie stars get pampered. They demand luxuries and get royal service. They ask for First Class tickets, take their families and friends along at the producer's cost, rooms for their service staff… So it was only a matter of time before TV stars decided they deserve to be treated like royalty, too.
Aamna Shariff learned the hard way that actress proposes, producer disposes. The unit of Kahiin Toh Hoga was headed for Mauritius, the lead actress Aamna Shariff (Kashish), insisted on a Club Class ticket. Balaji Telefilms head honcho, Ekta Kapoor, tried to persuade the stubborn Aamna into relenting, but she stayed adamant.
The result? Ekta cancelled the schedule vowing to send Star One's new serial Nimmo in its place.
No comments
When contacted Ekta doesn't deny the incident. "The outdoor schedule to Mauritius which was due to leave on April 29 has been cancelled due to unavoidable reasons. I cancelled it on April 14." Was Aamna's asking for Club Class the reason for the cancellation? "I can't comment on that," was her final answer.
While she prefers to be tight-lipped about the reasons, a source close to Ekta tells all, "It is the policy of the company not to give Club Class tickets to any artiste including the executives and CEOs.
When Aamna wanted to fly Club Class, Ekta explained this to her, but Aamna was on her own trip. Ekta sent her three request messages asking her to respond, but she was adamant. Aamna kept saying, 'I will never travel economy.' Finally, last Friday Ekta decided to cancel the outdoor."
Ekta's reasons
The source went on to explain Kapoor's reasons for refusing Aamna. "Ekta felt if she bended the rule for one person, she would be expected to do it again, and again. And finally change Balaji's policy.
Even a senior artiste like Tinnu Anand could've been difficult and asked for Club Class but he said that he would travel economy if the entire unit did that."
The source continues, "Smriti Z Iraani (Tulsi from Kyun Ki Saas...) has never made any such demands. Once, she travelled from London to Mumbai by economy class, minus any fuss. When Ronit Roy (Mihir Virani from Kyun Ki...) wanted to fly Club Class, he paid the difference himself."
Aamna: Jet set go
Aamna Shariff denies that the schedule got cancelled because of her adamant stance.
"The cancellation has nothing to do with my asking for Club Class tickets. I am too small a person for such a big issue to happen.
Yes, I always travel Club Class, but that wasn't the issue. I have no idea what the real reason is, and it's not my business to ask. It was yesterday that I came to know that the trip was cancelled. I think they decided that they could shoot the serial as well in Mumbai itself."
Shipra Arora, Creative Head, Kahiin Toh Hoga, too, prefers to play it down, probably not wanting her leading star to create a fuss.
"Aamna asking for Club Class tickets was one of the reasons for the cancellation of the trip. We found out that the story wasn't going to be affected if we shot in Mumbai or Mauritus, so we changed plans to shoot abroad. |
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