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Amber

@Mishubaa

Dazzler

Posted: 19 years ago

#11

sry if posted before

Kasam se: Promising beauties

Gratifying experience: Roshini
She is ambitious, glamourous and practical in her approach to life. Relationships do matter to her and she also believes in love and bonding. But for her nothing is more important in life than money. Meet Pia, the middle sister of the Kasamh Se troika, played by Roshni Chopra who has been an actress since the age of five. This Delhiite who moved to Mumbai six months ago has done a lot of work before she landed her first role in serials. Theatre has been her long time associate that earned Roshini her first celluloid role in Ashish Chowdhary starrer Let's Enjoy, a serious comic film that was a story of a one night stand and revolved around a party where different people meet to have a good time. "I played one of the leads," says Roshni who has discussed cricket in the company of Charu Sharma, Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Jimmy Amarnath in DD Sports' studio pre-middle and post-match analysis show called Fourth Umpire when Pakistan played three Tests and five one-dayers in India last year.

"It was a great experience," adds Roshni who is hopping around from one studio to another for a host of shows she is currently anchoring – Cinemascope for Zee Music (daily) and Indian Golf Show and Speed, both weeklies for Ten Sports.Someone from Balaji noticed her in Let's Enjoy. She was asked to give an audition. However, it was not for Kasamh Se but a show called K Connection that didn't take off. Next Roshni was told that she was playing Pia in Kasamh Se.

"Pia is good-looking, attractive and a go-getter but she has also sweet and soft side to her personality," is how Roshni describes the character. "She loves her sisters, laughs and cries with them. The running thread in the story is good and bad times, love and bonding between the sisters. But despite their close ties they go their separate ways."

Doing the show is a gratifying experience for Roshni, especially because it's an Ektaa Kapoor serial. "Besides it's quite refreshing because after anchoring where I get to be myself, I enter the sets of this serial where I get to act and emote," she chuckles.
One serial and three shows as anchor, later Roshni is enjoying the variety. "It's really great," she laughs. But life is not the same in Mumbai.

"The infrastructure is very bad. Open drainage system, little open space, cramped living conditions it's all shocking," she says in a serious tone and adds, "But then it's a city that never sleeps. The work culture is very good. I am young and so I am enjoying it."

Tough but fun: Arunima
Strongly influenced by her mother who pursues writing, poems and short stories, Arunima Sharma did her Master in Food Science and Nutrition and wanted to do research in this field. Not finding suitable avenues she gave up her studies to take up acting. So she got her portfolio shot and distributed it to production houses. Soon she was called for auditions but nothing happened for a while.

"Initially I was very nervous but gradually I learnt to say my lines well. Auditions are a good learning experience," she recalls happily. Another positive thing that happened was since channels are also involved in auditions they helped her get noticed. Thus she landed a 25-episode cameo role in Star One's Remix, a youth show that revolved around the lives of rich kids in a boarding school.

"There is not much to say about the role except that it was fun," she laughs. But it's a different case with Kasamh Se. "It is tough but fun as well," says the petite young lady who got married before she embarked on acting career.

Prachi Desai enacts her dream role
It's a dream-come-true for Prachi Desai. Star-struck girls and guys make endless rounds of Balaji House and trip over each other for lead roles in Balaji soaps. But without much effort and hanging around Balaji House, Prachi has bagged a plum assignment in Balaji's K-soap factory. "It's very rare that a newcomer gets to play a lead role in Ektaa Kapoor's serials. I didn't even dream about it," gushes the petite starlet who had not even planned to start her acting career when she was offered the role three months ago. Though acting was her childhood passion she was far removed from the world of arc lights, glamour and glitz. In fact, she gave her first audition for the role in Pune where she was studying for her HSC exams. But when the call came from Balaji she couldn't even wait till she finished her higher secondary exams. Indeed in some cases dreams come true early and easily.

Born in Surat where her parents are based, Prachi has always lived away from home. She did her schooling in Panchgani, and had moved to Pune for higher studies.. Since acting was her passion since childhood, her father and uncle have done Gujarati plays but not she. Instead Prachi did a short modelling workshop with Bunty, Prashant and Deepali and got her portfolio done. Her pictures were sent to Balaji and soon came a call for an audition. The audition happened in Pune. "I couldn't believe it when I was asked by Balaji to come to Mumbai for further auditions," smiles Prachi who plays Bani in Kasamh Se. The daily is a story of three sisters who after their mother's death leave their small town home in Mount Abu to live with their late mother's industrialist friend Jay Walia in Mumbai. "We lose everything and our only hope is Mr. Walia," says Prachi who plays the eldest sister.

"Bani is a simple middle class working girl who loves her sisters and does everything to make them happy and successful. The serial is about a struggle to come up in life. It has some real surprises." But working in a daily also calls for a lot of hardwork especially when there are not enough episodes in the bank. Even the work schedules are hectic and erratic.

"But I don't have any complaints," she says. "When you love your work it makes you happy, no matter long working hours, less sleep and little time for oneself." Kasamh Se!

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Monika

@monika.goel

Sparkler

Posted: 19 years ago

#12

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=19&am p;sectname=Television&sess=31667212

Balaji wields the cane

A still from Balaji's Kyunki...

The production house deducts 15 per cent of a latecoming actor's wages

Sapana Patil

In an ambitious step to discipline latecomers who throw shooting schedules into disarray, Balaji Telefilms recently introduced a rule of deducting 15 per cent of the actor's wages if he/she reports half-an-hour after the scheduled time.

The stance adopted by Balaji is stricter than most corporate houses which allows an employee a minimum of three days of latecoming (the rule varies with every company) before any disciplinary action is taken. Balaji, however, deducts wages on the first day of late coming itself.

An actor who has worked with the production house for four years, confirms the news, on the grounds of anonymity. "Balaji has introduced this rule. It is a good move, considering that it is aimed at instilling discipline among actors. But the production house must understand that actors don't arrive late on purpose. Most actors shoot for more than one serial and actors have to balance their time between two or more shows. Also, Mumbai traffic is unpredictable."

The actor was in for a shock when she saw 15 per cent of her wages deducted on two days in spite of her not being late. "This happened because of some miscommunication created by the scheduler," the actor says. "If he does not get our signatures on the muster on time, or if he reports late to work, then he should ensure that he does not goof up with our reporting time."

This new rule has caused a lot of heartburn among actors. "Ever since Balaji introduced this rule, my life has become difficult. I run from one set to another. I leave my shoot and rush to the Balaji sets to report on time. I can't afford to be late there," reports another disgruntled actor. When contacted, Ketan Gupta, General Manager, Operations, Balaji Telefilms refused to comment on the situation

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lil_g

@lil_g

Explorer

Posted: 19 years ago

#13

Talent hunt failure bags a Balaji serial!

Luck definitely plays a very important role when it comes to actors. Naman Shaw, who went unnoticed on Zee's India's Best Zee Cinestars Ki Khoj last year, now plays the lead character in Balaji's Kasamh Se. We let him do the talking….
"It's all destiny"

"I was voted out in the first round of the finals in Cinestars, I feel I wasn't lucky then. Yes, there are guys who got into the first five and are still struggling, but I feel its all destiny.

How did you bag the role?

I have been auditioning for nearly four months now. I was first offered a character in K Street Pali Hill, which I was not to keen on. Then I was finalized for the lead in Krimson Skies (the proposed Balaji show on Star One), they were also planning to rope me in karbon Kopy, which will also telecast on Star One, but later, Balaji called me and said that I would be playing Pushkar, the lead in Kasamh Se.

Character sketch

"I play a spoilt brat, to term my character in one word; it would be that of a playboy! I am involved with two of three sisters, who come down from Nainital. It definitely is a love story.

The Balaji experience

"As most of us are new, it was not at all difficult for me. And even when it comes to the experienced actors, not for once did they make me feel that I am a newcomer.

Any other offers?

Oh many! Sarkar was also offered to me, as they were introducing a new character, but I turned it down. I was also offered shows by DJ Productions, but I was keen on working with Balaji. So here I am!"

(sorry i couldnt paste the pictures)

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Amber

@Mishubaa

Dazzler

Posted: 19 years ago

#14

Ram Kapoor to be a Papa soon

Ram Kapoor, who plays Jai Walia in Zee's Kasamh Se, is on cloud nine because his wife Gautami will deliver their first child in June. Ram already has a list of possible names ready.

"Yes, we have short-listed some names. I will be happy with anything — a boy or a girl. It's a blessing to become a father, and I am really happy for both of us," said Ram.

The actor recently returned to television after a break of two-and-a-half years. So what made him optfor Kasamh Se? "Jai Walia is a very strong character, and anyone would love to play him." Kapoor adds that he will not be asking for paternity leave.

"Once my baby arrives, I will take a day or two off between shoots. Since we work in a daily, everything is tight, and taking time off is nearly impossible." Will his wife Gautami, return to work after the baby arrives? "Yes after the delivery, she will be able to do something."

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memsaab

@memsaab

Inactive

+ 3

Posted: 19 years ago

#15

Devaki Chali Florida

Ram Kapoor and Perizaad Zorabian

Having participated in nine major International Film Festivals, Devaki is now headed for Florida Global Peace Film Festival.

The film directed by Bappaditya Bandopadhyay is the story of a woman who, forced into marriage with a 70-year old impotent man, is raped by the old man's brother on the wedding night.

Nandini, a social activist, working for an NGO, gets to know about it. Her urbane-self is revolted and repulsed by this incident. Suman Ranganathan plays Devaki.

It is probably for the first time in her career she plays a de-glamorized character of a tribal woman. Perizaad Zorabian plays Nandini. Devaki is slated for a January release. The film also stars Ram Kapoor (husband of Gautami Kapoor Gadgil).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ram Kapoor is back on TV
By: Shaheen Parkar
December 5, 2005

Ram Kapoor

After a hiatus, Ram Kapoor is back on television. The actor will be seen in the Balaji show Kasamh Se playing the role originally slated for Mohnish Behl. This soon-to-air daily on Zee relates the saga of three sisters. As Jai Walia, Kapoor's character is of an industrialist.

The actor begins shooting for the soap from Tuesday at a Saki Naka studio.

Says Kapoor, "I kept away from the small screen for the past few years due to my film commitments. I have finished with whatever I had on hand. There is one more film, written and directed by Atul Sabharwal, which rolls early next year. So, at present, there is time to do television."

Tale of three sisters

Kasamh Se is the story of three sisters Bani (Prachi Desai), Pia (Roshni Chopra) and Rano (Arunima Sharma) and their relationships. The drama takes a look at the lives of the girls post their parents' death. The eldest believes in love, the second in money, while the youngest seeks name and fame.

The drama is inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women as well as Jacqueline Bisset's novel Too Much Too Soon.

Kasamh Se's track is slated to have the three sisters land up at the busines baron's home and later there a romantic track unfolds with one of the sisters. "I have worked with Balaji earlier," says Kapoor. "I was in Ghar Ek Mandir and Kavita." So it's a homecoming of sorts for him.

Behl comes later

Explains the show's creative head, Sandiip Sikcand, "We had originally decided to take Mohnish for the role. But after he began playing the character of Suyaash in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii he didn't want to take on yet another daily show. So instead we selected Ram."

It is learnt that Behl will be part of Kasamh Se at a later stage. "He will do a cameo which will be pivotal to the storyboard," adds Sikcand.

Incidentally before Behl was pencilled in for the role, actor Kumar Gaurav was considered but the deal did not materialise due to monetary issues.

shaheen@mid-day.com

Ram Kapoor facts

1. On the big screen he featured in Sudhir Mishra's Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Kal —Yesterday and Tomorrow besides Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding and in Mridul Toolsidas and Vinay Subramaniam's Missed Call
2. Features in Bappaditya Bandopadhyay's Devaki which is on the festival circuit
3. Was seen in Prahlad Kakar's telefilm Bali on Star One
4. Acted in serials in Ghar Ek Mandir, Mansha, Heena, Awaaz and Kavita
5. Made his debut in Nyay on DD Metro
6. Is married to actress Gautami Gadgil who he met on the sets of Ghar Ek Mandir

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Khushboo's comments - worth raising a stink?

South Indian actor and TV host Khushboo's proclamations on premarital sex have once again given the media a chance to have a chinwag. Here are some telly personalities who have their say on this sweltering issue.

Riya V Anandwala talks to telly stars from every genre to find out their views

Karan Oberoi

The people down south have a typical mindset! It was not at all a controversial issue according to what I know. I believe people should live and let live. If someone wants to indulge in premarital sex, let them. Personally I don't think that there was anything wrong in what she said. She has full right to speak about what she felt. It was nothing but freedom of speech. When it comes to me, I am a great believer in being a one woman man. If one finds that one woman, then there is nothing wrong in having premarital sex, otherwise if it's just for fun… (Laughs!)

Pooja Bedi

This issue has been blown out of proportion. We live in the 21st century, in a democracy and if people have a problem with someone's personal opinion then God save them! And the fact is that premarital sex does exist. Society is changing and we should be up with the change. Whatever happened with Khushboo makes us look like we are following the Taliban regime. Coming to my opinion of premarital sex, wake up, look around you. I feel there has to be safe sex among two adults of a legal age with each other's consent. It has to a physical, emotional and mental assent.

Mandira Bedi

All of us have our own beliefs. And rights and wrongs are a part of this belief system. The fact is that in India we have conservative vibes. So one has to choose the right forum or media to punch in their opinions. If one goes to a local newspaper or magazine then it's not really a good idea. That is why I don't really like commenting on such issues, because whatever you believe, you have to finally live in a conformist society. Personally, agreeing to premarital sex reflects that person's mindset. So it's basically their call!

Mini Mathur

Mini Mathur

I think it was a perfect intelligent statement coming from a young intelligent person. I feel it was completely blown out of proportion by those silly old politicians. Whatever she said was a grave fact of life and has to accepted whether you like it or not. Whatever she said was twisted and seemed to be something different. I was heartbroken when I got to know that she had apologized for what she said. Everyone made her look like a fool and that too for nothing. I have done so many Aids campaign but I was not supporting sex but safe sex. When people can watch Salaam Namaste, why can't they understand what's happening around.

Ram Kapoor

I think it's ridiculous that people are protesting. Whatever she said was something really honest and definitely the truth. India still is backward no doubt, but they cannot hide from the reality. People just need an excuse to talk about issues like this. My view about premarital sex is that one has to be truthful and honest to themselves. Nothing else matters!

~~~~~~~~~~~Excited about 'challenging role' in K-serial

Ram Kapoor Despite having survived in the highly competitive Hindi film industry for five years, actor Ram Kapoor is all excited about his role in Ekta Kapoor's new television serial "Kasamh Se" which he claims to be a "challenging one". In Delhi earlier this week for promotion of Balaji Productions' serial that will go on the air from this coming Monday, Ram said: "I know films and serials are different. But an actor should not limit himself to one medium. I made my debut in Mira Nair's 'Monsoon Wedding' in which I did an item number. Then I did Sudhir Mishra's 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' and also ''Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow'. My film 'Devaki' in which I am acting opposite Perizaad Zorabian is running in theatres these days. I have another film in the pipeline but I am not supposed to talk about it. Despite all this, I have absolutely no hesitation in doing a role in a serial, provided it is a meaningful one." The actor, a graduate from the Stanislavski School of Method Acting in the United States, says the storyline of "Kasamh Se" does not revolve around a female protagonist. "In this serial the script does not entirely revolve around the lives of female characters. It is unlike the earlier serials in which Parvati and Tulsi were the main characters. I am aware that television is a women-oriented medium just like Bollywood is a male-dominated one. Moreover, all the characters have been finely etched and look real," says Ram, who is playing an affluent, powerful and magnetic character in the soap opera. Expressing happiness over the mushrooming of new multiplexes and theatres in metros and even small cities, Ram believes this is good for film-makers as well as actors. "Nowadays a number of films are being made and actors are getting different types of roles. I will love to do a solo role in a Hindi film but not want to be typecast as a villain or a comedian." -- Madhur Tankha

-- Madhur Tankha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gautami Kapoor in the family way

The stars are shining bright on this Kapoor couple and there's plenty of good news for Gautami and Ram Kapoor who will soon become proud parents.

A little bundle of joy will soon visit the Kapoor household, even as Papa makes a comeback to television with Ekta Kapoor's Kasamh Se. Gautami is four months pregnant (they have been married for three years now).

" It feels great. I was shooting for Fanaa when I found out that I was pregnant! It wasn't planned, but was a pleasant surprise!" says an elated Gautami.

The couple is feverishly praying for a baby girl, although a boy will also be as welcome! "I prefer a baby girl but then, I want a healthy baby. We have kept names ready, but I can't tell you as my husband is very sensitive about the whole thing," says a glowing Gautami who will take up work only after December.

And when we asked hubby Ram about how it feels to be a soon to-be papa, he seemed overjoyed at the prospect. "I am extremely excited and I want a baby girl. We are converting one of our bedrooms into a nursery for the baby," says Ram.

What's sweet about the couple is that both refuse to divulge the names that they have thought for the baby, claiming that the other will be unhappy about the revelation! ("Gautami will kill me if I told you the baby's name," said Ram. "Ram wouldn't like me to give out the baby's name,"said Gautami).

We, at Tellychakkar.com, wish the lovely couple all the best!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" We love to surprise each other with gifts"

Ram and Gautami Gadgil can easily be called the most romantic and elegant screen couple today. After three years of marriage the soon to become parents still love to get into the mushy mode at the drop of a hat. The couple celebrated their third wedding anniversary this Valentine's Day and Tellychakkar decided to speak to the still much-in-love couple.
Kavita Shyam caught up with the charming twosome.

"Valentines Day is the most romantic day "

You celebrated your third anniversary on Valentine's Day?
Gautami- Yes, we did! We had an awesome time and we had family and friends over. Ram is generally busy with work, but yesterday he took a day off and surprised me with a cute pink colored Motorola Razer V3, which I have been eyeing since Christmas. So it was a day well spent, where all we did was simply chill out.
Ram- It was excellent! We had our closest friends over to spend the whole day together and then we went for dinner. I've been working very hard and this was my first holiday after a long time.

Why did you choose V Day to get married? You don't seem like a couple that believes in the concept?
Gautami- We totally believe in the concept, that's why we got married on that day! People say it's a very western concept and a very cheesy thing. But I feel it's a beautiful day for celebrating love, it's a way of reciprocating your love for your loved ones. One can expect a lot of gifts on this day!

"I am getting fatter by the hour"

Ram- It was Gautami's decision to get married on this day and I had no problems with it!

You are expecting a baby soon, so how's the feeling? And what do you want the baby to grow up to be?
Gautami- It's a great feeling. It's just that I am getting fatter by the hour so I am slowly getting used to the weight. I have been very skinny person all my life, but this is the best phase of my life! I can also indulge in guilt free eating and I get pampered all the time.
I am open to my child doing anything until it's nothing disrespectful and I will be a very supportive parent.
Ram- I am excited to become a father soon. I want my child to be healthy, happy,well-adjusted and kind hearted. That's it.

When do you plan to resume work ? What kind of roles would you be interested in?
Gautami- I have had working parents so I will also get back to work after my baby turns seven months or so. I am not the kind of person who likes to sit at home. Today, we have many working mothers in the industry.
I'd like to do quality work with leading production houses and do challenging roles, say a negative character or comedy. I want to keep myself away from the stereotype bahu and experiment with various roles.

"He's passionate about everything"

What's one thing that you like and dislike about your spouse?
Gautami- I think he's a very passionate person, not just physically but he's passionate about his work, family, relationships - everything. There is nothing I dislike about him majorly, but just that he's a smoker, so would want him to quit smoking.
Ram- What I like about Gautami is that she is a large hearted person. And what I dislike in her is that she is a scatterbrain, she keeps forgetting her keys, cell phone and I have to be behind her all the time, reminding her about everything.

What is that one thing that keeps your marriage alive?
Gautami- There are many things that keep a marriage alive. You have got to be understanding, compassionate and romantic. There are temptations around but if these qualities are there in you, you could be romantic for more than 50 years of your marriage.
Ram- There are a combination of things that work in a marriage. There has to be trust, communication, mutual respect and the ability to compromise and adjust.

"She keeps forgetting her keys and cell phone"

Are you a romantic person?

Gautami- A Complete romantic person. I can take the extra effort to make my spouse happy. I love the candle lit dinners, gift him something (not essentially something expensive), go out for movies, spend time, relax and unwind together. Ram is equally romantic too.
Ram- Yes, very much. I like to surprise her with gifts, travel with her and do everything that makes her happy. For instance, Gautami is extremely scared of dogs. And on our first anniversary I got her pup, after much selection! And she nearly fainted that night at the party. And from then on, she's turned into an animal lover just like me!

Posted on 15 February 2006 4:30

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I fled hostel to meet girls .

Ram Kapoor: I did my schooling from Sherwood College, Nainital. As it is a residential school I had to stay away from home. Whatever I am today, is because of the upbringing and guidance of my teachers. However, as a child I was very naughty and for which I was often punished. I was in class X when I with my four school friends decided to run away from hostel to meet our girlfriends in an all-girls school. We knew that if we were caught, we would be barred from sitting for the board exams, so we persuaded our entire class of nearly 50 students to slip out of hostel. We escaped from our dormitory through a narrow window that was used by the washer man to deliver ironed clothes. after escaping from the hostel's premises we reached the girls' school. However, when we were returning, our principal, who was coming from the town caught us. As he could not suspend the entire class, he decided to punish five of us. Normally the punishments were called fatigues and we were made to do tiring exercises like dips, haunches and even rounds of the school but that day the fatigue was light as our board exams were nearing. I was lucky during the school days as I was seeing the principal's daughter. As a result, whenever my name was included in any complaint list, she would delete it before the list reached the principal. Although I was an average student I was a teachers' favourite. Whenever we wanted to postpone an exam, my classmates would ask me to go to the concerned teacher. There was a teacher, Mr Pandey, who was infamous for his strictness. However, I was the only student in my class whom he never hit. School days were fun and I long to visit it at least once. I hope I can do that soon. -Ram Kapoor

Edited by memsaab - 19 years ago

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ekumeed

@ekumeed

Explorer

Posted: 19 years ago

#16

Dear Forum Members:

Hello. I hope all of you are doing well. As I was browsing the internet, I saw an article titled "Promises to Keep" and wanted to share it with you all. By the way, I have already checked in the sticky post for the articles' section and realized the article has not been posted before. But I'll be posting it there also in a few seconds. In the meantime, enjoy! Thanks.

Sincerely,

Ek Umeed 😊

Promises to keep

Ekta Kapoor's foray into alternative a platform has found a sound vehicle in Kasamh Se where you would not find a saas and the bahu is different from the usual. Deebashree Mohanty visits the sets and tells you how this romance from the Balaji portfolio is doing

There is much more to come from the Balaji kittybox. Kasamh Se, her latest out of the box venture shot in the exotic Mount Abu is an instant TRP chartbuster, taking away some of the sheen for Star being the best platform on which the soap dish can sit.

Brimming with a young star cast in Roshni Chopra, Prachi Shah and a host of others, the set though would say a different story. It can easily take the cake for being one of the most organised one.

"We have never had any kind of mayhem on the sets. It is very well maintained. None of the actors has an air about them, and they are very punctual on the sets," says the episode director, Pankaj Singh, amidst shouting instructions to the camera crew.

One cut followed the other, as Jai Walia in his perfect-moolah-stinking-businessman-like-manner, asks Prachi Shah, his onscreen wife to get out of a room.

Professionalism is something that is generally accompanied with Balaji productions but come to this set to believe it. The entire crew knows its work to the tee and they silently work on it. As for the stars, in no other set would you find their genre rehearsing scenes and dialogues amongst themselves so seriously as this one.

A little peek into Roshni's make-up van and you find the lady busily mugging up her dialogues. "Mujhe to laga thi ki aap hamare madat karenge....." is her first dialogue for the day and quite apparently she is nervous.

"It is my debut with Balaji yaar, so I am nervous. I am confident of facing the camera, but speaking aloud scenes is a different matter all together. I just want this to happen quickly so that I can pack up for the day," she says looking at her watch for a confirmation of the time.

And this watch, we learn is a Gucci product costing over some lakhs, gifted to her by her best friend. No points for guessing who that is. (Is Upen Patel listening?)

As for the other leading protagonist, Ram Kapoor, he is as cool as a swelling duck. "I am pretty cool with working under big banners. I have worked with the production house in my previous serials, but Kasamh Se is a challenge for me. Whichever way the serial goes, I will have to prove myself," says Kapoor somehow managing to hold his wig on place. "I am enjoying the role, and the wig is very close to my heart. I will keep this on on my public outings as well. This will generate a lot of publicity for me."

Not that we haven't seen the older wig atop actors before, remember Rishab Bajaj of the Kasauti Fame?

The serial producers have their fingers crossed on this venture. "We are hoping the show would do the trick for us. It is a good story, no reason for the show to not make a flying start," says its creative head, Sandeep Sikand.

And Sikand truly means business. According to the TRP's generated within the first few weeks of the premiere of the show, it managed a whooping 8.5 on a scale of 10 for presentation.

As for the story line? Well, slotted to be an epic tale, the story revolves around three sisters Bani, Rano and Pia. It starts with a tone of sadness as the three girls are forced to live with a very rich business tycoon for the rest of their lives. Jai Walia, a middle aged man stinking of moolah and attitude immediately takes a liking towards one of the girls. The story then moulds through a lot of twists and turns as the sisters face the bad bad world.

"It is a great theme, when we shot for the first few episodes we were reminded of a story book. It is so much fun to be shooting for this," says Prachi.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/foray1.asp?main_variable=SUNDAYP IONEER%2FFORAY&file_name=fory3.txt&counter_img=3

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Upasna

@Culture

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 19 years ago

#17

Will two estranged hearts find love?

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=19&am p;am p;articleid=42420062352432964242006235231671

When soft winds are said to break the hardest of rocks, the human mind can be no exception. Try as one might, the heart rules the minds roost. Bani and Jai were not spared either. Their forced intimacy was a result of the impending arrival of Jai's dear Billo massi. Massi is coming to meet her cherished nephew and Jai is sure not to cut a sorry figure in front of her. So he strikes a deal with Bani to stage pretence of a happy marriage. He would loath to have massi know the bitter truth behind his painful matrimony. So it is with obvious intent that the two start pretending to be in love with each other. And it is perhaps this intimacy that actually brings them together. Not that it changes life for them drastically, but it makes them comfortable with each other to an extent.

Just as every rose has a thorn, this nascent closeness does not go well with Jai's sister Jigyasa. She begins to plot and plan with an aim to destroy the budding affection between Jai and Bani. She starts raking up Jai's past relationships. She also creates a situation where she pits her brother's current flame and a skeleton from the past against each other.

Meanwhile, Bani's sister Pia is seemingly happy with her husband Pushkar. But she soon starts feeling the sting of poverty. Pai has forever nursed an aspiration to make it big in life. She realises that Pushkar might not be able to fuel her strongest ambition in life. Hence she starts feeling stifled and stunted despite Pushkar's overwhelming and unselfish love for his wife.

So who is this past skeleton from Jai's life and how will it affect Bani and their newly acquired sense of belonging to each other? Will massi realize the staged conduct between the unhappily married couple? Will Pia be able to tell Pushkar about her inhibitions? To find out, tune in to Kasamh Se tonight and from Monday – Friday at 9.00 pm on Zee TV.

Answer the question below and 10 lucky winners get an opportunity to the watch the shoot of Kasamh Se:

Edited by monika.goel on 25 April 2006 at 1:52am

_____
Hey do u guys think that skeleton in this cud be reffering to Pia and her decision to return to jai??

it cud be the reason for discord between the two .. what do u think..

and ..hmm .. well so then the two cuties will have to many issues between them too and soon too...

i hope this doesnt turn out like tumhari disha .. they ruined that beautiful serial ..

anyway guys post ur views.. and am sorry if this has been posted before

Upasna😛

(by the way this article was posted in the articles section and i just pickd it from thre so we cud discuss it further)

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khoo

@khoo

Dazzler

+ 3

Posted: 19 years ago

#18

Roshni Chopra and Naman Shaw in Kasamh Se

What was supposed to be a normal day of shooting turned into something quite dramatic for the unit of Zee's Kasamh Se.

The incident happened a few days back, when a scene showing Pushkar (Naman Shaw) kissing Pia (Roshni Chopra) was about to be shot.

Witnessing the shot was Naman's very close friend, Shradhdha Arya. Naman is more than Shradhdha's good buddy.

"There's definitely something going on between them. Why else would Shradhdha land up on the sets to meet Naman?" said a source.

Apparently, Arya was unhappy with the intimate kissing scene between Naman and Roshni.

"She came on the sets to meet him. Since Naman shoots for long hours, there is hardly any time for them to catch up. However, when she figured out he was doing a kissing scene, she was quite irritated." It was only when Naman spoke to her and explained the scene that Shradhdha chilled out and understood the situation.

'Just friends'

When contacted, Shradhdha, who was on Zee's talent hunt show, India's Best, along with Naman, said, "I've known him since our days in India's Best. We are very good friends and try and meet up whenever possible." Are they dating? "Definitely not, he's just a good friend."

What about the drama on the sets? "I don't even know where he shoots, so how can I land up there. This is totally untrue; I have never visited him on location."

Shradhdha Arya

Naman too toed her line when asked about the incident. "Shradhdha didn't come visiting me at all. This is completely false and misguiding. There's no doubt we are friends, but it's a mistake to talk about us dating."

Unhappy doing love scenes

Said creative head for the show, Sandiip Sikcand, "I was not on the sets, so would not be in a position to talk about it."

However, a unit member of Kasamh Se revealed, "From the beginning, Naman has been very uncomfortable doing romantic scenes.

He would always try and escape situations that required him to do anything passionate. The reason would probably be his girlfriend or parents having issues watching it on television."

While Naman is working in Balaji's show, Shradhdha is still looking for work. "I am from Delhi, and not based in Mumbai. There is no hurry on my part to get into television. I would prefer to wait and do films. Recently, I did a music video for a singer, Saloni, and also appeared in some commercials."

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memsaab

@memsaab

Inactive

+ 3

Posted: 19 years ago

#19

Thought you guys would like to read... 😆

An interview with the Sony Matinee Idols

For those who haven't been watching Ghar Ek Mandir, this is how the story goes:
Remake of the most successful daily soap in the South called "Kudumbam", it is a story of two individuals - Aanchal (Gautami Shroff) and Rahul ( Ram Kapoor) -married to each other under unusual (call it even abnormal) circumstances, after the tragic death of Aanchal's fiance Prem who happens to be Ram's elder brother too! As a married couple they find themselves caught in the oddest of situations. Both loved Prem dearly and they find his memories creating an unbreakable barrier between them ...While there are other characters too in the serial and different plots. which frankly speaking, happen to be the sore point in an otherwise good Ghar Ek Mandir.. it is Gautami and Ram who catch the viewer's sole interest. To watch them, people don't mind forgoing their precious afternoon snooze! Today Gautami and Ram popularly known by their screen names Aanchal and Rahul have grown to become the most sought after telewood couple in town!

And here they are!
Meet the new stars on the block
Gautami Shroff and Ram Kapoor

Gautami Shroff is a stunningly fresh and elegant actress..
Meet GAUTAMI SHROFF and RAM KAPOOR - the stars of Ghar Ek Mandir.

"Ghar Ek Mandir has been the turning point of my career"
A couple of serials old, she is one of the most sought after TV actresses today, having gained the reputation for being truly talented. Gautami Shroff is a stunningly fresh and elegant actress whose performance sets her squarely apart from her contemporaries. Her firm belief in herself and her choice of the projects has put her in a position of having serials with some of the most talented directors on the scene. Gautami Shroff talks about her unusual role in Ekta Kapoor's daily soap Ghar Ek Mandir...

You hail from an academically inclined family. How come then you chose acting as your profession?

What should I say? Destiny, I guess. Isn't it strange? I always wanted to become a doctor. My father is a doctor and my mother is a principal of a nursing college, Nair Hospital. I have graduated with Life sciences and then I did a Para medical course. I have also done a diploma in medical lab technology. Acting was something I was not even remotely connected to. But I guess some things are just meant to be that way.

How did acting happen?

It happened by mere chance. I had gone to Gautam Rajadhyaksha (photographer) to collect a friend's portfolio. Gautam saw me and casually suggested that I should get my portfolio done. Although it never occurred to me till then, I decided to give it a thought. But I knew it was an expensive affair and my father would refuse to do anything with it. He would rather invest his money in buying books for me than doing something as frivolous as getting a portfolio done.
But things just happened. Like I said earlier, whatever has to happen happens.

You have been around for the past one and a half years. Do you wish you had become a doctor instead?

No, I do not regret being in this profession at all. In fact I am enjoying every minute of it. The only regret I have today is for not having done a formal acting course. It would have helped me tremendously. I would have learnt the nuances of acting and things would have been easier. No, it doesn't mean that I am having a difficult time now. It is just that I would have been more polished then.

Did you have to struggle much to keep pace with your competitors?

Yeah. It was little difficult initially. I was not used to working for such long hours. But with the passage of time I have learnt to deal with situations. And today I am happy because so much is happening and there is a lot of good work that is being offered to me. It is becoming impossible to say no because they are such fabulous roles. Besides people are also willing to adjust. Tell me, what more could have I asked for.

I believe, initially you were not too keen on Ghar Ek Mandir?

Yeah. There is too much binding for a daily soap and I was not prepared for that. I am used to working at my own relaxed pace. However it was Ekta Kapoor who was persistent as she was very convinced that I should play Aanchal. Thanks to her, Ghar Ek Mandir, I must say has been the turning point of my career. I loved the role.

What was it about the role that fascinated you?

It is an author- backed role. Aanchal, the character I play is a very strong woman but at the same time very sensitive too. She is caring but very tough on the exterior. The best part was that I did not have to prepare for the role simply because I identify with the character totally. Aanchal is so much like me. I am sure I would react to situations the same way as she does. The only thing that sets us apart is that she is too strong a woman where I am pretty much vulnerable.

RAM KAPOOR
"Unlike Rahul I am a thorough extrovert"

Unlike other actors, he never wanted to be an actor. At a compulsory school audition at Sherwood boarding in Nainital he was selected to play a very important role in one of the plays staged for the Founder's day celebration. And that proved to be a turning point in his life. Caught by the acting bug he took off to US to train himself. Although his first television serial Nyay on DD Metro didn't make much of a dent, he is certainly noticed for his intense performance in Ekta Kapoor's daily soap Ghar Ek Mandir. Ram Kapoor is now riding high on the success, which cannot be attributed to anyone else, but himself.

Sitting smugly in his living room Ram refreshingly comes across as someone who is genuinely warm and friendly. "People now call me Rahul," he tells me with a tinge of pride. "The only difference is that he is an introvert and I am not," he says with a grin that stays with him till the end of the interview.

You share the same surname as Ekta Kapoor. Are you related to her by any chance?

For someone who had no aspirations of becoming an actor how did it all begin?

I remember I was in the ninth standard then. For the Founder's day at Sherwood, Mr Amir Reza Hussain chose forty boys (including me) and forty girls for auditioning. Though I was not interested I had no choice at all. I gave my audition half-heartedly. And guess what? I was selected and that too for an important role in the play called Charlie's aunt. I had to undergo three months of rehearsals and I hated it. However it was on the day of my final performance, something in me clicked and bingo, I realised this is what I want to do. It was amazing to be on stage in front of an audience. And since then there has been no looking back.

And you took off to America to learn acting. Right?

Yeah. After that I did several stage plays in school and excelled in them all. However I wanted to perfect the art so I went to the US and learnt method acting for four years.

How long did you have to wait before you got your first break?

Luckily I had to wait only for six months. Sudhir Mishra took a liking to me and offered me a very high profile role in Nyay for DD Metro. Unfortunately Metro is not a channel that is watched much in Mumbai. So the response was very little. However Nyay helped me get Ghar Ek Mandir which has changed my life completely.

How much do you identify with the character of Rahul?

Oh, we are poles apart. I am totally different from Rahul. While he is an introvert I am a thorough extrovert. You should see me on the sets to believe what I am saying. I am a big prankster there. When the camera is not rolling the amount of masti we all do is amazing. It is a mad house.

How much effort did you have to put in to portray the character of Rahul?

It took a while for me to get into the part.

Will there be a change in your character later?

You see the basic character of Rahul is going to be the same. But a lot more confusion and a lot more turmoil are going to be added along the way. In terms of whether Rahul and Aanchal will come together or not I cannot say much. Every time something good happens to get them closer, something bad will happen to create more tension. There's going to be a lot more levels to this.

Is there any scene that has satisfied you as an artiste?

Yeah, there is one such scene where my brother Prem is dead and we bring the body home and I go to Aanchal to tell her; the scene that followed was I think the best, performance wise. Somehow as an actor I just got connected to the scene.

What do you think of yourself as an actor?
I think I still have a long way to go. I think I have a certain level of confidence in my work and that comes from my method training. However I have so much more to experience... so much more to learn.

How is it working with Ekta?

Ekta and I get along very well. I am very fond of her. May be because I have known her for many years. Her banner Balaji Telefilms is very big; they are handling a lot of projects at the same time. The amazing thing about working with Ekta and her mother Shobha Kapoor is that they are very professional in their approach. They provide their entire team with whatever they need to do their best. As an actor if I look at it from my point of view, Balaji definitely offers me everything they can and all I have to do is be on the sets on time and do a good job because everything else is taken care of. Balaji is such a strong and focussed production house that I would love to work with them again.

How comfortable are you in front of the camera?

I am pretty nervous before a shot but I feel the nervousness is part of the excitement and I use it to my advantage. I must say I am so lucky because I am getting a chance to do what I love. This is such a competitive line, there are so many good actors who don't have work and are still struggling.

What kind of roles are you looking for?

I feel as a budding actor, if you are too choosy about your roles, your career is finished even before it has started. Whatever is offered to you the best thing to do is to prove yourself first. Then you come to a level where you have more than enough work and you have the option of choosing. So at this stage when I have just begun my career I do not want to make things difficult for me. I want to do anything that is offered to me but I am confident I will do it well. Besides I am not one of those to restrict myself by doing only lead roles.

What is your future plans?

I wish to carry on with Television as much as I can. I am having a blast. I have no reason to complain. I just love it to death. I consider myself lucky as I am working with amazing producers, who are doing amazing projects. Ghar Ek Mandir worked out great for me and now I am starting three weeklies for three different channels that will be aired on prime time. So far I am offered only lead roles but like I said earlier I am open to play anything. In all my shows I am playing pretty much the central character.

Did you ever think of acting in Hindi films?

As far as Hindi films are concerned I would love to work in them too. But I prefer intense parallel kind of films, which depict reality like Satya, Shool, Vaastav, and Bombay Boys to name a few. Until that happens its television for me.

Source: TELELIFE November 2000 Issue

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mistletoe

@mistletoe

Inactive

+ 4

Posted: 19 years ago

#20

Rocking spoof of a rendezvous

Small screen | Poonam Saxena

May 21, 2006

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Switching from Semi Girebaal on MTV to Simi Garewal on Star World is good fun. As Semi breathes, "How lovely…" Simi coos, almost as if she's completing the sentence, "That's so nice…" Last week Semi had Cyrus Broacha as Shah Rukh Khan (guest number two was Current Kohar, and both men wore outrageous wigs), and Simi had Sanjay Dutt as Sanjay Dutt (his hair standing on end as if it had just been electrocuted). Both ladies simpered equally sympathetically, the white set glowed as luminously in both shows – but speaking for myself, give me Semi any day. It's not surprising that MTV's Rendezvous With Semi Girebaal, telecast on the same day and at the same time as Star World's Rendezvous With Simi Garewal, has much better ratings. Semi is going to become — if she isn't already — one of MTV's most rocking spoofs. She beats Pidu hands down.

This is probably one of the few shows on MTV that is appointment viewing. In all these years, I've never been able to figure out what comes when on MTV. I'm told that's because it's a 'snacking' channel — you grab what you can when you can — but that's a little frustrating if you don't want to miss a particular show. Like Bakra, which I rather enjoy.

I have been watching Kasamh Se on Zee and am glad to inform you that there's finally a K serial from the Balaji stable which is not a saas-bahu family soap. Sure, there is a rich
family, sure, there is plenty of melodrama and there are the regular staples like a wicked sister-in-law and a bitchy vamp (Rakshanda Khan smiling evilly in every scene). But it's more the love story of television's most beloved heroine avatar — the simple, pure behenji — and a wealthy, bad-tempered tycoon given to pulling the most frightful faces. By default therefore, it's different. Oh all right, it's ever so slightly different. But in the current scenario when each and every soap looks like a carbon copy of the other, you've got to be grateful for small mercies.

Zee has also started a new serial called Jab Love Hua, which is about a spoilt city brat (and bit mentally deficient one at that) who comes to a village and runs into a good rustic lad.

I suppose the two will fall in love and we'll end up seeing the brat trade her miniskirt for a ghagra choli.

Can barely wait.

Edited by monika.goel - 19 years ago